The Tool Series

Writing Tools

I know “tools” is a hackneyed metaphor but the reason it is overused is because it is widely understood and it works.  So rather than trying to explain the concept in some new and original way I’m going to save time and use the term we all understand—tools, and in this case, writing tools.

I am, of course, not talking about actual tools—pen, paper, computer, etc.—but about the mental skills writers can develop to write effectively and, in particular, I’m talking to writers of literature—literary fiction—to novelists.  Simply put, this Tool Series will explore the skills one needs to practice in order to become a better storyteller.  Writing is not so much a profession as it is a practice; as a writer you will only learn and improve as you practice writing; there is no magic methodology, outside of practice, for improvement.

The truth is, you will have to learn to design and build your own methods and processes of writing a story because, frankly, you have a different personality and style of learning and working than any other writer.  And I know this is a scary idea but it’s actually not that difficult and is rather fun, once you realize that you are in charge of everything.

You don’t need a guru but having a writing friend can be helpful and that’s what I hope I can be for you.  A woman expecting her first child will ultimately deliver her child, with or without a mother or friend to advise her about how it’s done.  But having that mother or friend who has already “been there done that” can make a big difference in how smoothly the birth goes.

So now let’s open the metaphorical tool chest (our minds) and examine how we might use some of the things we find there.  Remember, every tool is useless until we know how we can use it and have practiced using it ourselves.

What To Expect

I will post the Tool Series articles here, as usual, on the blog as I write them.  But I also plan to archive them (as well as all of the Talk Write articles) and to make both available with a text-tab in the top menu.  The menu tab will be titled Blog Archive and will be available as soon as I can build it.  This will make finding and rereading those articles, which have helped you the most, easy to get to without having to scroll all the way down the blog.

If you have other ideas for improving this blog, please share them with me in the comments.  Your ideas are always welcome here.