Urban Lit ULM Magazine | Page 26

5 Ways to Write By Megan Blair Today, writers everywhere have found multiple formats of writing that has helped shaped their writing careers into ones most dream about...what if you could do the same? As a writer, I have always thought why not me? Why not try something new? Invent ways that would spin my creativity into long pieces that could be sold as books everywhere. So, the first way to write for me was to draw out my story in pictures. Like a cartoon box that illustrated the story going on inside my head. One way to help a writer see their story come to life and fully developed is to visualize it. This is definitely one way to go even if all you can draw is the bad case of stick figures. Use bubbles to demonstrate your characters’ thoughts and words. By using this visual way to write your story you will be able to easily identify what’s missing and needs changing. After you got it all out, look at each box and begin writing it out long form. Easy, right? Another way to write is to create a box. On the left hand side of this box create a column with every character’s name. Then create a new column that will be where you tell us who this is & what role they play. Then the third column is where you will put the characters plans or intentions. Fourth column will be any mistakes or non-mistakes that each character does. If the character made the mistake of asking the wrong person out put that into the box. Or if the character kissed the right guy put that into the box. Fifth column, put each characters’ flaws into this area. 6th column, place the characters into this area. 7th column, did the character do what they originally planned to do? Did the character succeed or fail? Why or why not? Last column, you will writer down whether teach character is likable or not. Can you relate to them? Why or why not? After completing this boxed writing assignment, writers should pretty much have their entire novel placed before them. Third way to write is to record yourself telling your story from beginning to end while it’s fresh in your mind. With it being recorded, you can easily listen to it when you have time, and jot down what you said onto paper. Then read through it. Does it sound like something readers would enjoy? What’s missing? What needs to be added? Did you like your story idea? Is it usable? Fourth idea to write one’s ideas is to map it out like a board game. Think of Monopoly...but with each square representing a scene. What happens when your character (s) land on a specific scene? What’s the conflict? Who out of your cast of characters also lands on the same spot (scene)? Last but not least, write your story out like a web. Draw a circle. Then , draw three bigger circles around that circle. Each of the 3 bigger circles represent act 1, act 2, and act 3 of your novel. Make dividers within each of these 3 circles...in the 1st big circle, in the first divided section you introduce the names of the characters, in the second divider introduce the action, and the third divider introduce the issue or aka conflict. Now, in the 2nd big circle—the 1st divider—write the foreshadowing event, then in the 2nd divider, write the write where the character leaves his/her/ or it’s comfort zone. Next, in the 3rd divider, write what escalates the issue at hand making all hope seem lost. Now, moving onto the third circle...who does the character come face-to-face with? Second divided part, what happens in this moment? Third divider— how does it end? By using this web your story comes to life.