A Second Essay by Ray Bradbury on Writing

A Second Essay by Ray Bradbury on WritingFrom The Brilliant Minds, by Barry Bradshaw, and The Secret, by Ray Bradbury, comes a second essay from the brilliant minds of these authors, on writing. In this second essay, Ray Bradbury takes up the question, 'How can you write a story in a book?'At first glance, the question may seem silly to most readers, but Raymond Bradbury is one author that knows that it's smart to have an argument about something that most people do not understand well enough to know their position. When he writes that the purpose of a book is to 'play with words and characters and scenarios and actions,' that's what he means.There are many things that one has to do in order to produce a novel. However, that doesn't mean that a writer cannot give some attention to storytelling and the ability to portray a story using words.Stories can be written in any number of ways. There is no right or wrong way to tell a story, just different ways to show what the story is about. There is no art or craft to being a storyteller, just the ability to tell a story, with the aid of words, and through many different methods.Ray Bradbury also points out that the way that a writer has his words put together is equally important. For instance, he notes that when a writer has all the right words but doesn't know how to put them together properly, then that is when a writer will run into trouble.It is important for a writer to know where to find the right words, in order to be able to tell a story, which uses words as its story telling medium. A good storyteller knows how to tell the story and how to weave words and ideas into the story. Without the right words, a story will be badly told, and will come across as either being forced or awkward.There are two different types of stories, the ones that are told in a literal sense, and the ones that are told in a figurative sense. A story that is told in a literal sense will require the right amount of words, while a story that is told in a figurative sense will need the right words in order to tell the story.Once a writer realizes that there are differences between these two types of stories, he or she can then figure out how to tell the story using words, as best as possible. In The Secret, the chapter on writing is titled, 'Make Your Words Care.' Writing that is meant to be read can also be told using words, as long as the right words are used.