Welcome to my blog series, Dark Arrows, where I will test out different writing aids for those of us on our journey to improve our writing skills, so that one day we may see our efforts pay off in improved storytelling. For many of us, that means a book deal or launching a self-publishing platform, but some want to do it for themselves, and they too will find use in information provided here.
First, a few disclaimers:
My first devotion and passion is working on my novels, so while I will take the blog seriously, and will put in time and effort, please forgive the occasional errors that may arise, since if I have to slave over perfecting anything, it will be reserved for the thing I love most, working on my stories.
I am new to this, so everything will not be perfect, buy I am open to learning, so please share any advice that you might have for content, setup, ease of navigation, or anything else that might make the site more enjoyable.
I hate, hate, hate, doing exercises from How to Write instruction manuals. The same lesson could be given in a group or a class setting, and while I might grouse about it, it doesn’t seem to bother me as much. Perhaps it’s knowing that I won’t get any feedback on the work when working alone with a manual, but I digress.
So, part of my reason for having this blog is to force myself to do the exercises. I figure this will help me to get into the habit of having to write for more than just my own enjoyment, allowing me to mentally switch gears so that I can transition into a professional writer.
Lastly, I am not out to write a Pulitzer Prize winning novel or the next great American literature. I want to write stories that others can, hopefully, experience the joy and sadness, and overall find entertainment in my work as I have found in so many others over the years.
So, thank you for taking the time to read this introduction, and I hope you choose to stick around.