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On Becoming a Writer

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Posthuman666, Jul 29, 2015.

  1. Posthuman666

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    Greetings!

    I have always loved writing and now I really want to write my own short stories, and maybe even a novel. I am rather good at writing, at least I like to think so. I started working on a book/story based on hallucinations Ive had...... :confused: but now I want to write some kind of dark fantasy.

    Essentially, writers, novelists, what are your secrets! Are there any tips someone just starting out should know? Ive done some research, but I want to know what the queer writers have to say :lol:
     
  2. Simple Thoughts

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    Hmm...

    my brother actually wrote a book and sent it to a publisher but got rejected. I told him he needed to send it to more publishers and not just give up, but he doesn't listen ;_;

    It depends.

    If you want to self publish than I'd recommend you build an online audience. Start a facebook page, twitter account, tumblr w/e, ect...maybe even a youtube channel and just build yourself a small reliable audience and get people interested in what you have to say.


    If you're looking to go in through a publisher you have a few options.

    You can submit short stories to magazines, and other places and have them featured to build a sorta resume for yourself, or...you can just cross your fingers and send a book to ever publisher out there and hope it all works out.


    The most important thing is you don't get discouraged and you don't stop writing. Keep your skills honed and never give up on your dreams :slight_smile:
     
  3. Gen

    Gen
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    Write:

    Obviously, this step comes first. My recommendation is to make detail plans about the project. It doesn't mean that you can't leave certain things to be discovered further down the road. Some writers prefer to leave some things open until they reach the end of the story, but at least get a general sense of the story and plot. Often times what happens to new writers attempt to write without thinking things out is that nothing about the world or plot make sense until the last quarter of the story because the writer themselves doesn't even completely understand it early on.

    If nothing else, never start a story without knowing what happened before the story takes place. The backstories of characters is what shapes them into who they are in the story. You can tweak the plot during revisions, but attempting to make the personalities and actions of characters make sense with the backstory that you didn't think up until page 345 is a recipe for inconsistency.

    Most people don't have issues thinking of plotlines. Just make sure to view the story from all perspectives. You don't want to end up with an antagonist who doesn't appear to have a purpose in life aside from messing things up for the main character. You also don't want to end up with side characters who have the blind-follower mentality. They need to exist for reasons other than assisting the main character.

    Develop Your Own Language:

    Especially when it comes to writers with very descriptive and eloquent writing, the words are not going to pour out fluidly all of the time. Don't simply throw sentences and words in the text to power through the sentences that are not coming to you. Developing a drafting language make the editing process far more smooth. Here are some examples that I use:

    Learn Your Pattern:

    Some people write better in the morning. Some at nights. Some don't have preferences. I do not require a specific setting in order to write, but at minimum I force myself to write every night before bed. The benefit of writing before bed is that the only distraction is the desire to go to sleep rather than the desire to get up and do something else. There are much fewer distraction when you are sitting in a silent room under the covers.

    Self-Editing:

    There aren't that many tips that one can give on editing and revising. It could be a very painless process or it could be absolute hell. It will completely vary from writer to writer. Just try your best to make it the best manuscript possible.

    Publishing:

    There is an endless amount of information about traditional publishing, self-publishing, etc, all around the internet. I would strongly recommend attempting traditional publishing for novels. It is simply the best option. Short stories, poetry, novellas, etc, is a different story. Truthfully, the sales for those forms of writing are often very low and unrewarding on a financial level. Take this research extremely seriously. Thoroughly research any agent before submitting anything to them.

    ~~~​

    Those are very general tips. I could ramble about this subject all day, so if you have any specific topics or questions than feel free to through them out there.

    Did he submit directly to the publisher? Unless you submit to very small publishers submitting as a writer will often lead to automatic rejection. With the exception of writers who self-publish, submitting to an agent and then having them negotiate to publishes is the norm these days.
     
  4. wisefolly

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    Write! Then write some more. Good or bad, get it out of your head and onto paper or digital bits.
    Read! Read everything. Then read some more. Read who you like. Read who you don't like. Learn from both.
    Re-write! And re-write and re-write. And re-write. The best writing you'll ever read didn't happen on a first or second or third draft.
    Don't give up!
    Have fun!

    Edit: I feel my words pale in comparison to Gen's thorough advice, which I didn't see until I hit the post reply button. Well done!
     
    #4 wisefolly, Jul 29, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 29, 2015
  5. queermeerkat

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    Write about something that interests you deeply. I like writing dark things too. Sometimes I'll take a question like "What is my biggest fear and why is it there?" and then sit in my room with my eyes closed and force myself to dig into my fears, imagine them, describe them, then write it before I forget what happened.

