Monday, March 1, 2010

Aspiring Advice: Purpose

My apologies again for my lack of an article last week, and for this morning! I said I would have something for you, but things being as they are sometimes, I could not do it. But now I can!

My wife had an injury to her hand when trying to lift a bookshelf, dislocating a tendon in her finger. Who would have thought that such a small thing could be so debilitating? The good news is that she's on the mend, after seeing a specialist and having her finger snapped back into place. Anyway, enough with the grossness. I usually save that stuff for my novels.

Update, and then the advice:
Chapter 7 is well underway and a solid brainstorming session is going to help it and possible sequels along. I had no idea that this simple tale would soar to such great heights, no pun intended. I have also submitted a few chapter 1's to a contest, but it will be a couple months before I see the results. Wish luck to be with me this time around.

Now for the advice. When I speak of purpose, I'm asking a question. What is your purpose in writing? What's driving you to do it? I can tell you that a story with purpose will hold a lot more weight to it than one that doesn't. From ages past, stories have been told as moral lessons, lessons to give an audience something to think about in themselves, to better themselves. Do you have anything like this is your story? Better get back to the drawing board of the answer is no. I can't tell you what your purpose is. That's for you to figure out. I say this with experience from my first novel. I thought I knew what my purpose was, but it changed throughout the story to the point that it was no longer clear. It had great visuals and neat characters, but no heart.

Look into your purpose and develop it before you start your project, or even now while you are well under way. With a firm plan in place, your story will care the message that you intend. Try and take a unique spin on an old moral lesson. Simple truths are always looking for a new voice.

I will leave this short and hopefully have a better column for you this weekend. Thanks as always or reading and may your fingers stay intact.

My name is David, and I have a JellyBelly stuck on my sock.

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