Artist learn by studying the works of famous artist and develops their own style over time, and it is the same with writers. Those new to the craft can learn a lot by studying works of top authors. Read stories by top level authors and pay attention to the way they construct sentences and paragraphs, study their patterns, this process is called “modeling.”

  The point of modeling is to find a sentence, paragraph, chapters and build your own following the author’s patterns, teaching yourself structure. It is good practice and a good way to learn tips and tricks. However be careful and not copy the authors style, it is easy in the beginning to write like your favorite author. The point of this exercise is learn the how masters construct stories. Develop your own style.

Guidelines for Modeling

Find: A sentence, paragraph’s, patterns

Select: A Subject to model

Follow: The pattern using the subject

Build: Sentences and paragraph’s following the pattern

Review: Once done reread what you have written and change any part that is confusing or unclear. A good way to check the ease of flow is to read the sentence out loud, and if it is easy to read and you don’t get tongue tied it is most likely be correct.

Summary

  Modeling is a great way to learn structure, but be careful and not copy another author’s style. Modeling is for practice only, so, you can learn how to structure a story. You have to have your own voice and style. And style can only be developed only after thousands and thousands of words have been written.

Finale Thought

  To be a writer takes a big dream and passion to guide that dream. The writing world is hard and you will get hundreds of rejections, but rejections are part of the process. Do let rejections get you down. There are a limited number of magazines and publishers and they get thousands of submissions. And once you have been writing for several years and get rejections, it isn’t because your story sucked; it’s mainly because there is a lot of competition. That’s why editors of magazine will tell writers to study the magazine before submitting and learn what type of stories they publish. Editors are people, and like us we have certain styles and types of stories they like, no matter how good your story is written if an editor doesn’t enjoy that type of fiction he or she will get bored. Some editors like action type of stories and some like a Shakespearian type of stories, etc. So, study your market, keep up to date, and keep submitting.

  Writing isn’t for the weak of heart and mind. To be a good writer takes passion, it is a tough business, and if you don’t have what it takes it will run you out. Writing has to be that one thing you would do everyday if you sold a story or not. Real writers don’t write for money, they write for the love of it, it feeds that urge inside of them. So, if you love it, you were meant to do it. If not don’t waste your time you will never be any good or at least never top level. It’s a hard life, but its worth. It’s beautiful, awesome, and I love it. And I hope you love it as much as I do. So, read, write, love your craft and bring to life that vision in your head.

“Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.”~ Stephen King

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