10 Things I Wish I Had Known As A Writer When I Was Younger
1. If you really want to get published, then you need to hone your skills taking writing courses, sharing your writing, learning from critical writing, attending writing workshops and national conferences. Ok, what did I leave out? Oh yes, you should read like a wolf on the prowl. Read everything you can sink your teeth into. Read, read and read, especially the best writers in your favorite genre.
2. Put your ego or worries aside and attend national and local writing conferences. For a long time as an aspiring writer, I did not attend writing workshops or conferences for fear that my writing would be stolen or I would not meet the standards of the writing group. When I joined a small group at a nearby university for a once-a-week six-week workshop, his writing critique was priceless. Thanks to that workshop I produced three articles for publication.
3. Since you want to be published, you are probably a pretty sensitive person, who wants to share what they have learned during life’s journey thus far. Here’s the rub, you have to develop a thick skin to protect yourself from the emotional strain of criticism and rejection. You can’t let it send you into a tailspin or defeat your impulse to be a writer. Always consider the source. Rejections are like pieces of wallpaper. Line your writing area with them. Each signifies that you post yourself or your soul for others to see, read and critique. Take pride in your effort and learn from your feedback.
4. What would you do if an editor told you that his essay for a famous educational magazine was “wise”? Would you crawl under a rock and never let your written words see the light of day again? Well, that’s what a person on the editorial board told me. Sappy, can you imagine that? The board sat around a meeting table and shared what they didn’t like about my story on a blank piece of paper, different handwriting, and different people. How did I get my hands? The lead editor liked my story, but others on her panel didn’t, and she wrote it in a paragraph below the form rejection letter. She asked Me to rewrite the story? No. I’m sure that at the last moment, before sealing the letter, she tossed in the critical paper, proving how much I cared about my story.
5. Never give up!… That night I sat at my desk with a fire in my belly, and I reviewed and reviewed, while addressing each complaint. I wrote with such passion that time flew by and I sent the story in the morning mail. Now I felt that it was a better article. Less than two weeks later, the publisher sent me an acceptance later. About a month later, he called me and said, “We’re going to feature his story on the cover of our magazine.”
6. Never quit your day job. It’s a challenge to make a living as a writer. Writing has always been a calling for me. In my youth I dreamed of writing the next Catcher in the Rye or Where the Sidewalk Ends as an adult. But today I have almost given up on the dream. Eventually, some dreams have to be modified or abandoned. (Our choices define our lives.) I like to believe that anything is possible. However, when it comes to writing and life, I now believe that almost anything is possible. JD Salinger is dead, but he still makes $250,000 a year from his novel about a confused teenager.
7. If you really want to get published, you have to care a lot about your writing. If you read about Salinger’s life, you will discover that he loved the characters in his novels more than his own children. I know it’s hard to believe. However, if you don’t love your characters or ideas, hardly anyone else will. You have to get your readers interested from the very first sentence. That is your sacred work as a writer.
8. What should you write about? You should write about what burns in your mind, what really matters to you. Yes, write about what you know best, but don’t stop there. Write about what you want to know more. To do investigation. Discover new things. Make your trip interesting. Every life experience is a lesson or a gift. She smells the flowers, strokes the dog on the leash, and enjoys the steaming coffee. Then get out of your comfort zone and experience life. That is one of the biggest sources for writing topics. Robert Frost said: “If there is no surprise for the writer, there is no surprise for the reader.”
9. Do I need an agent? If you’re asking yourself that question, you’re probably way ahead of yourself. Is it as difficult to find an agent as it is to find a publisher? Therefore, I would endeavor to find a good publisher. Should you self-publish? I have self-published several times with Amazon. I think it’s a good deal, if you’re in a hurry to get published. Most desktop publishing companies will cost you a lot of money. Amazon is free for e-book publications. However, you’ll need to create a polished book no matter what cause of action you choose. And by all means: correct, correct and correct.
10. What if I want to be a commercial success? That I have to do? If you want to be successful, follow the guidelines that publishers set out to the letter for their manuscripts. You can find them online or in the Writer’s Market books each year. The two best books on writing are On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Be sure to read both. (Don’t be fooled by the last title.) Good luck on your trip.