Hello fellow writers~
Writer's write because they love to, and if you want to journal or write for pleasure, that's great! If you want to see your work published, however, that's a whole other story.
The road to publication is a twisty one full of strange turns that are unlike any other business I've been in.
Join me as I share tips and tidbits that I've learned on my own journey to publication.
SETTING GOALS::
First and foremost, you have to know what you want, so you know what path you take.
Do you want to have a book with your name on it just for you and your family, or do you want to be published by one of the big New York publishing houses?
Is it important to you that folks can find you in one of the brick and mortar bookstores or online?
Consider all those things then write down your goals. If you don't know where your headed - you will probably never get there.
Goals should also be time-framed. If you want to write a book, then perhaps good goals to have are to:
Complete an outline by 12/31/XX
Complete 100 pages by 01/31/xx
Write every day for a minimum of 30 minutes.
See the idea? Make them attainable and timeframed so you know you are making progress toward the goal.
Write down your goals and post them somewhere so you can check your progress.
WRITE::
You can't sell your manuscript if you never finish it! Check out this squidoo lens for tips and motivation to finish that book. www.squidoo.com/finishthebook
Keep writing. Even if it seems bad, you can fix words on a page, you can't fix an empty page!
The word "said" reads better than flashier words like "sputtered, vowed, snarled, declared". The truth is a reader will almost always read right past those familiar he said/she said although they are serving the purpose of keeping the reader clear on the character interaction. It makes for a smoother, easier read.
There are no rules that can't be broken. Write from your heart.
That being said, be careful of too much backstory. Avoid info-dumping at the start. Your reader will be more likely to stay with you through the whole book if you dole out just a little backstory at a time. Think about how much of your past you'd divulge on a first meet - then tone it down even one more notch!
IS THIS A NOVEL::
Short Stories, Novels, Novellas, Trilogies, Epic :: oh my. How do I know how long the right length is?
Over 100,000 words is probably too much (unless your writing fantasy) and under 70,000 words probably isn't enough (unless your writing a Young Adult - they usually run 50-70k) Novellas are usually around 40k, and are often used as part of an anthology.
Trilogies or connected stories :: The thing to remember here is that each book should stand on its own too.
HONE YOUR CRAFT::
Join a writers group.
Read! Funny as it might sound, you will actually learn a lot about writing by reading. Don't just limit yourself to one genre either. Read different genres, different authors and you're bound to learn a few new tricks.
Attend a writers conference. Almost every writer's group holds a conference each year. Google it, or put a note out on twitter of facebook. Writers love to brag about their favorite conferences.
My recent favs? RWA National Conference, Crime Bake, Sleuthfest, James River Writers
Practice! You want to write tight.Never use a longer word when a smaller one will do. Flowery drawn out prose might be great for literary fiction, but no matter what you are writing you want the reader to enjoy the ride.
Use lots of different resources. Writers groups, books, conferences but don't miss out on tools like twitter. Twitter has two hashtags that are really great #pubtip and #writetip, but there are 100s more. How about #litchat. Take a look and see what you can find.
REVISE, EDIT, REPEAT::
Watch out for modifiers: very, pretty, rarely, usually - to name just a few
Beware of ly words in general. If you need an ly word, maybe your sentence is lazy. Rather than something like "He ran really fast." - try "He sprinted." Ahh, yes much better.
Show don't tell. Don't tell the reader anything you can show them. For example, rather than "He was mad." Show us by describing his cheeks puffing, brows knitting together and that pulsing vein in his forehead . . . oh yeah, I'm getting the picture. Are his hands clenched into fists. Oh my!
KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY TO SUBMIT::
When you think you're ready to submit - STOP - tuck that manuscript away, and then take another fresh look at it in a month. You'll be surprised how a fresh look at your work will make the opportunities bubble to the top.
Read your manuscript out loud, then share it with a critique partner for feedback.
Your manuscript needs to shine and be at its very best when you send it out. Don't blow your first impression.
SUBMIT::
Know who to submit to by using the Writers Market or one of the online sites:
Writer's Resources