Reading a book about the Sufi poet Mansur Hallaj, I discovered that one should be a mystic to be a poet. I think that nobody can write a poem or a novel without inspiration, which comes from above. So for me, the first thing to start writing something is inspiration.
An old Italian proverb says, “Let’s take the crowded bus, later everybody will fit in it.” Therefore, let’s start writing, later we will find the plot and the proper words to express our ideas and feelings.
As for me, I just started writing my novels and then the inspiration and the story came naturally. It is not difficult. Everybody can do the same.
I like to mention the great writer, Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick. He read countless books, starting from Francois Rabelais’s books, just to write his own novel. In fact, it is good to read many books in order to learn the technique of how to write. Many authors use metaphors and similes to express their stories in a vivid and gripping way. A novelist is also an artist.
To the would-be writer, I want to say, “Look at the sky above you, and then write your novel to the end.”
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
– Travels of the Mind
http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo