Writing advice for dummies....er....beginners

This is to any of you that have written a book that could offer some advice.
First let me say, the BWS forum is so incredible, I have enjoyed chatting with everyone so much.
When I am am on here reading and responding to posts, memories come flooding back. There have been events I haven't thought about in so many years. This is where your advice will be helpful to me. When these memories come back to me, I start jotting these things down. I usually do a bit of a free writing session just to get the thoughts on paper. I start thinking about what great stories some of these would make. I'll write for a while, then it's like my mind just doesn't stop and I'm off in many different directions because one memory sparks another and another and
then it's more like rambling. How do you go about turning something like that into something well written and meaningful? I guess you could say I get overwhelmed. I really want to write, then I put so much pressure on myself.
Okay, see I'm starting to ramble.....
Any words of wisdom from anyone?
Thanks
Gerri

Gerri, yes this place can get you hooked. It's happened to me, although got to say it's been rather quiet at the forum lately. I think everyone is out enjoying the sun…and I'll be going out in a minute too.

I've written a book, but it hasn't been published yet. I can just speak from my own personal experience.

They say writing about something you have experienced is the best starter. When I began my book I had no concept or idea where it would lead me. It was a journey within itself. I say just do it. If you are having a good time writing let your hair down and write without correcting or rewriting. Write to your hearts desire. Then let your writing rest a couple of days and read out loud what you wrote. That's when you can rewrite and do corrections.

Have fun, and welcome to the writers world!

Gerrbeck, sounds to me like you have a handle on this writing game of ours. write, write, write and then begin to put your memories in order and emphasize the parts you want most. Organize, thats my motto. I agree with Hannelore, just write it down. Later read it over, add, subtract details and begin the rewrite. Once you've done the editing you can do yourself, send it off to a pro to edit. I am an editor and I still send my writing to an editor to recheck. BUT thats a long way off, it can take years to write a book. Oh and I've read Hannelores book, and its first rate.

gerrbeck, great advice here. Writing takes several stages before it's ready to be published. You're at stage one right now. Just write. Get it all out. It doesn't matter if your ramble. Ramble on. Put all your thoughts down. In the second stage you can organize. Figure out what order you want them to be in, then do that. Move things around until it's exactly what you want to represent. Then move on to stage three by editing your work. Then have someone else edit as well.

That should get you started on your book. Once you've finished all that, come back and we'll talk about the next stages of getting your book published. :-)

Gerri, and if you are looking for a first rate editor...Chatty is it!!!!!

Chatty when you correct a manuscript do you read it once for its content and then again for the errors, or do you do everything together? Oh and have you ever had a manuscript that was so bad you didn't know where to start to correct it?

Thank you ladies so much for your advice! I'll just keep putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. My other problem recently has been distractions, teenage daughter has been testing her boundaries a bit. But I get my writing time in any way that I can. Not sure I'll do a book at this juncture, just thinking short stories, well, then again, maybe a book of short stories. I have so many experiences to pull from, growing up in foster homes, issues of abandonment, sexual abuse, which has a huge impact on relationships in adult life. Living with an alcoholic husband and dealing with his issues and trying to recover, caring for aging parents until their passing. Raising children, now teenagers and dealing with their challenges in today's world. How having a relationship with god and having that devotional time daily keeps me sane. After all I have been through, God must have a plan. How this desire to write was always there, I just kept pushing it aside, thinking I could never accomplish something that big. My MIL always encouraged me to pursue writing my stories, among other things. Okay, before I ramble anymore, must move on!
Thanks again ladies!
gerrbeck

Gerrbeck,

It's been some time since I've been active on the site. My computer went down and it took me a long time to get another one. That has finally happened.

Thought I'd add something to your question about writing. My two sisters and I set out to just put our memories down on paper for our children. It has blossomed into a nice book of short stories. Each of us wrote those that we wanted to and have put them into a nice manuscript.

Just take your time writing down what you remember for that particular memory. You don't have to finish it or get it full of details at first. You can come back to that later. It has taken us about 2 years to complete the project but it is now almost ready for publication.

I have some great books that might help you get into it further if you'd like. Let me know. Good luck!

Sandpiper

Sandpiper, Thanks so much, that would be really nice of you. I am looking for any books, websites, newsletters, etc. that would be helpful. You know, there are some great ladies on this forum, I can just feel the love!

Got my news letters from our resident joyologist, KC yesterday, talked with her on the phone for a couple of minutes.

Well, gotta run, company coming....

