Welcome, welcome, to the literary bout of the century!
In one corner we have Talent. She’s a beauty and a demon. With her on your side, you’re sure to win.
In the other corner we have Hard Work. When he puts his mind to it, he can beat anything.
When it comes to writing a good book, which of these two will triumph?
Let’s have a clean fight, now.
Ready, debate!
I’m not sure which areas of publishing I thought most people would be most interested in, but I shouldn’t have been surprised that the majority of respondents wanted to know how to find an agent.
That’s a big topic among unpublished writers, and it was brought home yesterday when I attended a local writing event. A group of noteworthy and excellent authors (including James Dashner, Brandon Mull, Shannon Hale, Sara Zarr) spent their time discussing the things unpubbed writers wanted to know. The biggest question? How do I get an agent.
Now that I’ve gauged interest in various topics, I’m still going to post on all of them because they are things writers need to know. But I will spend some extra time focusing on those areas (agents, editors, writing, and marketing) that you said you wanted to learn more about.
If you have a specific question or topic that you’re really interested in, send me an email (michelle dot witte at gmail dot com) and I’ll make sure to answer.
Don’t quit your day job. It’s become a joke in our culture, something to tease a person about when they are less than successful. But really, it has a basis somewhere. It’s often because people get a dream or an idea into their heads and want to spend all their time doing what they love. But until they have some way to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, they are doing themselves a disservice by quitting their day jobs.
I want to write full time too. I’d love to focus exclusively on that but, honestly, I am not financially in a situation where I can do that without ending up a beggar on the street after about four months.
Still not convinced? Here are several reasons why it is good to stick with your job (unless you’re Stephenie Meyer):
1) Insurance. Have you ever tried to get insurance on your own, without an employer’s help. It’s pricey. And I can’t imagine going without because the minute I try it, that’s when I’ll end up cutting my finger off in the kitchen.
2) Focus. When you only have a few hours (or minutes) a day to spend writing, you learn how to focus your energy. It’s a strength and shows that you have good time management skills.
3) Money to pay the bills. ’Nuff said.
4) Life experience. This may seem insignificant, but really, if you’re sitting in the house all day long writing, when are you going to gather the experiences that add freshness and life to your story?
5) Financial security. In today’s economy, this is a big one.
6) Lower advances. You’re probably not going to get that six-figure advance. Hardly anyone is anymore, especially unknown writers.
7) What if (horror of horrors) your book gets canceled and you have to pay back the advance?
8) Platform. Depending on your day job and the type of writing you do, your job could give you a lot of credibility and establish a network that you can promote your book through once it is published.
I could go on, but I think you hope you see the advantages of sticking it out at your job, even if it is boring. (For an agent’s take on this, read Michael Bourret’s blog post.)
Hi. I’m Michelle, and I’m a writer.
It’s been five years since I started writing novels, and only a year since I confessed to my friends and family about it. I was, I don’t know, worried what they’d think of me if they knew I was a writer. They’d expect me to become a best-seller immediately. Or maybe they’d hate what I wrote.
So, for a long time I kept it secret, writing in my bedroom with the door closed, never mentioning to anyone that I was clandestinely writing.
And then I stumbled upon a website for writers. Authonomy, it’s called, and I found a virtual connection with hundreds, even thousands of people in the same situation I was in. They understood about my writing habit, and they even helped me become a better writer. There are plenty of writing support groups like that, both online and in local groups where people meet up and read each others’ work.
After participating on Authonomy for a few months, it felt almost normal to be a writer. There were so many people doing it, I wasn’t alone anymore. I established a connection with other writers who understood me and my struggles to write. Then I got up the courage to tell everyone that I was a writer. It was such a relief not to hide it, not to be worried that someone would find out.
Since then, I’ve finished writing my first book and have even completed another book. It’s become part of who I am, and I’m not ashamed of it anymore. Plus, I’ve made friends with other writers who are amazing people and whose friendship I truly cherish, even if we’ve never met in person. They offer me support whenever I need it, even if it doesn’t deal with writing.
So to all of you listening, I applaud you for taking the first step to coming out about your writing habit. Take the next step and connect with other writers and see how much more enriched your writing and your life will be.
I have a lot of them. Honestly. But sometimes these ideas turn out to be good in the end. Like when I decided one day that I wanted to study abroad in England. It was one of the most wonderful experiences I’ve ever had.
So my latest hare-brained idea involves going back to school. I’ve sworn I wouldn’t do that, but then things changed in my mind. I’m actually the kind of person who enjoys the classroom atmosphere. Hate the homework and grades, but I love being in a place where intelligent debate happens. And I love learning new things more than anything.
It was a dream I had the other night, though, that kicked this into gear. Strange, I know, but maybe my subconscious was trying to tell me something. I dreamed I was moving away to go back to school for my masters. Not too complicated, but when I woke up, I instantly decided to look into going back to school for a graduate degree in writing.
I looked into it, and the best solution for me is the low-residency MFA programs that many universities offer. Spend ten days every six months in intensive writing classes, and then the rest of the time you write at home while still working at your day job. And the program I really like is in beautiful Oregon. What could be better?
Now, an MFA is probably not for everyone. I’ve heard some people tell of it ruining a writer’s creativity. But for me, I really think it could focus my writing efforts and take my storytelling to the next level. Besides, having a Masters opens up a lot of doors.
Maybe my hare-brained idea isn’t so hare-brained after all.
