I'm Not Published Yet

People who know me well, like my mama, remember that when I was a little girl I was a big Diana Ross fan. I didn’t want to just be like Diana Ross, I wanted to be Diana Ross: the hair, the voice, the glamorous persona. I bought almost all of her albums and watched as many of her HBO specials that mama would allow me to see. I still even have a Diana Ross fashion doll, complete with disco-era evening gowns and shoes. I loved her style.

As a writer, it’s taken me a while to develop and believe in my own style, my own voice, without worrying about whether my writing is as good as other authors that I admire. It’s more important for me to study the craft of writing so that I can tell my own stories well, rather than trying to imitate someone else. I had to find out who I was as a writer, which I like to call the art of discovery.

Things I’ve discovered in the process:

If there are no words on the page, there is no story, hence there is no voice. Fleshing out a story idea takes time. The first draft may not be the best draft, but at least it’s a start to the journey.

Only talking about writing a story does not create book. Writing a story creates a book. (see paragraph above)

Writers must use time wisely. Whether you have 15 minutes in the morning before everyone else in the house wakes up or you have 30 minutes at lunch, use that time to be creative. Even if you only get one or two sentences written, that’s still forward motion.

Writers read. It’s essential to expose yourself to good writing in a variety of genres, whether it’s the classics or contemporary writing.

Writers embrace their creative gifts, even when those gifts are still in the process of being molded and shaped.

I encourage other writers to seek out your own voice, your special expression. Only you can give your view of the world, your testimony. Nobody can tell your story like you can.

Tell the story that God gave you.


About the Author

Veronica Fields Johnson is a freelance writer, trivia buff, game show enthusiast and avid reader. She is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University and the President of the Faith Based Fiction Writers of Atlanta, formerly Visions in Print. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and two daughters and is currently working on her first novel.

I'm Not Published Yet

Respecting the Message

Anyone with aspirations of becoming a published author has at least one story idea that excites us every time we think about it. When we share our ideas with others who seem intrigued by our creativity, we get an adrenalin boost. But when it’s time to write that story, we have to remember that every story to tell has a message that we writers have to respect.

Respecting the message means we should be willing to learn how to tell our stories. Yes, God may have given you a vision for your story, but it’s your responsibility to educate yourself on how to make the story the best it can be.

Would you like to be known as a writer who is difficult to understand, or one who is straight to the point? Would you like to be known as a writer who uses lots of words but really doesn’t have much to say, or one who keeps the reader’s interest from the first sentence to the last?

What do you want your reader to learn? Is that lesson clearly coming across, or is it confusing to the reader?

Say you make out your grocery list and write down bread. If you are the one doing the shopping, you already know the exact brand of bread you want. But what if you hand that same list to someone else to do your shopping for you? That person then has to interpret the type of bread you want because reading the list doesn’t make it clear. If you write down one loaf of Veronica’s Heart Healthy Wheat Bread, then the person reading your list knows exactly what you want.

Think about letters or emails you’ve written to another person. Consider the times that you’ve searched for the right word to express your emotions. You know what you want the reader of that message to feel. Whether you are trying to encourage them or admonish them, you know what words do the job. Writing a story is no different.

Respecting the message also means respecting oneself. Do you really want to sign you name to writing that is shabby, unclear and confusing? Don’t allow pride to keep you from asking for help when you need it, or from heeding advice from another writer or an editor you respect when it’s clear that changes they suggest would make the story better.

Finally, respecting the message means respecting your audience. A reader will know if you are a person who takes the time to research your setting, your character’s occupations, or historical facts. A reader will know if you care about their time because you have labored to give them a story worth reading and remembering.

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About the Author

Veronica Fields Johnson is a freelance writer, trivia buff, game show enthusiast and avid reader. She is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University and the President of the Visions in Print chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers organization. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and two daughters and is currently working on her first novel.