At the end of the school year — and after I’ve guided them through the construction of a lengthy short story — I’ve had my students write on the theme What I Have Learned About Being a Novelist. Enjoy!
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I have learned many things about being a novelist. One very painful thing I have learned is that the hardest part is just starting the story! I have spent many minutes staring at a blank sheet of paper just praying to God that He would give an idea. Even though it is hard at times – well, maybe all the time! – I have learned just to endure it, take some deep breaths, and jump right in.
I have also learned while being (or pretending to be) a novelist is that punctuation and technical things really do matter. I have always been one of those people who would write things and not pay any attention to what my punctuation looked like! I would just write without even ending a sentence or anything. But as I worked on this project, I realized that it makes a whole world of difference. Writing is really fun, and when you get to read your final draft, it makes it even more fun and rewarding … especially when it makes sense. (Mari R)
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I learned a few things about being a novelist. Most of the things I learned were not from being taught or reading tips from a book. I think the best way to learn to be a better writer is from experience.
From experience I have learned that writing a story can be very difficult. It is best not to think too much about what you are going to write. Just start writing. I have also learned that it can be enjoyable once you have started writing and get going with an idea. I feel like if I enjoy writing it, the reader will enjoy reading it. I have also learned that it is not a good idea to try to make the story perfect the first time through. It is best to write as much as you can in a very rough, rough draft. Then you should go back and edit it through. (Austin M)
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Being a novelist was not as easy as I thought. I thought that writing a story would come easily to me. I was wrong. In order to be a novelist, first of all one needs to have patience and know that ideas will come. A well-known fact is that 80% of a writer’s ideas come while she is writing. Boy, was that ever true for me!
Another huge thing that helped me become a better novelist was this quotation: “To do great important tasks, two things are necessary: a plan, and not quite enough time.”
That was so true for me. I learned that the longer I spent sitting at the computer reading and rereading my story, the harder it was to move on. That quotation also showed me that having not enough time was not always a bad thing. It just meant I had to push myself harder and work more for my goal, getting my story done. (Elizabeth S)
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I have learned that it was really hard to think of what to write about. It was hard to think of words to have my character say. It was also a pain in the neck to do the writing. Then it got a little bit easier to do.
In the end it was actually really fun. I would do it again if I had the chance because it was fun at the end. Starting was a real pain. I may write a story again or I may not. It is hard to decide. (Ryon J)
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I have learned many things about being a novelist. The hardest thing I have learned is that it is really tough to put words on the paper and have the ability to make a great story. You have to use your brain so much that after working on the story, it goes to mush. Getting started is the worst thing for me.
After I got over that bump about how to start, I began to see myself in the story. As I wrote the story, I felt like the story was real, and that I was a character in it. The best part about it was that I was in control of where my story could be. That felt wonderful.
I don’t see myself as a novelist, but it sure was fun to be one for a while. (Melissa P)
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The best way to start writing is to simply start writing. It’s really not that hard. Just have an original idea in your head and your mind will take you all over. If you get writer’s block, do what I do: Send in some guys to shoot at your character! The best way to get started is simply to start writing. Anything that comes to your mind is fair game.
Another important thing is to look over your story as often and as many times as you can. Make sure you are using the requested font and size when typing. When you are looking over your story, take a good look at the format of your story and also you punctuation. I have found that 90% of all the stuff I have had to rewrite was in punctuation or incorrect formatting. One last thing to remember is this: Know when to start and end your paragraphs. (Ben R)
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I have learned many things while writing my story. I learned that somewhere between thinking of an idea and actually writing out that idea, a story completely changes. I found this out every time I wrote a single page. It’s easy to get ahead of yourself when writing, because you just want to get to the action, but taking the time to form your character is well worth it. These are just a few of the many things I learned while writing my story.
When my class was supposed to begin thinking of ideas to write about, Mrs. L said, “You will end up writing about your greatest interest … or greatest fear.” When I heard that, I was skeptical, but as my story began to form, I realized she had been more than right, she had been “dead on.”
My story is about a serial killer who appeared to be a handsome, kind, trustworthy man. He truly turns out to be a ruthless, genius killer. I can hardly think of anything more terrifying than being stalked by a serial killer. This story is going to help me be more observant and aware of what goes on around me.
Getting my fears out on paper made writing the story all the more gripping for me. Several times I’d be sitting at my computer at midnight (because I’d thought of an idea), and I was sure I heard someone behind me! The little chills I receive whenever I hear or see something that relates to my story are so fun! I hope that one day I’ll be able to write crime stories. This project turned into a hobby for me that I will always enjoy! (Kate M)
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Being a writer is hard work. It requires you to sit down at your keyboard and write like you were someone else. In a way, it’s easy since you have complete control over what happens. But making the story turn out the way you want can be difficult.
It is very helpful to write when you have a lot of time and not wait until the deadline is almost there. Even if your story doesn’t seem to be coming out right, you can always go back and rewrite or change a part that doesn’t make sense. Rewriting is the most important part of writing. (Ben B)
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I have learned that it gives me a headache to begin writing on a blank piece of paper! It is sometimes hard to explain what is going on in my imagination. The important part to remember is the punctuation so that the reader will know when the exciting and emotional parts of the story are.
The great part about being a novelist is when I have an idea and start writing. It becomes easier after I have begun my story. A story can go far beyond my imagination. It is sometimes unbelievable how the story ends when I’ve come up with something interesting. I really enjoyed being a novelist. (Christine B)
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What I’ve learned about being a novelist is that it is a lot harder to get down all of the punctuation, spelling and making sense at the same time. I’ve come to know where commas, periods, and quotation marks all go. I also learned where to start a new sentence.
