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There's some people that get it, and some people that don't. The people that don't just can't understand the people who do. The people who do can't understand the people that don't. What is it? It's the thrill you get from the written word.
I have it. Chances are most of the people in Orble do, too. If not, why are you here. Go and find something you enjoy doing.
So what is it that makes the written word so fascinating to some people? Why do some people love to read and others don't?
I think part of it is just how we are wired. One of my sons loves to read. He'll sit there for ages with a book. If I buy him a book I need to wait until I get home to give it to him, or he'll start looking at on the way. The other one isn't too interested. However, he can't read yet. Maybe it will develop later on.
Part of it is also the way we are brought up. My mother was a librarian and I was surrounded by books at an early age. She also kept lots of her own books from her childhood and these were passed on to me and my sister. I was shown that books were fun, interesting and entertaining. I saw books as valuable things that could lead you into another world.
I have my reading preferences, but when you have that thrill of the written word, you will read anything. Good writing is obviously better to read than poor writing. But anything written has the power to capture you and hold you. I feel sorry for the people who do not have that.
One thousand years ago in Europe, most of the people who read were either monks or priests. And the main reason people had for reading was to study the word of God. As more and more people learnt how to read, the reasons for reading grew. People read to study or become informed. People read to correspond with other people. Through reading, people gained an understanding of the world around them and were given the opportunity to see different ideas.
Reading in order to keep up-to-date with current affairs has been around for a long time, but the first newspapers allowed many more people to read for this reason. Novels brought with them the idea of reading for entertainment. In recent years, the internet has made it easier to read for the purposes of interacting with the writer.
There are so many different reasons to read that it would be impossible to list them all. However, these are my main reasons for reading.
1. to become informed about current events and issues.
2. to learn about history.
3. to be entertained.
4. to study the word of God.
5. to read ideas and thoughts that teach me about my faith and help me grow, spiritually.
6. to see the world through different eyes.
7. to appreciate good writing.
8. to hear a person's point of view.
9. to learn how to do a specific task.
10. to better understand various forms of writing.
11. to research material in my work.
12. to interact with other writers.
13. as part of my editing and proofreading work.
There are probably other reasons, but this is what I've come up with today. However, I think my main reason for reading is to think. I don't want to just mindlessly absorb words on a page. I want them to affect me and to make me think about what they mean to be. Even if I'm reading to get information, I want to spend some time thinking about how that information affects how I see the world. I don't care what the form is so much. It can be a blog, a novel, an article or a non-fiction book. But I like to read, so that I can think.
What about you? Why do you read?
One of things that some beginning writers struggle with is how long their written work should be? You often hear questions like "How long should a short story be?" or "How long should a novel be?" or "How long should an article be?" While there are certain guidelines and a rough estimation can be a good thing - particularly in the case of a novel - generally, a written work should be as long as it needs to be to do its work well.
The length of a short story can vary from 500 words to 10,000 words. There's not really any set word length for all short stories. When writing a short story, the best thing to do is to forget all about word count and just write the story you want to tell in however many words you need to tell it. Trying to write for a specific length can create problems for your fiction. You may try to drag on a short story that could be told more effectively in less words. Or you could cut down your short story and end up deleting valuable writing. When your short story is first written, word length should be your last consideration.
When you want to get it published, however, it becomes a different matter. Publications will usually have specific guidelines on the word count of their short stories. If you want to be published in that publication, then you will need to meet that word count. The best way to do this is to pick a short story that has a word count that either fits the guidelines or comes close. You can edit it if it is a little too long or a little too short. Don't take something that falls way outside the word count specified and try to make it somehow fit. It won't be good for your story. The only exception is if you write a short story and feel it would be a better story if it was told in far fewer words, or if you feel there is a lot you could add to make it a longer story.
How you view the length of your view will change, depending on the type of material you are writing. Novels will need to be at least a certain length, and novels that are written for Romance publications may need to meet strict word count guidelines. Articles will often be written for a specific publication, and the word count will reflect their guidelines. Work that is written for the internet is usually shorter than material written for print publications. But don't let these guidelines have a negative impact on the work you want to write. Write what you need to. Use as many words as it takes. If the word count doesn't suit your intended publication, then write another piece that does.
I just had a huge argument with my two little boys about their room. I've been telling them for three weeks now that it has to be tidied. They're not allowed any television or to go to their friends house until the job is done. I've tried offering rewards (if you tidy that area there, we'll have an icecream). I've tried yelling - which never works, but every so often I feel compelled to try it. I've even tried praying to God to please let us see the floor in their room again, because I really miss it and I've forgotten what it looks like. But their room is still a mess.
Now they have an issue with me about all the things they can't do. Their friend comes over and asks them to play and they cry when I say "Not until your room is tidied". They cry when I switch off the television in the middle of their favourite program. Why don't they understand that if they just got on with it and tidied their room then all these privileges would be returned
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It's a common idea that a writer writes when he or she is sitting in front of a notepad or computer. When a writer wants to write, they get some writing material and start putting words to paper. When people complain that they do not have time to write, they are usually thinking about the time needed to do either one of these things.
But thinking time can be used for writing, too. In fact, most of my writing is actually done in my head. It is also when I think things over in my mind for a while that I feel ready to put pen to paper. I use those odd moments through the day to think of plots, characters and themes. I even start structuring sentences and making word choices during my thinking time
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I have to admit, I'm frightened of many things. For a long time, I let those fears paralyse me. I wouldn't do things just because I was scared. I have since learnt that fear is not the enemy. Fear, by itself, is not wrong. It's what you do with that fear that counts.
We have always had fear in our lives. Throughout the centuries, people have always been frightened of something - whether individually or as a society. The types of fears have changed with time. In medieval times, the plague was a big fear for many people. Nowadays, it is the threat of terrorism
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Most beginning writers start only with a burning desire to write. They feel as though they have something to say and they want to get their words onto paper. As time passes, however, they begin to wonder how they can make money from their writing. Eventually, they may start to write only for the money, forgetting about what drove them to write in the first place.
The internet is a good example of this. It was once filled with writing wanna-be's, filling the internet with written works just because they wanted someone to read them. Now, it seems you can't write anything for the internet without thinking about how to pull in the traffic and how to make money off the traffic you pull in
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There are many writers out there who could not function without writing a detailed plan. However, there are many others who refuse to plan anything. What is the best way to go for a writer? Should you or shouldn't you plan?
Like most other things, planning your writing is a matter of preference. There are good points and bad points for both, and you need to see which method works best for you. Don't feel like you have to write a detailed plan if you hate the thought of planning. On the other hand, if you want to write a plan before you begin your writing, then this is what you should do
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This blog has now moved to Writing Words at http://www.writingwords.net. Please take a look at the new blog. The blog will be covering the same sorts of topics that have been looked at in this blog. Thanks everyone for your support.
It's a question that has been asked many times. I ask myself the same question almost every week. When beginning writers ask it, they usually get one of two answers.
1. Write what you know.
2. Write what you like reading
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Comment by historylass
on The thrill of written words
The Written Word
History Lass
Thanks for your message. But my name isn't Margaret! I don't know where you got that from. And I agree with you that writers have to be obsessed with words. You spend so much time with them you have to have more than a fondness for them.