    I usually find inspiration like that, I construct one or two sentences, then focus on it until my mind finds a bit of artistic potential, then I write as long as I can, once I run through the first thing I grabbed onto I take the line wherever I can think of, write until I hit a spot where I'm just like "ah, this works." Then I go through later and edit the entire thing to make it as clear, fancy and concise as my mind had pictured it.
     
  6. Argentwing

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    Writing is sort of like riding a bike. Not in the sense that the more you do it, the better you get until it's automatic (although that's true of most anything) but that when you first start a project, you feel full of energy and can pump your creative pedals with great enthusiasm. The trick to being a great writer as opposed to just a good one is the ability to maintain a certain pace, because you can't coast on that initial speed boost forever. Skills like outlining help a lot, but I firmly believe the key to writing anything longer than a one-page poem is persistence. Power through the periods where you feel like taking a break. I struggle with this SOOO much. It's gotten to the point where I'm tired of telling people I'm making progress on my novel, because it's been like two and a half years and I'm probably not even halfway through. I want to be done, but there's a lot of work yet.

    I've seen the advice elsewhere to set yourself a "minimum words for the day" goal. Some set it high. If you're as bad as me, you might have to make it as low as like 100. But slog through regardless and fix the roughness in revisions. It's easier to see areas for improvement in plot, flow, and word choice when reading than pounding out the first draft.

    Creative writing is art, and art is hard work that you can be immensely proud of when it's done. X.X
     
  7. randomconnorcon

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    Write. Write. Write. And do not give up after the first hurdle. Just don't. Writing sucks the fist time and maybe even the second time. So you gotta power through. Write what comes into your head, get it down, following the outline you have. It doesn't need to be perfect in the first draft, that's what editing is for.

    Make an outline. Outlines are your friend. They don't have to be detailed, you don't have to know everything. But you need the back stories of your characters, the drive they have to do what they're doing in your book, and you need the important details. The little things, you can write as you go. But know the big things, have a beginning, middle and end before you start.

    Enjoy it. Writing sucks if you don't enjoy it. I'm a creative writing student, about to start my third year, I've had to force myself to write a couple of things. They weren't as good as the ones I enjoyed. I'm just now getting back into writing my own stories again because I was so stressed over school and my personal life that I had a panic attack and everything sucked. I don't write when things are bad because I don't enjoy it. That's okay. Everyone has their own pace. But if can, try to write at least a little every day. It's hard to get back into it if you stop, I used to write every day. I've finished 80-100k novels. Now I can't finish a chapter.

    Write whatever the hell you want. If it's dark, don't try and tone it done for potential readers. Well, as long as it's all constructive to the plot. In my opinion, the darker the better. My stories get very dark and very gay, I have no inbetween - it's fucking glorious. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: If you write dark stuff, you have a fan here already.

    Find critique partners. This isn't a stage you have to fill straight away, but while writing find a couple of people you trust to read your first draft, chaper by chapter if you want or the whole thing at the end. They should be supportive, but also honest because editing is important and we can't do it all ourselves. We, as writers, can grow too attached to our work without meaning to, we might not know what to scrap or change and we might not want to. These stories are our babies, our words, we love what we have even if it sucks. So we need others to be more objective, to go through it with a red pen and a fine tooth comb to tell us what works and what needs to be modified or scrapped completely (with a reason why). Often we agree in the end, if their reasoning is sound. But sometimes, especially if the book is a series and there's foreshadowing for the sequel, we can disagree and keep things. If things have a reason to be there, explain it to them either in depth or briefly if you do or do not want them to know everything. Also different people see different things, so find at least two critique partners.

    Finally, if you come to the stage where you send it to an agent or a small publisher, don't be disheartened by the wait. I sent ten pages of my first manuscript to a small publisher during my first year of university; it took six months for them to email back asking for the whole novel and that was almost a year ago. I'll let you know how that goes. You just need to remember that you're not the only writer sending them work and that they won't see yours straight away, but no news might be good news so don't lose hope. But also be a realist. This is a really hard business to be in, so if you are rejected then be sad about it, but then pick yourself up and go through the process again. You learn more as you go.

    Oh. And don't write if you want to be rich or famous. The time of big advances is all but over, most writers don't become the next Stephen King or JK Rowling. If you go in with that thought, you'll quit soon after.

    Good luck! Please don't hesitate to message me if you wanna talk about writing, especially dark and/or queer stories. I love talking to other writers. :slight_smile:
     
    #7 randomconnorcon, Jul 30, 2015
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2015
  8. Gen

    Gen
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    I disagree.

