Finding your writing voice by studying your favorite books
June 2017
“What if suddenly the economic system would be overthrown?” My dad asked me. I told him to be quiet as I wrote down the plot of what would become the plot for two consecutive stories (thanks dad).
In June I travelled to Japan for the first time. The trip was great as you can imagine, great food, beautiful history, temples, castles and nature. But also crazy, hectic and weird (I am of course talking about Tokyo). A great mix I must say. In Japan I finished writing my second story, The Sapien Zoo.
Back home I started to map out a story in which a hacker shuts down the current economic system, and introduces basic income — but with some twists. While I was mapping out my ideas for the story, I had more ideas for this story and its characters. Eventually, I had so many storylines, plot twists and scenes, that I decided to make them into two stories. The second would have its own theme, but would be a logical follow up to the storylines from part one. Story one would ultimately become The System Shutdown.
In this post I want to share some tips and resources for starting your stories, especially when you don’t have a degree in English or Literature (like me). Heck, English is not even my first language! But somehow I find it easier to write in English. Above all, I love the language, the sound and the expressions. Especially when I hear a female British accent.
