Dick B. Long
I have read, ‘write what you know about’. That’s good advice, but what if you don’t know about what you want to write about? Well, go learn about it. If you are going to write a story set in Atlanta—read about Atlanta, go to Atlanta and look around. There’s nothing like writing about a place you’ve been, a street you’ve stood on. And now, with the miraculous reach of the internet, anyone can be anywhere, learn anything, find any path.
One thing I wish someone had told me when I was a young writer—first summarize your story, do a short outline or blurb. Next develop your characters’ world—define the people who live there, street names., and what’s it like. Finally, develop your main characters—physical characteristics, knowledge, relationships, every aspect of them down to their shoe size.
One thing I wish someone had told me when I was a young writer—first summarize your story, do a short outline or blurb. Next develop your characters’ world—define the people who live there, street names., and what’s it like. Finally, develop your main characters—physical characteristics, knowledge, relationships, every aspect of them down to their shoe size.
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