I know to some people, this is a foreign concept. When I think of art, the first thing that comes to mind would be a Degas painting, or the Mona Lisa (then dance, but that's not the point), I think that we have all adopted the word "art" for painting and drawing, and haven't used it as much for other things, like writing.
Yes, writing is an art. A lot of people think that writing is more of a 'left brained' thing, but it really isn't either. I can assure you writing is an art if songwriting is, then writing is to. And I don't just mean story writing, I mean papers and speeches and emails and everything. Every form of writing uses imagination.
But if you were painting your writing, you wouldn't settle for a semi-good painting, you would want to make it top notch. You should do that with your writing. I know that Izori says to be messy in your first draft, and I don't completely disagree with that. I think it's a good idea not to sweat the little things, but I still write my first (and all my drafts) on the computer. Though, by the time you are approaching your final couple drafts, you should make it as perfect as possible.
A good way to do that, is making sure you know what your writing style is. You can't change it half-way through the book. Another thing that you could do is make your sentences short, then long, then really long, then really short or something like that. I learned in a writing class that if every sentences is the same length, your readers will go to sleep.
So there you have it, writing is an art. Like with all my tips, you can take or leave these.
Yes, writing is an art! Yeah!
ReplyDeleteBut as for first drafts being messy, well, it's just like painting really. And then I wouldn't call it a first draft. If you go somewhere on the internet and look up a digital painting tutorial (which I have, but you want to be careful where you look sometimes...) you'll see what I mean. All digital (and most traditional) paintings start with laying out the foundation of colors, the lineart, and the concept... a WIP, or a rough draft, if you will. Then we move on to refining. In each stage of the painting, the picture becomes clearer and more beautiful until, at long last, it is done to the satisfaction of the artist and ready to go on display.
The same thing with writing. A rough draft is basically laying out your color foundation, lineart, and the concept of your story. Then, with each draft forward, you work on refining the picture (or story) until it is satisfactory and you are ready to submit it. With digital art (and depending on the program you’re using) these new refining drafts are done in new layers… for stories and novels, each new draft should be done in a new document. But it’s basically the same principal all the way around. :D
Some paintings look best when they seem quickly thrown together, or not quite finished. Some stories are like that too. But, like all art, artists and writers must learn to develop their own style and flare before they can really be noticed.