One of the greatest experiences a writer can have is to look back and see all that you have learned, without even realizing it. I can point to many specific things I have done which have greatly improved my work, and in this series I’d like to share them with you.
The first one is…life experience, you know, that thing that happens to you which doesn’t necessarily resemble anything that you planned ahead of time? When I first wrote the story of Eagle Shadow I imagined the story from the perspective of a teenager and young adult. Everything then looked more innocent, cleaner, unrealistic. When I rewrote the story later, I came to it as a new person. I had experienced marriage and motherhood which greatly changed how the characters were portrayed. Although the two main characters were not married and did not have children, their thoughts and actions were still molded and polished by their creator’s experiences, and the result was that they came across more believable and relatable to the reader.
To young writers, recognize that you already have unique life experiences with which to fashion your writing, but also, don’t discount experiences yet to come. Treasure them and the wisdom they will add to your work.
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