Gerrie, I wrote a book on the very topics you mentioned in your message above. I had kept journals off and on, as well as quotes and poems on scraps of paper. Some items did not survive the passage of time, the waste of time (so-called by a husband who thought my musings were a waste of time) the many moves I had, a sewer flooded basement which destroyed my box of journals, etc. But some scraps did survive, and I used those to "get started." When I started writing a book, I thought I was going to write about my recovery from drug addiction and alcohol abuse and suicide attempts. As I wrote, a theme emerged, that of the reasons for the above dysfuntion. The destructive path I was on in my teens and twenties was due to child abuse, including incest. I never thought I'd write about that! But that was the God given plan for my book, and for telling a story of hope and healing. One of the main themes is a spiritual transformation. My advice would be: determine the reason you are writing a book: self-knowledge, self-help for others, to bring about hope, healing, or story-telling. There are many reasons. Although I did not know I'd write about sexual abuse when I started, I did know that I wanted to be a voice for others who were suffering. It took me 20 years to write the book (always on the back burner) and 3 years from seriously writing on a daily basis to actual publishing. One of the exercises that helped me write was to write 3 full pages each morning of stream-of-consciousness without censor. I wrote everything until I had a 163,000 word memoir. A top-notch editor pared it down to 100,000 words, more re-writes pared it to a readable 93,000 words. One of the biggest lessons the editor taught me was that I did not have to write every antecdote, but I could write one essay that represented others. I could not fathom "write what you know" but that's exactly what I did after having writer's block for decades. I was always afraid that if I started, what would come out of the recesses of my mind? Well, the truth surfaced, and painful as it is, the truth also set me free. Another help to writing was to read other books on my same topics. At the time there were not that many books about incest and it's ramifications. You can also join a writer's group. As for publishing, that's a whole topic. I studied the industry before I made my decision. I would instinctly trust Chatty with editing my next manuscript. Good luck! L, PL

Hannelore and all, when I receive a manuscript, the first thing I do is sit in my favorite comfortable chair and read it through thoroughly. I make notes of character names and places etc. You'd be surprised how they can change from chapter to chapter.

The next step is red penning any errors. I am a line editor, I look at each letter, each punctuation mark, nothing goes unchecked.

If a writer takes, lets say 13 words to say what can be said as well in 7 or 8 words, I change it. I teach how to Write Tight every Friday here in Vegas, my beginners class is at 12:30 and the advanced class is at 2:30 p.m.

A GOOD Editor doesn't just check for spelling and punctuation. They should be able to help you in making it the best/most correct book it can be. It is ultimately your work but with me I treat it like my own. I make corrections and suggestions, thats all I can do...

Oh, Lord Hannelore, I have a 576 page manuscript right now where the writer just wrote, line after line, NO indents or a new line for new speakers or new paragraphs. And she has tons of dialogue...This manuscript was so bad, two other editors sent it back to her with a note, 'thanks, but no thanks.' When I saw it, I nearly passed out, but I considered it the challenge of a lifetime, so I said "okay!"

It took me nearly two months working constantly. I returned it finished with ALL the changes and corrections. There were nearly 20+ errors per page, spelling BAD! Punctuation BAD! Grammar, REALLY BAD!!

Once she had it back, rather than do the tedious corrections herself, she set out to find a typist. After a half dozen tries and failures, she called me to say. "You ghostwrite too right? My author friend Robert says you did most of his book. Well, since you know my book so well and were the editor, I will pay you to retype it with the corrections." First I said NO, but the offer was just too good to pass up (mucho dinero) so I said all right. So guess what? I am practically rewriting the entire book. To me this woman is not a writer. Oh, she does have a good story, true story too, or I wouldn't bother but shes rich and extremely lazy in my book!! Just imagine, there are so many errors on every page that each page now becomes two pages for the rewrite. Yikes!!!

I edit, ghostwrite, teach/mentor, write reviews, and book jackets. I will also conjure up a title as well, if the writer is having a problem in that area. Its a rough job but someone has to do it. LOL.... I LOVE IT!!!

Wow, Chatty, you do a lot! I admire your persistance with that book. I have had to return student essays that were so bad I really had no idea where to start on correcting them.

Thank you all so much for all of your great advice. These entries will go into my notebook of all the other writing tips I have been gathering from various sources. I know I really have my work cut out for me if I am serious about writing. I have often thought about writing a short story to submit to a magazine. I just can't decide what the best topic would be. I guess the best thing for me to do is to run out and buy some magazines. I am doing a lot of reading.
I am guilty of reading 2 or 3 books at the same time. Usually, a good fiction novel, my bible and something inspirational for my devotional time, and something educational that goes along with homeschooling. That in addition to browsing the morning paper, the "light bathroom reading" (come on, we all do it)We have those Uncle John's Bathroom Readers, even my kids will read those! Also, I am starting a couple of classes next week that I believe will be very helpful. So, I am going to be one busy lady, especially come August once I get into putting together lesson plans for my son.
Gerrbeck

Chatty I found that very interesting as how you go about editing. You earn every penny you get; that's for sure. I would have a hard time reading a manuscript that I didn't like; and then having to read it again to correct it...whew. But when the material is good, I can see how you love your job.
Hey, I have to sell houses that I don't like too, I guess it's the same thing. it's a 'jaaaab'. (woops Bostonian accent got in there).