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Robert Stephen, writer, photographer, storyteller
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  • blog
  • Writing
  • Helpful Hints for Writers of Fiction
  • WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE TO SAY
  • AUDIO ESSAYS-STORIES-AND MORE
  • Photography
  • Rory and El Paso
  • Pierre and the Baker
  • About
  • Connect
Robert Stephen, writer, photographer, storyteller

THE EXCITING JOURNEY OF Writing
​a Fictional Book

"IT'S A LUXURY BEING A WRITER,
​ BECAUSE ALL YOU EVER THINK ABOUT IS LIFE."

​AMY TAN






WRITING-STOP TELLING YOURSELF YOU CAN'T-part 3

3/23/2017
"But I want to write," you tell yourself. Locking yourself away you begin to write, for hours, or maybe days, but then the voices start. Maybe they are real it's your family or friends. Maybe they are the more dangerous ones, the ones inside your head. You know the ones of which I speak.
            Self-doubt, fear, failure, past mistakes, why bother, and on and on the chatter. Worse yet, if you continue, then the voices inside your head ramp up the game until you give up and quit. Has that ever happened to you or am I the only one?  
Writing begins with the #1 most important rule-
COMMITMENT

Picture
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?
GET READY HERE IT COMES- BUT BE WARNED
MORE WARNING!!!!!!
LAST ONE

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OKAY THAT WAS MY DISCLAIMER-
IF YOUR ARE STILL HERE THEN WE PROCEED.


As an only child, I spent part of my early years growing up in Hollywood California. My imagination was allowed to run unfettered and I was a huge fan of movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Alien. I have always enjoyed adventures and science fiction with Hero's that face insurmountable odds. I have written on and off for years, but never took myself serious.
​THERE IS A LESSON HERE
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After commitment, being TRUE TO YOURSELF prepares you for what you are about to do.

            You have chosen to become a writer and you have heard about this steep mountain known to millions of writers as, "Impossible," in an unknown country called "Surrender," whose north and south shores are touched by the most treacherous seas, "I Can't do This, and Don't Waste Your Time."  

I would show you the map of where all of these pitfalls are, but there all in my head.
Picture

One day, you wake up with the courage to say it's time. You kiss your family, pet the dog, and off you go.

Moments later, you arrive at the base of the mountain, (your desk), where there is a village with three, no four buildings and a tavern. You open the door, and inside are several long tables with various other climbers, (writers), sitting and talking to each other and to themselves about the difficulty of the climb.

They stop talking and eye the stranger and then the tavern-keep points you to a small table over in the corner where a lone figure is sitting. 

            You approach this old grizzly looking character, he doesn't look up, but he points to an empty chair. You sit. Before you speak, he says in a gruff voice, "What do you know about writing?"
            "I want to write a book. I've never done it before and I know I've got a story in me."
            "You are going to die up on that mountain, most do."
            "Why is that?"
            "Because they're not prepared for the climb, they think it's easy. It's not, it's long hours, most of the time you hear voices and you don't know if it's the story talking to you or the devil voices."
            "The devil voices?"
            "YES," he screams, and everyone repeats, "The devil voices!" Then they raise their glass to the mountain.
            "Go look out the window."
            You stand up and as you stare through the hazy glass, you see a dark line that spans from the bottom straight up the side of the colossal mountain.  
            "What's that dark line?
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​            "Oh, those are writers."
            "All of them?
            "Yep."
            "What's on the other side?"
            "Don't know?"
            "What do you mean you don't know?"
            "Those that make it, well they're the ones you could call successful. We read about them just don't hear from them that much."
            "How did they make it?"
            "Rumor has it, they were better prepared, plus they had some luck. Weather was good, they were diligent at learning how to climb further than most without wasting energy, became very good climbers. Tough people from what we know."
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​Before you climb that mountain you must be prepared.

Take a moment and think about what you are good at, there is something we are all good at, what do you excel in?

Now, go back to the beginning and remember, everything starts at the beginning. The longer you work at it, practice, and study, with time you only became better at it.

Are you ready? Are you sitting in front of your computer, or using a pad of paper and a pencil? It does not matter as long as you are ready to take up the personal challenge. Remember, it just begins with the first word on the paper. It does not have to be perfect. Begin your story. 






#writer,#author,#novelist,#howtowriteanovel,#robertstephen,#climbamountain,
#personalchallenge,#determination,#success,#truetoyourself,#believeinyourself,#comittment
​

Comments

    Author

    Robert Stephen.
    What makes a writer? What do you envision when you think about that question?

    Someone sitting by an open window looking out over the ocean, desert, mountains? Rainy day, foggy, sunny? 

    My definition of a writer of fiction. A person who drives himself or herself to the edge of insanity when writing a story to the best of their ability that you the reader find entertaining.

    I can honestly say my life has been interesting, far from boring.  Land baron, restaurateur, photographer, artisan, author. A life full of ups and downs. A life full of stories.

    Along the way I've met hundreds of people, some interesting, some not. Some dangerous, some beautiful, some kind, and some cruel. During my lifetime I've even had my heart run over a couple of times, but when all of it is said and done I wouldn't trade it in. 


    Writing has always been inside of me, but the siren never called to me. I wasn't ready until one day in October of 2015 when life said, "Start writing."

    Writing is a long journey, full of many perils, but don't be afraid it is an exciting adventure! 

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