What it's About

                What makes a story worth reading? Try to remember the stories you’ve read over the years, and take note of the ones that really stood out. Why do they stand out? Were the characters memorable? Was the plot exciting? Did the story’s premise speak to you? Was the author’s style so intriguing that it kept you going?

                When you really analyze what it is that made a work of fiction memorable for you, you start to notice the various aspects of story writing that really matter. Today we’re going to take a quick look at a few of these.

                It’s all in the Premise

                Go through every good (or bad, for that matter) book you’ve read and you’ll realize that they are trying to say something. There is a message behind the story; a reason the author spent hours toiling away at his keyboard to develop the work of fiction you read. This message, whether you agree with it or not, is the essence behind the story. It’s the core of the work surrounding it. The author’s premise might be “family before friends”, “hard work pays off” or something as simple as “love conquers all”. Whatever the story, somewhere between the lines is the reason for its being; the premise.

                Plot it Out

                Your plot is your road-map. It’s the start, the middle and the end. It’s your rising and falling actions, climax, conflict and resolution. Every good story relies on a good plot. Needless to say, we are often plagued by novels with terrible plot lines that still miraculously make it to the bestseller list. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the plot doesn’t appeal to a majority of people; remember, what you like may or may not be what others like. In most of these cases, well rounded characters and the ‘fab of the moment’ might be major causes for the novel’s success (yes, lady luck is important in a lot of cases). Still, with a good plot line, you can never go wrong!

                Create your Characters

                Let’s be completely honest…each time I ask a group of people in a creative writing class, or any of my students at school, what makes a story interesting, the first answer is usually: characters! If you compare writing to painting, your premise would be your canvas, your plot the colors, and your characters the brushes you use. Depending on how rich they are, how much you really know them, and how real they seem to the reader, your characters, with everything they do and say, could make or break your story. This is not something you could just cook up, and I suggest you don’t overlook their importance. It doesn’t matter if your character is a dust particle flowing across the milky way; make it important to you and the story, and it will be important to your readers!

                The Extras!

                Frankly, once you’ve gotten the premise, plot and characters set, the extras are basically frosting on top of the cake. That doesn’t take away from their importance, mind you – to me, cake without frosting is not cake at all. Still, without the three amigos mentioned above, the extras are pretty useless. Things like setting, mood, tone, voice, style, symbolism, background, and others are there to make your story stronger, not necessarily dictate its outcome. True, without a unique style, an interesting setting, and a captivating mood, your story will probably be a bit too bland. Still, I prefer to build the house before picking out the furniture.

                

Why Write?

Why write indeed? Such an odd question, don’t you think? For some of us, it comes as second nature…an outlet that we need to master in order to truly express ourselves. For some of us, it’s all about that wide window to the soul that opens when our words find their way to paper (or computer screen). Often enough, we blame it on the headaches we get from a multitude of intertwining thoughts barging into one another in that space we call our mind. And they keep doing that until we finally have them written down, in some way or form. It’s only then do we find peace.

The question, though, shouldn't be ‘why write?’ as much as ‘why do I want to write?’ What drives you, the creator of coherent sentences mixed into an astonishing paragraph that is just a building block of one entire story, to want to write? That’s really the first question you should ask yourself.

Writing is an art form, but not an innate ability or talent that some people have and others don’t. I truly believe that writing something interesting, something that is memorable, can be achieved through consistent practice and polishing of style, voice, and the tools we use to make up the world we want our readers to spend some of their valuable time in. Anyone can ‘write’. It’s what we do to develop our writing, and move forward in this art form, that makes our work truly inspirational.

However, just like any other art form, there must be a need for it. I’m not talking about essay writing, or a research paper that needs to be handed in and graded so you can make your way towards one certificate or the other. I mean sitting somewhere cozy, grabbing a pen and paper (or whatever electronic device you might fancy), and letting your imagination fly! Without this need, your ability to constantly push yourself to improve - to constantly develop your craft - will be minimal. Just like any other art form, it is the need of the artist that creates the ultimate masterpiece.

So, before you decide to write, ask yourself this: Why do I want to do it? Trust me, it’s not an easy question, and I’m not asking you to be philosophical about it. Nor am I asking you to shrug aside the notion that what you write will influence a large number of people. But, be honest with yourself. Writing takes time and effort, both of which will certainly frustrate you if the reasons for doing it are not immediately met. Just like a farmer, it’s a dynamic process that requires attention and patience, the fruits of which, I assure you, will be mouthwatering.

After you've answered that question, after you know for sure that this is the path for you, there are a few blueprints you’ll need to take a look at before you start. They’re simple and generic rules, agreed upon by almost every writer I can think of, and will definitely be important to the foundation of your craft.

Rule 1: No reading, no writing

Stephen King once said that if you do not have time to read, then you do not have time to write. I honestly couldn't agree more. There is no good writer who does not read. Whether you’re writing a short story or a novel, an article or a blog, if you’re not reading, don’t expect anything magical to happen. You can’t make a good burger without having tasted one first. The same goes for writing. Don’t ever be fooled into thinking you can skip this. The more you read, the better your writing becomes. Period.

Rule 2: Grammar and Spelling

Just like trying to bake a cake without the right ingredients, writing without proper grammar and spelling can be disastrous. This is not something you can just swing, and I can’t tell you how annoying it is to be immersed in a story and then brutally yanked out by a grammar or spelling mistake. When a story is well written, you can hear the words as you read them, and things like mixing up “your” and “you’re” are similar to hearing nails across a blackboard. Take the time to freshen up on your grammar, even if it does seem a bit tedious at first. You are your first editor, and no one will give you a valuable critique of your story if they’re busy dodging syntax errors.

Ok, so I’ll leave you with these for now, and honestly, it’s all you really to start with. Next time we meet, I’ll introduce you to some of the main elements of writing that you need to know, and we’ll build up from there.

For now, good night, and may your dreams be limitless!

Welcome to our blog

Welcome to the Adekon Publishing blog. To give you just a quick idea of what to expect, this blog is going to be primarily devoted to the development of writers and their craft. We're not going to be a news blog for what's happening in Adekon, although some of that might pop up here and there if deemed helpful in one way or another to our central theme. It's about writing, writers and whatever parts of the industry we can hook you up with.
We're going to be trying our best to make sure our blog entries occur weekly (every Tuesday), and hopefully we'll stick to that plan as rigorously as we can. That will not stop us from throwing in a few special entries here and there when deemed relevant, whether to competitions, writing workshops, or others.
So, enjoy the blog, make sure to keep checking in, and give us as much feedback as you can so we can make sure you are thoroughly catered to.
Onward!