Deceptive Art of Fiction Writing

If you've ever written, or tried to write, fiction, you've learned something very important.

Writing fiction is easy—until you try it.

Years ago, I read something Jack Bickham wrote in his book, The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes.

This pithy guide to better writing is an excellent resource that doesn't overwhelm someone trying to improve the narrative skills. The chapters are only 2 to 3 pages long.

I read that long ago in a chapter of this book.

"The writing of fiction is very deceptive—it looks easy until you try it."

As a writer with more than a few manuscripts, published and unpublished, behind me, I know this truth in every neuron of my brain. This is why I always encourage those who tell me they're going to write a book when they have the time. As if time is the only requirement for writing a book.

I tell them to go for it.

If they've been particularly condescending in their assumption that free time is all that is needed to write successfully, I stand a good chance of being greatly amused when I bump into them in the future.

I've yet to hear anything but hemming and hawing from those who've actually tried to turn their idea into a book and given up.

More is required than leisure time to successfully write. If you want to write, you must be willing to work hard. Writing is hard on the anatomy, the brain, and the emotions.

Takeaway Truth

I think it was Earl Nightingale who said: "There are no bargains at the counter of success. You must pay full price."