All of my ten pages show my hard work. They also show what I’ve learned with some guidance here and there. I’ve come to know how to begin a story and how to finish it. What I’ve also learned the most is how to put real feeling into a story and draw others into the story. (April H)
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I have learned some things about being a novelist. One thing is that it takes a long time to get the right idea and get it down on a piece of paper. Once I have done that, then I most likely will rewrite it many times until I get it right. Then I have to add stuff or put in more detail until my story is just how I want it.
Another thing I have learned is that I must focus for a long time to put a story together. It’s painful but necessary if I want it to be good. One good thing is that I don’t have to get it right the first time. I enjoy writing. It’s hard and painful sometimes, but when it’s all over, I’m glad I did it. (David C)
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I have learned many things about being a novelist. I have learned it takes imagination, creativity, and hard work. I have leaned that when I write, I don’t always have to get it right. I can just throw down my thoughts and sometimes the best ideas come.
I have learned that writing takes hours of emotion poured onto a page. Writing takes time and patience. Novelists aren’t always the smartest people, but they are good thinkers. I have learned that in being a novelist I must open my mind and let everything I’ve ever heard get stirred up. And that’s what I have learned about being a novelist. (Pat E)
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In writing my short story, I have learned that I can’t sit around waiting for ideas. I just have to start my story and ideas will come as I’m writing. I’ve also learned how important it is to include details. If a story has a lot of detail, it is most likely to be more interesting than a story without detail.
Starting a story is the hardest part. After you write the first paragraph or two it gets easier. Writers have to be patient and not get frustrated with themselves. (Laurissa P)
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I learned how to write stories using my imagination and creativity. I have learned that all I have to do is think and start writing, and ideas will naturally flow through my mind. It is very hard to get started, but once you know where you want to go, it’s really quite easy.
Using my imagination isn’t that hard. It takes a lot of thought, but once I started to think and open my mind, some great ideas flowed out. I thought I would never be able to write, but I learned that it was easy and fun. You mind can take you many places. (Adam F)
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I have learned many things about being a novelist. At first I thought that writing a story would be easy. I was wrong. It doesn’t take just one day to write a story. No, much to my dismay, I learned that it takes weeks. The hardest part of writing a story is not writing the actual ten pages – that came quite easily. It is getting started.
I was able to practice patience and perseverance often while writing my story. The hours spent just staring at the blank paper are too numerous to count. But, the great thing about writing is that when you get started, you don’t want to stop. You also don’t have to get it right the first time. You can rewrite as many times as you want. Finally when it’s done, you’re very proud and can’t wait to share it with everyone else. (Rebecca Z)
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What I learned about being a novelist is that it’s very painful. It hurts to write just one word. It also hurts to put the right punctuation marks in a sentence. It’s hard to do dialog. The last painful thing about being a novelist is that you can’t hang yourself off a tree! Those are the painful things that I learned about being a novelist.
What I learned about being a novelist is that it’s also very fun. You get to write stories about your favorite characters from TV or from a book. You get to do daring things with your characters, like hanging them out of a window or on a tree. You also get to put your character into action. That’s what I learned about being a novelist and having fun. (Carly C)
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One of the things I have learned about being a novelist is that the words come when you actually start writing. When I tried to just think a whole story up in my head, I got nowhere. I have also learned the importance of good grammar and spelling words right. When I look back on my story after it’s done, it’s like, “Whoa! I didn’t know I had such bad punctuation!”
I have also learned that I am not better at re-writing. Once I get a story in my head, it’s hard to make changes, even if it makes my story better. So now, I know it’s better to try to make it almost 100% right the first time (But I know that’ll never happen!) (Danielle B)
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Being a novelist is like art. You start out with a blank canvas, or a piece of paper in this case, and you start painting the story and what you are trying to tell your readers. Seeing the blank page is one of the most horrific sights. You have to just start putting words, just jumbled words, onto the page that somewhat resemble the story you are conveying. You then rearrange the words, edit the sentences, and mold your story into a work of art. After the first dreadful steps of writing, it can become fun. Like I said before, being a novelist is like art. It’s not easy, but it’s not too hard either.
Another important thing I have learned about “novelism” is that you can’t get anywhere without a motivating cause. In my case, it would be a deadline. A deadline motivates me to work harder towards completing my goal. I hate deadlines because of the stress of getting the work done. I love deadlines because they give me a reason to finish the story. These are just a few things I have learned about being a novelist. (Jacob M)
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I have learned many things about being a novelist. I have come to realize that it is a lot harder than it seems. I need to structure my sentences, have proper grammar, and have correct spelling. I can’t be too dependent on the spell-check, either; sometimes it can confuse homonyms, and my sentence will start to take on a different meaning. It is also difficult to break away from using instant messaging or e-mail style writing. I also need to be creative and use interesting verbs in order to hold my reader’s attention. These are several things to remember when writing.
Even the simplest assignments can be difficult if I’m not careful. For instance, if I fail to meet a deadline, I have to rush to finish the assignment. This makes it even harder to remember all the rules, and it makes my story less interesting since I don’t have the time to think and plan things out. Writing is a hard, but tricky, thing to do. (Lauren B)
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What I have learned about being a novelist this past year is not to procrastinate. When I procrastinated, my assignments were rushed and sloppy. I learned it is important to start on my assignments early so I can pace myself and think clearly about what I’m writing. This is something I hope I can do in future classes with assignments that are due.
I also learned that proofreading my work really helps. I found it very useful to read over what I wrote and correct the mistakes. I would also ask my parents or classmates to read over my assignments and tell me what they thought I should change, if anything. Hopefully, using what I have learned this past year about being a novelist will help me to improve myself in future situations. (Chris C)
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