Vision: A Resource for Writers
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Holly Lisle's VisionYoung Writers' SceneUsing
School To Enhance Your Writing And Your Career
By Julia Pass©
2002, Julia Pass
You're
trying to write, but there's an annoying little voice that just won't leave you
alone. It could be your conscience, telling you that you should do your
homework. Or maybe you're trying to write in class and that annoying little
voice is your teacher. Either way, you just can't seem to find enough time away
from school to work on your blossoming writing career. Perhaps the problem is
that you haven't been integrating school into your writing the way you should.
There are many different ways you can do this, starting with figuring out what
to do with those old papers you've kept for so long. What
to do with all those assignments you still have There are many different things that you could do with those old school
papers you never managed to throw away. Maybe you've still got that A-plus paper
from last semester, or that paper on something you've always been interested in.
Use them. For those perfect (or nearly perfect) papers, very little is needed once
you've found a market for them. Just do a quick edit of the paper, format it,
and then send it off. A good grade in one place could equal publication in
another. For the papers that maybe aren't quite as good, a more detailed rewrite
is in order. Make sure that you enjoy the topic before deciding to rewrite a
school assignment for another market. There's really no point in rewriting a
paper that you didn't do quite as well on if you don't love the topic. Maybe not all your assignments are in formats that would be easy to
submit. A lot of mine aren't, but that doesn't mean that the topics of at least
some of my assignments don't intrigue me. For assignments that required research
but no paper, it is very easy to just write an article for a specific market
based on the research you did for school. This makes your job ten times easier
because you don't need to worry about making time for research you've already
done. Some teachers allow you to pick the topic of your assignments. For cases
like these, pick a topic that you not only enjoy but also think would be easy to
find a market for. Once you've written the paper, follow the same steps that you
would for other assignment categories. School can give you more than just articles to submit. It can also teach
you important things that can come in handy when you write or when you critique
the writing of others. Some of the core subjects are especially good for this. English English is quite possibly the most important class a teenage author can
take. It is the study of literature, the very thing that every teen writer hopes
to create. Although spending too much time among the literary critics can be
hazardous to your word counts, spending a little time is just fine. One of the most important things that English class does is expose you
to different writers and writing styles. I had thought that stream of
consciousness had no bearing on my life, but after reading Ralph Ellison's Invisible
Man, I realized that stream of consciousness could be a valuable tool.
The only shorts I'm willing to send out at this point are stream of
consciousness. Had I not paid attention in English class, I would never have
found this gem of a writing style. English class and the books you study in it can also give you more
specific examples of themes or symbols you may like to emulate in your own
stories. For example, Invisible Man and William Golding's Lord
of the Flies both use Freud's concept of the Id, the Ego, and the Super Ego
as basic character types. When I was prewriting for my current novel, I found
myself adding bits of these three essences to each of my characters as a way of
defining them both in my mind and to the reader. Let's not forget grammar. Most of us already know how to form coherent
sentences, but what the heck is a dangling modifier? And what's so bad about
saying “She ran quick” or “I did good on that test”? You get your point
across, but the more intelligent readers will be quick to put your book down
after a sentence like that, unless you've got a really good reason for it. And
most reasons aren't all that good. The Social Sciences This conglomerate of subjects, which can include everything from
archaeology to Russian history to economics, is also incredibly important. While
English is like one big how-to book for writing styles and symbolism, the social
sciences can make your worlds real. Let's start with history. History shows you what has been done, what
could have been done, and what can be done. Historical times and places are also
great for coming up with story ideas, either historicals or alternate histories.
Many fantasy worlds are also based on certain periods in history, mainly the
medieval period. Taking good notes in class can make your job easier when it
comes time to do more research for your stories. For those who want to write in their own worlds without a mention of
Earth, there are other classes that may be of more use. Many schools have
psychology and anthropology courses that can help a writer think about the way
humans live and think. Archaeology, which can be part of an anthropology course,
is the study of how past societies lived. Biology Biology is a more specific subject than just “English” or “Social
Sciences,” but it's a huge topic by itself without including the other
sciences. Biology determines what you look like, how you move, and who you are. With a working knowledge of basic biology, you can create creatures that
aren't just copies of Earth animals. You can come up with unique ways to make
them move and act. Knowledge of anatomy can also help. Courses in anatomy aren't as common
as courses in biology, but if you find one, you should definitely take it. Once
you've created your creatures, you've got to have interesting ways to wound them
in case they get in a fight. You can also use your knowledge of anatomy to hurt
your human characters. These courses are hardly the only helpful ones you can take, but they're
some of the more important ones. Although everything a writer knows can be story
fodder, these courses can be huge helps for the writer just beginning to build a
world.
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