Beth Rodgers's Blog: A Fresh Perspective: A Blog by Beth Rodgers, Author of "Freshman Fourteen" - Posts Tagged "fictional"

I had the pleasure of attending an a capella concert yesterday of a fabulously talented group of guys called the Maccabeats. Since they are an a capella group, they do not use musical instruments in their performances, but rather rely on their voices. This made me think about writing, and how, as writers, we must rely on our own thought processes, which in essence make up our 'writing voices'.

It is important to always remember that writing is not a solitary act. Even though the Maccabeats only use their voices, they do rely on each other to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. So it is with writing. Writers must rely on the words of other authors to inspire them, whether they are reading memoirs of those authors or fictional stories they have penned. Writers must rely on their imaginations, the events that happen in their daily lives, and their own inklings of what is right and what is not so right to be a part of the stories they are weaving.

Make all of your writing strive for the beauty that a capella exudes. The harmony of voices when singing can be likened to the harmony of words on the page. The tune that singers choose to sing to can be likened to the setting you create for your story. Sense the similarities and find ways to make them shine through in your writing. The result will surely be memorable.

Beth Rodgers is the author of the YA novel Freshman Fourteen, available on Amazon (in both print and Kindle editions) and on Barnes & Noble. Visit her website at www.BethRodgersAuthor.com.

Sometimes asking 'what if?' can be bothersome and frustrating, making you wonder if you really made the right decisions. Second-guessing yourself is never much fun. However, sometimes playing the 'what if?' game can be extremely thought-provoking and can stimulate some of the deep-seated knowledge that you didn't even realize was rooted right in your very mind.

Be creative with your 'what if?' questions, though. If you only ask yourself, 'what if I had become a doctor rather than a writer?' you may come up with some interesting answers, but they may not prove as fruitful as 'what if Cheerios tasted like tiny donuts?' or 'what if we could understand dogs when they bark?' - or maybe they just might. It all depends on who's asking and how that person is answering.

Even if you think a 'what if?' question sounds stupid, I guarantee there is some creative response, whether it is fictional or realistic, that you can gain from it. Think about all the topics you've wondered about throughout your life. What made these issues and ideas so curious and caused you to question them? These are the questions to ask. Even if you think you'd like to write non-fiction instead of fiction, you can still use creative 'what if?' questions. You just have to think of how you can phrase your responses to lend them to the appropriate genre. For example, think back on the Cheerios example above. If you were writing a non-fiction book, or maybe even an article for a newspaper, about ways to make people want to eat certain foods, maybe proposing solutions for how to gain more interest in those foods would be beneficial.

So, what if you tried this activity? What if it worked and you came up with new, exciting, relevant, and engaging topics? Good luck!

Beth Rodgers is the author of Freshman Fourteen, a young adult novel.

Knowing what you want to write about is half the battle. The other half - actually doing the writing - is based at least in part on how much you trust your instincts. You are the author of your work. You are the creator of whatever world, fictional or non-fictional, you are sharing with your readers. If you don't trust your instincts and know that what you are writing is worthwhile and engaging, why should your readers ever think so?

An easy way to trust your instincts is to write from experience. When you do this, the facts speak for themselves. You might choose to negotiate which facts you want to include in your writing and which you would rather leave out. This is another form of how to trust your instincts. If you don't think something will make good writing material, don't include it. If you'd just rather people not read something you thought of, don't include it. You have creative authority to keep or discard any material you see fit.

The same ideas hold true when reading. If you like something, you generally keep reading. You trust that it will continue to stay engaging so you will not regret continuing on with it. If you dislike something, you may stop reading it or give it a second or third chance to wow you before you stop reading.

Instincts are powerful. They can make or break your thought process, and by extension, whatever it is you are planning to do (or not do). Keep them in mind the next time you have a decision to make. Have they been on your side in the past or not?

Beth Rodgers is the author of Freshman Fourteen, a young adult novel. You can visit her website at www.BethRodgersAuthor.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bethrodgersauthor.