Article #11
Talk a Good Book!

How many folks have you known over the years that continue to regale you with their adventures and of the book they are going to write about them one of these days.  

The vivid descriptions of their stories go on and on most every time you meet them but, nothing ever seems to find it's way to the written page.  There is only conversation and then, more conversation.  The future best-selling author talks a great game without ever producing any pages.  Finally comes the time that someone suggests to our next Ernest Hemingway or Ayn Rand that they should put their writing where their mouth is.  Talking is okay but writing has now become the "special" of the day.  Here are some suggestions that may get them moving -- finally -- in the right direction because there are some real problems, as they'll soon find out.

When our storyteller finally does sit in front of the typewriter, legal pad or computer, not much of any substance appears on the page.  In fact, the pages are dull, boring and listless.  It's hard for them to understand just how great it sounded when they were telling the same story to friends about three months ago.  They seemed totally involved in the story and loved it, at least that's what their friends said at the time, and since the narrator had received almost identical comments from other raptured listeners, they had every reason to believe them.  So what's the problem?   One of the problems seems to be that the right side of your brain is the creative side and that's what you are using when you're telling a good story.  The left side of your brain is the linear sequential developed part of your brain and you would use that side in writing the manuscript.

Some writers are fortunate to be whole brained and can use with equal facility either side of the brain.  They're pretty lucky, because most of us don't have equal ability to be able to draw on both sides of the brain.

Well, Steven James of Writer's Digest fame seems to have put his finger right on the pulse of the problem.  Your story was meant to be told rather than written, and there is a world of difference between the two different areas of communication.  That's a fairly significant problem for a would-be writer.

Facial expressions, voice intonation, hesitations for emphasis and probably the most important for the narrator is immediate audience feedback or reaction, because it encourages a favorable response from the listener(s).  These elements are missing in a written manuscript and sometimes -- most of the time in fact -- the results are disastrous. 

However, as a prospective writer, the narrator will now have to make a smooth transition from the spoken word to the written word, and for your information, while the transition may not be easy, it can be made with some effort.  Steven James urges a number of suggestions.

Writing a good story can be a gratifying experience for the writer and subsequently greatly enjoyed by the reader.  Sharpen your skills slowly and carefully while you craft your story.  The payoff could be large dividends.