About WheelMan Press

I’m fairly new to writing.  It took me many years to realize that I not only had some talent, but a desire to share my opinions, my insight, my take on life as I, a man who happens to be disabled, sees it.  I’ve been studying writing pretty intensely for two or three years now, and I spend a lot of time trying not only to hone the necessary skills it takes to be a successful writer, but also the philosophies, the mindset, the magic that some of my favorite authors (like the master of fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien) have managed to achieve.  What’s their secret?  How do they create such fiercely loyal followers?  What hidden code is buried within their prose?

A lot of attention has recently been focused on the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling.  The questions I’ve posed above especially apply to this hugely popular series that has both adults and kids alike clamoring to read her latest work.  I’ve just started reading the first in series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, looking to answer some of these questions.  Between what I’ve read so far in the first book, and from various discussions I’ve read on the Net about this book and its phenomenal success, I’ve come to this conclusion—that above all else, Ms. Rowling respects the bond with her readers.

And when you get right down to it, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?  The writers whose works we return to again and again are those that speak to us on a personal level, that somehow manage to touch upon those joys and sorrows, highs and lows, successes and failures that every one of us has experienced at some point in our lives.  These writers create a high level of intimacy with their readers, and through their intelligent prose and straightforward plots, speak to us, saying: “I respect and understand you.”  A writer must form this sacred bond with his readers, must build a fictional world believable enough to draw the reader in, to place them in the midst of this world, and then take them for the ultimate literary ride.

There are many ways to achieve this, but no surefire ones.  It requires a good understanding of language, vocabulary and grammar, so the writer may express himself in a clear, concise manner.  It takes hard work and perseverance, because it’s rare to write and sell a bestseller overnight.  It takes a burning passion to write, because your financial successes will often be few and far between, and will not provide the needed motivation to continue your work.  And most of all, it requires a sensibility, respect, and unbiased love and appreciation for your potential readers.  Never talk down to them.  Never underestimate them.  Never expect them to be of a certain age, a certain level of education, or from a certain race or group.  Every published book or story is subject to being read by the entire spectrum of humanity, and no matter where a person comes from, there are always truths about ourselves and our world that link us, making us all undeniably human.  And there, in the subtle yet significant part of ourselves where our most basic passions and desires lie, is where you must go if you wish to form that sacred bond with your readers.

And it is there where the challenge, and the joy, of being a writer can be found.

-  Published by “Visions: A Resource for Writers” – lazette.net/vision/ (Nov/Dec issue 2004). Also included in A Writer’s Journey in Poetry & Prose by Gregory Bernard Banks.

Posted on February 14th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Write Talk, Writing