SO, YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER

AuthorHouse

Contents

CHAPTER 1 To Write or Not to Write......................................................1CHAPTER 2 Answering the Write Question..................................................5CHAPTER 3 Getting Started as a Writer...................................................7Nonfiction vs. Fiction..................................................................12Newspaper and Magazine Articles.........................................................15Charting the "Write" Course for You.....................................................16CHAPTER 4 Believe to Achieve............................................................17CHAPTER 5 Outside Mindsets Versus the Committed Writer..................................19CHAPTER 6 Writing Right.................................................................21Focusing on the Write Stuff.............................................................21Making Time to Write....................................................................21CHAPTER 7 Tools of the Trade............................................................23Reference Books and Other Publications..................................................23Outlines................................................................................23Journaling..............................................................................25Notes...................................................................................25Other Tools of Your Trade...............................................................25CHAPTER 8 Gathering Support as a Writer.................................................27CHAPTER 9 Changing the World's Perception About Writing for Money.......................31The Truth About Writing for Compensation................................................31Recognizing Professional Expertise......................................................31Giving Your Writing Talent Away.........................................................32Giving Your Writing Talent Away: The Exception to the Rule..............................33CHAPTER 10 Networking With Other Writers................................................35Connecting at a Local Level.............................................................35Staying Connected on a Global Level.....................................................42CHAPTER 11 Making That First Impression.................................................43Research................................................................................43Editing.................................................................................44Agents..................................................................................47CHAPTER 12 Publishing the Book is Not the End of the Writer's Dream.....................49CHAPTER 13 Summarizing the "Write" Stuff for You........................................51CHAPTER 14 Taking the Next "Write" Step for You.........................................53

Chapter One

Like many of you, I was bitten by the "writing bug" early in life. It was at the young and tender age of eleven at which time I fell victim to an unexplainable malady. Looking back on that time, I do believe the onset of this condition was ever so subtle and, therefore, difficult to recognize. The symptoms evolved slowly. They began first with an unquenchable thirst to read voraciously and a feverish awareness of my ability to comprehend and enjoy the experience. These manifestations persisted and developed into an insatiable appetite, not for food (although I believe food stimulates a writer's creativity), but rather for reading Nancy Drew books, The Bobsey Twins, The Hardy Boys and Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. I couldn't explain how I felt; I only knew such were the mysteries of my life.

Unbeknownst to me, I had a severe case of writer's syndrome. The "bug" had gotten under my skin and forever more would be in my blood. How else can I explain to you the fact that I looked forward to English classes, excelled at spelling, thrilled at the thought of homework assignments that required the writing of papers and delighted in writing the mandatory "book reports". Of course, my way of thinking was not shared by my classroom peers who would have welcomed a broken arm rather than have to set task to write anything the teachers might have assigned.

I am sure others so afflicted could share in my pain and pleasure of seeing the world from a different perspective. In my world there are only two viewpoints: the popular majority's style of reading and analyzing something and the "write" approach of looking at things, which indeed is my way. Some people think of the writer's mind as one of a "left-handed" viewpoint in that it is different in a creative manner from the direction in which most people might look at something. Writers are indeed creative, and ironically, many writers are left-handed. "Creative"; what do we mean by being creative? Roget's Super Thesaurus defines creativity as "inventiveness, originality, resourcefulness, innovative, original ...". People tell me it might have something to do with the left brain/right brain thing, one focusing on the analytical and the other focusing on the creative. I could never really understand it. I just accept that it is "what it is".

While some of you may be able to relate to my childhood experience with the writing bug, other individuals may have also felt the bite but much later in life. In these latter day cases, there is every reason to believe that the condition was always present but, for reasons unknown, lay dormant until it could no longer be contained. It really doesn't matter at what stage of life you feel the bite of the writing bug, just recognize that from that point on you are blessed (or cursed) to write.

So, you want to be a writer ... Let me warn you that the writer's life can be very solitary and, therefore, balance is very important. To live the writer's life, and live it well, one must be able to balance all aspects of his or her life: family, home, social and community commitments and, for many, that includes full-time employment outside the home (unless, of course, you are Stephen King or J.K. Rowling). Factor into this picture bouts with writer's block and having to meet writing deadlines, and you will find that this is no easy task. Do you have the "write stuff"?

