Ignore them at your own risk
You think my headline is exaggerated. You’re wrong.
Believe me, my dear reader who write and aspire to be a novelist: if you accomplish all the aspects I enlist below, you’re ready for greatness.
Handshake? No, wait. Before you need to read them. There will be time for shaking hands later, when aware of what matters to have an actual, shiny destination for your journey.
I didn’t say it’s a straightforward task to check the full list, did I?
Now, one mandatory question.
Who am I to tell you who is a great novelist?
Well, I am a novelist, a…
6 basics to master
Worries get us stuck.
So, my daily routine was simple and effective when I was sure of my writing, and my self-esteem hadn’t yet fallen under my feet. I wasn’t questioning anything but the best way to deliver my ideas.
Full stop.
134,000 Words Aren’t A Lot
One hundred thirty-four thousand words are not so many if you divide them by 49 days.
To complete such a novel — a 455 pages volume — you “just” need to write 2,735 words per day. You need some mandatory skills, and skills are manageable.
I’m not talking about talent or art. That’s for…
You are many things
I’m watching one of the writing course lessons. Todd Brison’s telling us how he uses notes to write an article, when suddenly:
“Later down the road, I know I’m never gonna quit writing,” he said.
Something clicks inside me.
My first reaction is: “I used to think the same way. Then…”
I was sure I would never stop writing in my life.
Yet I faded away. My inner self drifted into the flat calm of an unknown ocean. Not a breath of wind blew.
I thought I was still. Alas, I didn’t have any point of reference. In every direction…
Write fiction and nonfiction at your best without overstrain yourself
When I first read about “flow state” I asked myself what on earth it was. Soon I understood the definition refers to the abridged version of what I do since many years.
I’ve always been too easily distracted by whatever surrounds me, in fact. As a novelist, I had to find a way to stay focused.
It’s been a natural process, because to me everything is a distraction.
Flow state as it’s described by writers like Tim Denning wouldn’t solve my issues, because it doesn’t take into account the “visual” distractions.
Here it is how I draft 500 pages-long novels…
Do what you love with joy, or it is not worth it
Writing must be joyful and free from any constraint, otherwise it’s not worth it.
In 2006 I had no fun anymore, that’s the sad truth. I blamed whoever came within my reach. Today, I know I was responsible for such sadness.
I thought I was special. Writing became torture. Stubborn as a mule, I continued for five more years, while little by little truth emerged on a conscious level.
That challenge allowed me to float. A new novel, atypical for me at the time, which I entitled “Noname.”
“Second Law of writing: always challenge yourself.”
In 2011, I completed what…
7 priorities to observe
Animals are creatures driven by the essential. They only go for what matters, avoid what they don’t like, and ignore the rest.
They deliver clean lessons as only natural Masters can when unaware of being observed. Their wisdom shines because they teach by example.
Observing my little dog, Oto, led me to recognize what I need to improve.
I believe the human mind is the most powerful of the gifts and the most dangerous. We are blessed and damned. While animals linearly manage their simple lives, we zigzag until we confuse ourselves so much to get stuck.
Then we help…
The time is ripe
I’m stuck.
My days have only 24 hours. That’s why.
Do you know when the pressure is almost too much? We’re face to face, now. I’m talking to you. Yes, you, the reader.
Consider my tone kind, but firm. I don’t want to intimidate anybody. But I need you to witness the below words. To look and see for yourself what I will do in the next weeks, and months and… two years. Or five years.
It doesn’t matter how much, but it starts today. Fine?
I’m stuck. Nevertheless, each day I write thousands of words and edit thousands of…
Write as it suits you best or you aren’t ready yet
“Let yourself go. When you flow, creativity possesses you.”
Storytelling skills improve exponentially if you know how to flow.
If you flow, the Lady wraps you in her cloak. If you close your eyes while writing, you see better. She sees far, in detail, on a full scale, inside you and even into the future.
When she brings you back to Earth, you feel small. You miss her before she says goodbye and feel a wrench an instant before she leaves.
You are a mere mortal again. Then you realize that Lady Creativity comes to you if you call her…
Escribe como quieras o no estás listo todavía
“Déjate llevar. Cuando fluyes, la creatividad te posee”.
La capacidad de narrar mejora exponencialmente si puedes fluir.
Fluyes y de repente la Señora te envuelve en su capa. Si cierras los ojos cuando escribes, ves mejor. Ella ve lejos, en detalle, a gran escala, dentro de ti e incluso en el futuro.
Cuando te trae de vuelta a la Tierra, te sientes pequeño. La echas de menos antes de que se despida y sientes un tirón un momento antes de que se vaya.
Vuelves a ser un mero mortal. Entonces te das cuenta de que la Dama Creatividad viene a…
Scrivi come t’è più congeniale o non sei ancora pronto
“Lasciati andare. Quando fluisci, la creatività ti possiede.”
La capacità di raccontare migliora in modo esponenziale se sai fluire.
Fluisci e all’improvviso la Signora ti avvolge col suo mantello. Se chiudi gli occhi quando scrivi, vedi meglio. Lei vede lontano, in dettaglio, a 360 gradi, dentro di te e persino il futuro.
Quando ti riporta sulla Terra, ti senti piccolo. Avverti la sua mancanza prima che ti saluti e uno strappo nel momento che precede il suo distacco.
Sei di nuovo un comune mortale. Poi capisci che la Signora Creatività viene a te se la chiami, e ti rilassi. …
