Is there a 'Formula' for writing well?

How do you know when you have the right formula for writing good books?  I recall reading that J.K. Rowling was turned down again, and again and again until someone finally said yes.  The rest is history.  She knew she had a story to tell, and no matter how many 'No Thank You's' she received, she kept at it until she succeeded.  It only takes one 'Yes' from the right person, to move you up to the next step.  

So, write like you've already made it.  Write as though you have to shut things down early today because you have an interview on Entertainment Tonight about your latest novel that has been made into a movie!  Why would you wait until you've 'MADE IT' to figure out how to handle the fame and acclaim headed your way?  Think big, make sure when you write your readers have as much enjoyment in the reading as you did in the crafting.  Write with a sequel in mind.  

My faith is a large part of all that I do.  I just keep writing, spinning my stories because I enjoy reading them.  I have faith that in the right season, things will change because God favors me.  What is for me, is for me.  Nothing and no one can keep me from that because I firmly in faith believe that God is for me.  When it comes to my writing, everyone else is just along for the ride!  I have been writing since I was in 8th Grade, I finished my first novel when I was 15.  I could reconstruct it from memory, every line, every character, and every plot, and it was 300 pages long with about 15 major characters!  Because it was important to me.  

Preparation is the best formula for writing well.  You should prepare yourself by taking a few classes on writing.  They are available at local Community Colleges, online at Khan Academy for free at https://www.khanacademy.org/ and there's a myriad of books you can read online that explain things from formatting to grammar, to proofreading tips.  Preparation will never hurt your effort to be a better writer.  

Let me give you a tip that has been a wonderful tool for me lately.  My son told me about it from a class that he took this summer.  It's a passive editing program called 'Grammarly'.  No matter what application I am in, Grammarly will scan as I am typing and highlight typos and grammar usage, in addition, to make suggestions to you on how to fix certain wording issues.  It will also simply go away quietly if you tell it to.  

Read across Genres, I know it's an easy trap to fall into, simply reading what you enjoy, but you can learn something from every word that you read on a daily basis.  Move out of your comfort zone.  Set up a RESEARCH Folder in your Bookmarks and when you are writing a story, research liberally online, and when you find something of interest, Bookmark it immediately.  Far too often you forget to go back and save information, then you can't find it later.  Put information for different books into their own folders within your Research Folder.  Then make sure you look it over every few weeks, many of my story plots come from a 'What if...' after reading a story, looking at pictures or from social media.  

Set up a time to date your writing.  It's like a soft date night!  Spend an hour a day doing something writing related.  Spend at least 15 minutes of that time doing some actual writing of your book each day.  Set up a timer, and stick to it.  That does not include your set up time, make sure your computer, pens, pencil, and paper are in the same spot each day and guard your hour against anything that might try to intrude.  You deserve at least an hour a day to do something you enjoy doing.  

The best way to follow a formula for writing if for you do determine to explore Creative Writing Sources.  A good formula will help gain insight as you learn how you like to write and what niche or genre fits you best.  Even so, be open to constructive criticism of your 'Baby', pretend you are Daenery's playing with her baby dragons until they were unleashed on an unsuspecting world.  Use the technology we have available that makes your writing better and never be afraid to ask for help from other authors.  We have all been through many dangers, toils and snares we would be willing to share to keep others from having to endure those same pitfalls.  Plan and research marketing, launch and sequels.  Always be working on something new before you finish a current work.

Write the way you should love, openly, honestly, gratefully and fruitfully. Your readers don't know about rules, however, they will flock to stories where your heart shines through the pages. Just write something today, be encouraged!

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