Formulas
Just about everything we do these days involves formulas. This is why so many old movies are remade. We take a formula that works and plug in some new faces to make a few bucks. The same is true with out writing.
We learn formulas when we write. If a murder mystery is more successful when there are three suspects and two dead bodies, we incorporate these ideas into our formula. We know they work. This doesn't mean that we should be rigid in applying our formulas, but it means that we recognize what works for us and keep doing similar things.
If we were too rigid, that would preclude the flexibility I aspire to in trying new things. There are some general rules, though. Some of us just weren't cut out to write romance novels. Others of us should stay clear of crime scene investigation works. They just don't fit with our writing styles or personalities and they seem too forced.
We should never assume that our formula cannot be changed. It most certainly can be changed. If we take those components that we know work for us and add a new twist, that new twist might become part of our formula if it proves to be successful.
We learn our formulas by trying. We aren't always successful. We all have formulas for what not to do as well as ones that we try to duplicate. We want to use those ideas that work for us and try to stay away from the ones that don't. We need to be flexible enough to dare, yet reasonable enough to admit defeat.
If you've just written an outstanding poem about loss, try another one along the same lines. Don't duplicate the first idea, but use the same general style, etc. You might find that you simply have a knack for that kind of writing. That knack becomes part of your formula.
Keep tabs on what works and try to use those ideas again. Whether the success comes from style or subject matter or something else entirely, that is what we need to figure out. Once we figure that out, we can almost guarantee our success.
We learn formulas when we write. If a murder mystery is more successful when there are three suspects and two dead bodies, we incorporate these ideas into our formula. We know they work. This doesn't mean that we should be rigid in applying our formulas, but it means that we recognize what works for us and keep doing similar things.
If we were too rigid, that would preclude the flexibility I aspire to in trying new things. There are some general rules, though. Some of us just weren't cut out to write romance novels. Others of us should stay clear of crime scene investigation works. They just don't fit with our writing styles or personalities and they seem too forced.
We should never assume that our formula cannot be changed. It most certainly can be changed. If we take those components that we know work for us and add a new twist, that new twist might become part of our formula if it proves to be successful.
We learn our formulas by trying. We aren't always successful. We all have formulas for what not to do as well as ones that we try to duplicate. We want to use those ideas that work for us and try to stay away from the ones that don't. We need to be flexible enough to dare, yet reasonable enough to admit defeat.
If you've just written an outstanding poem about loss, try another one along the same lines. Don't duplicate the first idea, but use the same general style, etc. You might find that you simply have a knack for that kind of writing. That knack becomes part of your formula.
Keep tabs on what works and try to use those ideas again. Whether the success comes from style or subject matter or something else entirely, that is what we need to figure out. Once we figure that out, we can almost guarantee our success.
posted by Vickie at 11:09 PM
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