Stop for a minute and think about your writing style. How do you write when you’re not thinking about it? Is it conversational and airy or do you write elaborately with a heavy tone?
It’s important to realize the style with which you write, if only so you can master that style more effectively. Here are some descriptions of styles that many writers employ:
Natural: The style of writing that comes to you naturally.
Artificial: A style that forces itself on your notice, i.e. legalese and political double talk.
Assumed: A projection of natural style, used because it seems appropriate for the situation, as in writing from a teenager or child’s voice.
Genre: A type of assumed style in that some genres require specific language, such as storytelling in fantasy or stilted language in Regency.
Simple: In a word—simple. No frills and no extraneous words. This is the most difficult style to master. Think Ernest Hemingway.
Conversational: Grammatical but unselfconscious, the way a person would speak, but not necessarily direct speech.
*More in-depth descriptions can be found at suite101.com.
I’m more of a conversational writer, though naturally I write a little more elaborately than what my stories generally call for. I also have to hold back on my conversational style as well because at times it’s a little too informal. I find it difficult to assume a child’s voice, though teen voices come more naturally to me. I also enjoy assuming other styles when I’m writing dialogue. It makes the writing and story so much more interesting.
So which styles would you say you employ? How does it affect the way you tell your story?
The Bent Agency
Books & Such Literary Agency
Curtis Brown
Wylie-Merrick Literary Agency
Hartline Literary Agency
Upstart Crow Literary
Herman Agency
Redhammer Management
Harvey Klinger
The Greenhouse Literary Agency
The Knight Agency
Dystel & Goderich Literary Management
BookEnds
Fox Literary
WordServe Literary Agency
Barry Goldblatt Literary Agency
Ashley Grayson Literary Agency
Donald Maass Literary Agency
Caren Johnson Literary Agency
The Knight Agency
The Steve Laube Agency
Waxman Literary
FinePrint Literary Management
BookEnds
Lyons Literary
MacGregor Literary
The Strothman Agency
Wylie-Merrick Literary Agency
Larsen Pomada Literary Agency
Nelson Literary Agency
L. Perkins Associates
L. Perkins Associates
The Rappaport Agency
FinePrint Literary M
anagement
Upstart Crow Literary
Caren Johnson Literary Agency
Waxman Literary
BookEnds
KT Literary
Unknown (I had to include her because there’s so much good info on this blog)
Upstart Crow Literary
The Strothman Agency
The Knight Agency
S©ott Treimel NY
United Agents
Fresh Books Literary Agency
Waxman Literary
Raft Representation
The Zack Company
I’m sure I’ve missed a few agent blogs, so if you notice any, leave me a comment and I’ll add it to the list.
Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a follower. I see something I like, and then I try to copy it. Twittering, for instance. There are several people I really admire on there, and I’d love to emulate their humor, spontaneity, and excellence. And then there’s this blog. I started it for a number of reasons, a big one to increase my profile as a writer and editor. But the problem is that I’ve been inconsistent.
So I realized the other day that if I want to accomplish a goal, I actually have to set one. Duh. And then I have to plan out how I’m to go about doing so. These are simple things, but sometimes I look for the complicated and the simple eludes me.
Instead of trying to copy what others have done before, or even to emulate them, I’m going to be myself. I’m going to set some goals, put my thoughts into coherent plans and then accomplish those plans using my intelligence and craft—not anyone else’s.
I’m not saying it’s wrong to get ideas from what someone else is doing, but really, I need to take an idea and make it my own, not a cheap imitation of someone else’s brilliance.
That’s what I’m going to do, and I hope you enjoy the efforts.
But now I’m going to relate this to writing. As in just about everything in life, the copycats are never as good as the original. The first. The only one people really think about. (There are obviously exceptions, but we’re not dealing with those today.)
Think Harry Potter and all the knockoffs that tried so hard to capture the magic that J.K. Rowling created. They couldn’t do it.
Don’t think that success will come as a writer by copying the big trend. Be original. Be your self. That’s where true success comes. Trust your instincts and mold all of your outside influences into something truly you.
I’ve posted a new survey on which areas of publishing you want to learn more about. Feel free to leave specific things in the comments of this post, and I’ll answer them for you. And if I don’t know the answer, I know plenty of people who do, so look forward to some guest posts on the subject.
And if you’re wondering about my experience, I currently work as a nonfiction editor for an independent publisher and have spent the past five years working in publishing and newspaper industry.
So go vote and leave your ideas in the comments.
So, it seems another book project has come to steal the place of another. Jessamine did that a few months ago, but she was written in three weeks, so it wasn’t too much of an imposition. This time, it’s a new book I’m calling Indomitable. I’ve already gotten 4,000+ words done in two days, which I think is rather good.
The thing is, writing is really about timing. It has to be the right time to write a certain book. I think a lot of cases of writer’s block come because a project needs to sit a bit longer and percolate in your brain just a little while longer.
Yes, there are times to force yourself to write a book and just get the blasted thing done. But then there are those times where, if you haven’t written a thing in weeks, maybe it’s time to work on something else that sparks your interest. Writing isn’t really about forcing the words to come. More, it’s about accepting them when they’re ready.
So Fractured will have to sit for a time until she’s ready to speak to me more. In the meantime, I’m hoping to whip out another story a la Jessamine. I do have to say, writing fantasy teen romance books is just a lot of fun.
