So, this tip on writing wasn't planned, nor did I ever figure I would do anything like this. It seems that whenever I least expect it, I hear someone mention something about how the blank page is intimidating. I disagree. The blank page symbolizes the beginning of a new adventure. White is the color, symbolically, of peace and surrender. The white, blank page is at your disposal. You should feel free to do whatever you want with a blank piece of paper.

Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. Perhaps this is just the inner optimist inside of me. But let me be clear. If the blank page intimidates you, don't let it. Perhaps some good old Bob Ross would do you well. Like Bob Ross says, "You can paint with almost anything. All you have to do is practice!" The same goes for writing. You can turn any idea into a good story, with enough practice and ink.

That has simply been my two cents on the subject, and is less of a writing tip, and more so encouragement.

So, I've been up to a lot lately and quite busy, indeed. I spent my last Sunday, the 9th, writing a list of Presidents for a world I am setting a book in. I spent half of Saturday, the 8th, painting, and before that eventful weekend, I had a lot of tests and exams.

​But, let me reach out to any fellow writers out there, or even anyone who has to write a lot of essays for a class.

Let's admit it, we all have a difficult time writing something. By that, I mean some of us have a difficult time describing a setting, some of us have a difficult time writing dialogue, etc. Over the next couple of months, I may occasionally throw in a blog post about how to improve your writing skills in some specific areas.

So, since dialogue can be found in a lot of forms of writing, I'll write on that subject first.

I was excellent at describing a setting and pretty good with plot lines this time last year. However, dialogue was something I just couldn't get down. Somehow, I came up with an excellent idea that I thought would fit best in the format of a TV Show. So, I started writing a TV show. Of course, it isn't airing, but it does have a nice plot line and I share episodes with a few friends.

Throughout writing a TV Show, I've had to learn the importance of dialogue. Of course, Television is more than just dialogue, but it's more prominent in television than in most books. Books are filled with descriptions, whereas on TV, you don't need description, you just see it.

People are also always talking about showing, not telling, a story, through dialogue or how a person acts. Writing a script for something helps with that, too.

So, long story short, if you struggle with dialogue, but you're really into this writing thing, or simply want to get the best grade in your class, try writing a script for something. Anything. A screenplay for your favorite book might be a good place to start, or better yet, create a short, 5-minute skit that's remotely funny. If anyone tries this, I'd love to hear how it went, and if it helped you with your dialogue-writing.