I occasionally run into people who–upon finding out that I write fiction–will say something like “I always wanted to try writing, too” and then I mutter something like “You should…,” and we either change subjects or I start blathering on about my own accomplishments or whatever I’m working on, therefore either appearing to be a braggart, or boring them beyond tears.
And then later in the day, I curse at myself for not having better advice for the person. Seriously, I constantly claim that I like to help and encourage new and aspiring writers, but then when confronted in real life by a new or aspiring writer, I never seem to have anything useful to say to them.
So while this post might not make up for the times I blew it IRL, here are some of the things I’d like to say to those of you reading this blog who have yet to pick up the proverbial pen and start writing some fiction.
Don’t start at “The End.”
I don’t mean that in the sense of outlining or pre-writing to where you have an idea how the story ends before you begin. I’m talking to the aspiring author who (much like myself ten years ago) put off writing because they don’t know enough about the publishing business, or don’t think they are able to get published, or think that it costs money to get published.
“I’d like to write, but I know I’m not good enough to get published, so what’s the point?”
Please, if you feel that way, know that you are dead wrong. No one starts off great, and writing fiction–just like every single other thing you’ve ever done or will ever do–takes practice. You very well won’t be “good” enough to get published when you get started. Your manuscript may have a million errors in after the first draft.
In other words, don’t convince yourself you’ll fail before you even get started.
It’s also worth mentioning that at this point, you don’t even need to be worrying about publishing. If you’ve never written fiction before, there are only two things you need to concern yourself with:
- Reading
- Writing
After a couple of years of practice, you can start sending out queries or looking into self-publishing. But at this point, you’re only job is to learn how to write.
You don’t have to tell anybody you write. But you should.
“But what if somebody reads it an hates it? I’ll die!”
You won’t die. But if you are afraid of someone hating your work, then you are well within your rights to not let anyone read your work.
But let’s open about this. If you’re writing to get published, eventually someone is going to have to read your work. And if this terrifies you, you’ll just have to get yourself emotionally prepared.
Don’t worry, I’ll give you some advice on this. First off, don’t even worry about rejection letters or anything like that. Before you start sending your work to a stranger, train yourself to get comfortable showing it to a trusted colleague. And what do I mean by a trusted colleague?
Why, other writers, of course. If you start looking, you’ll soon find that writers are everywhere. Even some of your closest friends may be closet authors. I’m not suggesting you go around asking everyone you know if they are writers, but I’ll bet that once you start making it known that you are a writer, they’ll be coming to you.
In the meantime, you’ve got the option of local writing groups, writing clubs or guilds, and the vast infinity of the internet to find people to critique your work and share in your misery…joy. I mean joy. Writing is happiness.
Start small.
Keep yourself in check. If you’ve never run a mile before, you don’t just throw on a pair of running shoes and do a half-marathon. You build up to it.
Writing is the same way. You need to take some time to learn about the craft and–more importantly–find your strengths and weaknesses. So start small. Write some short stories. Dabble in several different genres. Try out a few different points-of-view.
And set realistic goals. If you set out to do to much at once, you’re just setting yourself up for failure. Not everyone can write a hundred-thousand-word novel overnight. Remember that, and don’t get discouraged when you have trouble getting any words written. Writers block may or may not be a real thing, but there are times where it’s just more difficult to write than normal. If that happens, it’s okay to take a break and try again later.
Remember: If you can write a mere 300 words each day, you’ll write a full novel in a year.
You don’t need an education.
I’m really surprised by the number of people I meet who believe (incorrectly) that they should go to college to learn to write fiction. Allow me to let you in on a little secret: Don’t waste your money.
An MFA will do absolutely nothing toward helping you get published. It might help you improve your writing skills, but honestly, there is nothing about writing fiction you’d learn in higher education that you couldn’t learn on your own by reading blogs and magazines, attending some writing conferences, and finding a good critique group.
Another problem I have with the MFA programs is that if you desire to write popular or genre fiction, you shouldn’t be hanging around academia. The money you would spend on an MFA program would be much better spent going to a good writing conference and attending workshops on the business and the craft, as well as having the opportunity to rub elbows with author who did make it, not ones confined to academia.
(Just my two cents. If you want to argue about it, please leave a comment. Just keep it civil 🙂 )
You DO have time to write.
Finally, let’s address this statement:
“I’d love to write fiction, but I just don’t have the time.”
Nothing makes my head want to explode more than anyone telling me they don’t have time.
I. Have. Time. To. Write.
Yes, I have four young kids, an hour commute to my day job, two sides of a duplex to maintain, and a wife who is also spending time going after her passions while working full-time. Not to mention upkeeping this blog, Theme of Absence, and the podcast. If I have time to write, so does every other single person in the world.
So if you’re having trouble figuring out how to spend an hour or two a day chasing that writing dream (or any other dream, for that matter) check out some of my posts on time management, but let me just go back to the oldie-but-goodie generic response: Turn off the damn TV.
Ha. Sorry if I got a little testy in those last two points. Sometimes I just have to be blunt.
And so with all that, dear New Writer, I wish you all the luck and success in the world chasing your passion. The final thing I want all new writers to remember is this:
There will never be “too many authors.” Don’t ever let another author’s success get you down. Every successful author started out as an unsuccessful author, and the ones who make it are the ones who never gave up.
So go out there and get started. There’s a best-seller in your brain waiting to see print…