Being a writer takes dedication, perseverance, good organizational and time management skills and the courage and strength to hold your head up high when someone tells you not to give up your day job. I am not trying to dissuade you from your calling in life. On the contrary, I want you to realize your writing goals and objectives. Do you believe you have a strong (some call it strange) desire to join the writers' ranks? If you feel you are up for the challenge-go for it! Be aware, though, that sometimes writers have been called different, odd, and even somewhat eccentric. If you are earnest about writing, don't let these things deter you. But if you are looking for instant success and gratification as a writer, you may need a serious attitude adjustment.

On May 31, 2007 the New Providence, N.J. based company, R.R. Bowker, was quoted as follows:

R.R. Bowker, the global leader in bibliographic information management, today released statistics on U.S. book publishing for 2006, compiled from its Books In Print database. Based on preliminary figures from U.S. publishers, Bowker is projecting that U.S. title output in 2006 increased by more than 3% to 291,920 new titles and editions, up from the 282,500 published in 2005.

If you feel you have what it takes to persevere, then it's time to pick up your pen and write. You'll never know if you can be a "contender" unless you are willing to put forth the effort. However, before you turn that page and move "write" toward your destiny as a writer, I leave you to ponder over the following quote from U.S. science fiction author Robert Heinlein:

"Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards."

Chapter Two

It is true that we all must learn to write in school, and school courses can certainly improve upon our ability to write, but is our ability to write learned or inherent? Bobby Knight, U.S. basketball coach, was once quoted as saying: "All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things."

Would you interpret his answer to imply that everyone can write? It certainly seems so. Nonetheless, the question must be posed again, "Can everyone write?" I know that many would argue both sides of that question only to discover that the answer is certainly not as clear-cut as one might think. I truly believe that writers, the kind who write and publish stories and books, are gifted. Whether or not their gift has been divinely bestowed upon them or just refined by their own persistence are two points of view up for discussion.

I can certainly speak for myself when I tell you, "I did not choose to be a writer, the craft of writing chose me." I was always conscious of the fact, even at a very young age, that the act of writing anything was very easy for me to do, but I just assumed that this was true of everyone. Yet, by the time I was in the seventh grade, teachers and other adults in my life indicated to me that this was not the case. It was the belief of my educators that writing did not come so easily to everyone. They went on to opine that while every literate person could write, not everyone could write well.

Chapter Three

If everyone can write but not everyone can write well, then what makes a good writer?

Good writing doesn't just happen; it takes practice and dedication-the same type of discipline and commitment that a musician or an artist would exercise in order to master his or her instrument or canvas. But before we delve into the mechanics of writing, you should probably first seek answers to the following questions about your own writing goals.

1. What are your goals as a writer?

What are your goals and objectives as they relate to being a writer and what type of writing do you want to focus upon? Are you a poet who fancies verse? Poetry can be flowery and romantic, or not, with rhyming or nonrhyming lines in each stanza of the verse. Are you interested in writing essays, short stories or perhaps a novel? Are you more inclined to pursue business writing? Maybe you enjoy writing business profiles, which would involve interviewing other people. Books can be wordy with narrative description or heavy with dialogue (depending on the writer's style), but business writing, including business profiles, has its own distinct style that demands that the writing be tight and concise. This format usually requires the writer to be as comprehensive as possible within a rigidly defined word count.

The basics of writing in any of these areas would still be the same relating to the "hook" that grabs the readers in the very first paragraph, if not the very first line, understanding the targeted audience for the work, choosing the right words to fit the piece and organizing each paragraph to flow smoothly from one to another. In addition, each type of writing also demands attention to the necessary nuances that are unique to each.

2. What need within you are you trying to fulfill?

It is important to determine what need you are trying to fill within yourself that steers you toward following the writer's path. I have met a few writers who say they just want to write for themselves and don't care if they get published. I am not entirely sure I believe such a premise. I think that maybe they are not being totally honest with themselves.

Writing, of course, is a form of communication. Writers communicate best through the written word, and it is quite obvious then that they feel they have something to say. Consequently, consciously or subconsciously, writers want others to read or hear their words, perhaps be moved by their words or even to take action from their words.

I personally know many writers and, even when some of them tell me otherwise, I cannot think of one among them who would not want to be published and revel in the absolute joy of seeing their words and their own name in print. Writing and not having anyone read your words, in my opinion, is like planning a party but not inviting any guests. What is the point?

I know some of you may be reading this and saying, "Well, I don't have to be published. I can write a story, or even my memoirs, and then give copies to all my friends and/or relatives." Let me just say this about that ...

