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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Michael Allan Scott – Writing . . . What’s It All Mean?

Writing . . . What’s It All Mean?

by Michael Allan Scott

Writing is nothing more (and nothing less) than a means—a means to an end.  And while that “end” varies widely from individual to individual, for me, it’s all about storytelling.

 

Communication

At its most rudimentary level, writing is a form of communication, using symbols on blank surfaces to express ideas.  And it’s an amazingly complex form, at that.  Imagine all of the things that must be agreed upon by writers and readers in order to understand one another at all.  It’s a wonder a reader ever gets close to the author’s original intent.  As a clear means of communicating, I don’t doubt that most of the time writing falls far short.  It’s an imperfect system at best.

And yet, here I am attempting to communicate about writing by employing that very system—ironic (and damn hard work.)

If only there was a better way . . .

 

A Story to Tell

If dreams were castles, we’d all be kings.

It’s my firm belief that EVERYONE has an idea for a story.  Yet, I’m also certain only the most passionate among us are willing to do everything it takes to bring those story ideas to the public, fully-formed and ready for their reading enjoyment.  It’s very much a process of natural selection, where only the fittest and most determined survive.

What kind of stories?  For me, it’s not just mystery stories, it’s any and all, as long the author engages me.  There’s nothing like a thrilling adventure, a steamy romance, a ghost story, or a heart-rending struggle to overcome all odds.  The stories can take place in nearly any setting: the old west, the urban jungle or deep space.  And in any time: the long dead past, the all too familiar present, and a grim or wondrous future.  Still, who doesn’t enjoy a good mystery?

Personally, I appreciate a good story well-told and admire those who do it—inspiring.  I constantly strive to achieve that goal in my work—a good story, well-told.

 

The Ultimate Reward

Although I’ve written stories in a variety of genres, I happened to choose mystery novels as my main focus—a mystery writer.  Murder mystery novels, to be more precise.  And it’s a crowded field.  A few of my favorite murder mystery writers include:

Norman Mailer

James Lee Burke

Michael Connelly

Charlie Huston

John Hart

Lee Child

How dare I get in the ring with such luminaries.   Yet, writing mystery stories is what I know how to do—something I’m good at (and we’re all good at something.)  It’s vitally important to find something you love to do—something you do well—and go for it.  Do it flat out, whole hog, persist until you get it right.  Then the magic happens—a sense of accomplishment  that sends you soaring.

Writing, I love it!

And I hope you enjoy reading it, as well.

Be sure to let me know.

More on my murder mystery novels can be found at  http://michaelallanscott.com/

Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Michael Allan Scott and a clickable link back to this page.

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Genre – Mystery & Thrillers

Rating – R

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Website http://michaelallanscott.com/

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