Writers’ Advice Blog 1 July 22 by Lorenzo Samuel, author of speculative fiction writings. In the 1 June 22 issue Writers’ Advice Blog, we discussed suggestions on ways to motivate your author-self. In this issue of our advice blog, I'll list out the books on writing that I use to motivate myself.
Let me remind you of the definition of the key word, motivate. To motivate is to provide with a motive. Motive refers to any impulse, emotion or desire that moves one to action or thought. In our case the action or thought is writing (refer to last month's blog for a review of how to motivate yourself).
There are 2 points of view on motivating yourself. One is pessimistic and says that you can't unless you have been programmed through genetics or education. If you haven't had the good fortune to have good genes or a good education, too bad boy and girl. You'll never make it. This is of course the pessimistic point of view. It is pessimistic because it says you are predisposed. You are the effect of stuff. Nothing you can do about it.
If you hold to this point of view like the rock of Gibraltar, you might was well stop reading this blog and the large number of other blogs I've written and sweated over in the hopes of giving you a boost. In fact, I don't care if you have the good genes or the good education. Having this point of view will cause your failure all by itself despite your genes and education.
The second point of view says that you can make it if you persist. This is the one I hold to and the one you can accept and work with. It's optimistic. If you accept it, you'll have a chance. So, be an optimist. Work hard. Persist.
Before I give you my list of books, let me tell you something: No book will motivate you to success. Nevertheless, it can make easier learning how to do it. What does that have to do with motivation? Let's say two guys have equal motivation to build a shed. One knows how to do it. The other hasn't a clue. One's motivation has an easy slide, the other has hurdles. The guy who knows how to do it builds the shed right away. The one who doesn't know how has to learn how first. The motivations are the same, but the first guy has it easy; the second guy has to learn how first.
The following book list will tell you how: Here we go in no certain order. 1. "Story" by Robert McKee, 2. "The Magazine Article" by Peter Jacobi, 3. "The First Five Pages" by Noah Lukeman, 4. "Writing the Breakout Novel" by Donald Maass, 5. "Mastering Suspense, Structure and Plot" by Jane K Cleland, 6. "Techniques of Fiction Writing: Measure and Madness" by Leon Surmelian, 7. "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White and 8. "Art" by L. Ron Hubbard.
I have other books; however, the above list should give you a great start if you tackle the material with a view to use. One of the books above I've read 13 times. That should give you the idea of the amount of effort and persistence the average girl or guy might need to expend.
Next month’s blog will post around 1 Aug. In it I will take up what you can learn from others and put to use in your own writing.
Note: The book of short speculative fiction "Eve of Valor: 25 Tales" is available on Amazon at click here
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