Joe Halderman: One Way to Do It or How I Write Books and Why Nobody in His Right Mind Should Do It That Way

The seats were full with more lined against the walls of the Tower Road branch library in Gainesville, FL. Joe Halderman, guest speaker of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville, stood before the hungry crowd as they hung on his every word.

His lecture, “One Way to Do It,” or “How I Write Books and Why Nobody in His Right Mind Should Do It That Way,” focused on his approach to novel writing. His methods no easy ride for the feint of heart–or just lazy of butt.

Halderman, of science fiction fame, theorizes that if a writer already knows his or her story from start to finish, then there is no point of writing the story. A tale should not only be an adventure for the reader but for the writer as well.

Have a basic idea of what you would like to happen but allow your story to develop as it unfolds. You’ll be surprised with the backroads your random thoughts will take you.

Halderman also suggests carrying a few index cards with you (or in my case a small notebook I picked up from Michael’s for $1 that fits in my bag) for jotting down your thoughts when you can’t be in front of your computer. These pieces can be organized later and just may help you flesh out that piece of a storyline that has eluded you for weeks.

As it has been said before, it’s good to start writing about what you know. If you don’t know, don’t try to fake it. Editors and readers alike will be able to sense your lack of expertise. But if you’re still not deterred from flubbing your lines, try to at least give a convincing argument. Practicing to look good while doing it won’t hurt either.

So if you feel you can follow this brief list of Halderman’s techniques while writing, you may find your time in front of the computer a little less hectic. Or at least a little more adventurous as you discover what lies just around that unplanned corner.

Write on!

April
GWG Leader