Giving your writing talent away, even to a select number of close relatives or friends may not be in your best interest. If you are taking your talent seriously, and you aspire to one day realize monetary compensation for your skills, "gift" your book to relatives and friends for their birthdays, Christmas, etc. It's probably not in the best interest of any writer, individually or as a collective part of the writing profession in general, to just give their talent away. Doing so may actually adversely affect the monetary value of your work, and the industry as a whole.

If the reason you want to write is to spread your words, why shouldn't you expect to get paid for your writing? You do have something to say. Right? And you do believe others would benefit in some form or another from your words of wisdom. Right? So, you may want to ponder this point for awhile. With that said if you do publish your book manuscript, and you give away your book to everyone you know and every stranger you meet, what does this action tell those people? It might just leave them with the feeling that maybe you are a little insecure about your talent because in essence your very act of kindness is devaluating your book's worth.

There are, however, times when you might want to give your book away. It would warrant you to give your book away to a reporter or book critic for the purposes of getting a written review of your work in a newspaper or magazine. You might consider donating one of your books for a community raffle or a door prize at some similar event. Be selective when you give your books away and give them away as the exception, not the rule. Giving your books or your writing talent away "just because" ... Well, that's another story entirely. Rest assured I will discuss my theories about "giving your writing talent away" in subsequent portions of this book.

3. What do you want to write?

Before you actually start writing, ask yourself what you are interested in writing. If you want to write books, do you want to write nonfiction books (books about real life issues) or fiction ("made-up stories" from your imagination and your fertile creative mind)? If you are proficient in a particular hobby or craft, you might want to write a "how-to" book that explains how to sew, quilt, etc. If you are skilled at cooking, woodworking or pressing flowers, perhaps writing books relating to these topics are in your future. One guideline to help you get started is: Write a book about what you know. Bear in mind, however, that if you are merely interested in something like psychology, for example, but you do not have credentials in that field, it is not likely that you will be able to successfully publish your work. Rest assured, that in a scenario such as this one, your credentials (or lack thereof) would be one consideration (of many) upon which an agent or publisher would base his or her decision to accept or reject your work.

Let the knowledge, skills and experience that you actually have work for you. A prime example of what I am trying to convey to you would be, for instance, that a book or an article that you write about any aspect of human resources would appear to be more credible if you were a working professional in that field rather than just someone who decided to randomly research and then write about various related topics. Likewise, if you are an artist writing about how to paint or the use of different brush stroke techniques, it would then seem credible based on your knowledge and experience in that area.

Being able to string words together to make complete sentences is not enough. The piece should capture the readers' attention within the first paragraph and entice them to read on and on all the way to the conclusion of your book, short story or article. A good writer must be able to gather his/her thoughts in a logical manner and consistent sequence, organizing each paragraph to flow smoothly from one to another. The writer must carefully select the right words relating to the subject matter (barring constant word redundancies). Attention must be given to formatting the article to include exciting text and phrasing tailored to pique and hold the interest of the audience he/she is trying to reach.

The better the writing, the easier the craft of writing will appear to readers, but be aware that writing is not as easy as it may seem to be. So how does one become a writer? The best way to "learn" how to be a writer is simply to write, write and write more. If you already consider yourself a writer, you may now be wondering how you can improve upon your writing skills. The answer to that question is one you already know, but I will reiterate it for you. The best way to learn how to be a better writer is simply to write, write and write more! Supplement your writing with classes and seminars offered at community colleges and private venues, and a myriad of writing "how-to" books available at the library or your favorite book stores.

Nonfiction vs. Fiction

Writers often ask me which is more difficult to write, fiction or nonfiction. I am not sure that there is a tried and true answer to this question. However, according to Book Statistics (http://BookStatistics.com), "On average it takes 475 hours to write a fiction title and 725 hours to write a nonfiction title."

Nonfiction must be factual, accurate, and well-researched, which is most probably why it takes longer to write. Fiction may still require some research correlating to certain places, locales or things you describe or to which you make reference in your book. Yet, for the most part you can let your imagination run free, especially when creating your story line, your characters, your plot and your story's ending.

Like many things in life, the answer to the nonfiction vs. fiction question may have more to do with point of view than anything else. If you are thinking of writing something based upon your personal knowledge of a subject (i.e., specific hobbies, pets, children, business procedures or life in the corporate world), these nonfiction subjects may be easier for you to write about than would be something in the fiction realm. The same may be true in reverse. For someone who loves science fiction or someone who may have a penchant for murder mystery stories, fiction may seem like the easier path to follow.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from SO, YOU WANT TO BE A WRITERby Jo Ann M. Colton Copyright © 2010 by Jo Ann M. Colton. Excerpted by permission.
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