When I sit down to create a storyline, I begin by asking myself –Who is the story about and who am I writing it for? Considering the audience never used to concern me as I wrote just for the enjoyment of sharing a story that floated around in my head. But as I have matured I am more concerned with the main ideas and reactions readers experience from reading the story. I am more concerned than ever before that my “message” or my theme is understood by the reader. I take longer to write and play with the words in the story more than I did ten years ago. I am coming up on eight years as a published author and I feel I have learned a lot about structure and style. What I am surprised by is how different my voice in writing has changed over the last decade. While I still write with humor, my structure is more formed and I show less loose ends. The stories have become less rushed and character development is much better than before. I am still learning about writing techniques and have new challenges as an instructor of creative writing, but I get so much satisfaction out of sharing what I love that the challenges are enjoyable.
As a writer, the first thing to understand is there is always someone out there better than you are at what you do. Instead of fearing that, seek them out and learn from them so your skills can become sharper. I am attending the Midwest Writers Conference at Ball State in July so that I can continue to renew my skills and be in the presence of other writers around the country. Hope to see you there!
sherrystruthtofiction 