    I am truly disagreeing with the sentiment behind giving this advice because we hear it all the time, but there is definitely this sentiment about artists and writers that we aren't supposed to aspire to be very successful. We should definitely choose to write because that is what we love, but it doesn't mean we can't simultaneously aspire to be widely read or be successful enough to live comfortably. This is also not a sentiment that is placed on people of almost all other careers. It is expected that actors, directors, singer, etc, will be ambitious. Writers, however, must be these beings who have no needs or aspirations out side of writing the manuscript and I believe that is something that we've been told to believe for far too long.

    It is because I have spend years pouring into my work that I wish to be a bestseller. The project that I am currently working on is young adult and there is a ton of social commentary. Of course, I want as many young people as possible to read it and get them thinking about the world around them. Of course, I want to not have to worry about financial burdens. Of course, I would rather not have to work full time jobs alongside keeping up with deadlines. Of course, at some point I would like to be able to help my relatives financially. J.K. Rowling, specifically, woke up and decided that she was going to start a non-profit organizations. I am very passionate about the non-profit sector, but without funds or influence then you have next to nothing.

    If you want to go far with your work, then don't be afraid to be an ambitious writer. There is no way to be certain how things will turn out, but there is no way to be certain how any career will turn out. If you have spent months to years slaving over a story, then you have earned the right to hope that it reaches as many heights as possible.
     
  9. randomconnorcon

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    Aspire to be successful, yes. Pour your heart and soul into writing and find success, because it can be done. I want that as much as any other. I never said anything about not aspiring to be the best writer you can be. I'm just saying don't go straight into writing with the idea that publishing a book will make you rich and famous. That's not an easy thing anymore, there's more writers and less money and if money is all a person wants, being a writer may not be the best career goal. Aspire to be successful, but also write because you love it.
     
  10. Gen

    Gen
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    I completely agree with being realistic. It was the first sentence that I was responding to, which could have just been a matter of how it was phrased. You might have been speaking about only seeking success when choosing to write, but there are many who take that sentiment much further.

    With that being said, I will say that the fact that there are more writers does not necessarily equate a lesser likelihood of success. Book sales have never been higher in history. Social media has revolutionized advertising. Competition means that it is hard to take number one spots, but the increase of circulation of books means that there are tons of highly successful writers in the modern era and the amount of writers who can be successful will only increase as the publishing industry and worldwide access to literature increases.

    There are far more published works that flop these days because getting published isn't nearly as difficult as it was in the past. You can get published in a day if you truly wanted to. Many people choose to go with small publishers and self-publish rather than going through the process of getting an agent and holding out for respected publishing companies. If you put forth quality work, do your research, and jump through the extra hops to receive a contract with a publisher than has the manpower to turn a book into a bestseller than making a career out of writing is easier than it has ever been. It only appears to be more difficult because we have people such as Rowling and Martin who set the bar on wealth and recognition so high.

    Becoming a successful writer is no different than starting a successful business. Most people do fail, but not because it is not a viable career venture. Most people fail because the responsibility is entirely on us to research, plan, and execute accordingly.
     
  11. Leifa

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    I write from the heart. Use your emotions and experiences. For short stories that is, honestly, my best advice.

    Get your ideas down first, use your style but don't go searching for perfect wording description etc... Fix it up with editing. Just get the raw ideas on paper. It won't be perfect first go most of the time.

    For novels I have a harder time, the only completed novel I wrote was a "fanfic". I have multiple novel lengths stories in various stages of starting but to write something so long requires more structure. Write your ideas down in bullet points and do it in sections.
    Novels are hard!

    My major is literature and writing. I am currently out of college because of money issues but I'm gonna go back to finish it. About six years ago before life intervened I had a pretty big following on DeviantArt. I'm thinking of starting a new account or looking for a new site/blog for literature and get back into the scene. I have one published poem in a crappy collection under my birth name...

    Writing is amazing. I love story telling. Good luck.
     
    #11 Leifa, Jul 30, 2015
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2015
  12. Simple Thoughts

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    I don't think it was a big publisher really, and he didn't go through an agent. I don't think he liked the idea of having an agent since they'd want some kinda chunk of his money or w/e and unless you write twilight there isn't that much of it in the first place.
     
  13. Leifa

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    So *bump* Got a question for everybody! Anyone know of a good site for sharing stories and poetry? I've looked at a few like writers cafe but I don't like the terms of service for use of your work...
     
  14. randomconnorcon

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    Currently I use a site called Movellas. It has both fanfiction and original fiction. I ignore the fanfiction because I lot of it seems to be One Direction, but they have good original stories on there and they do all kinds of contests, some of which can offer you a chance at being published. I'm always on the look out for other places, though, and I'm thinking of using a wordpress blog.

    I don't like wattpad, I've heard to many stories about plagerism.
     
  15. Leifa

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    I'll check out those two thank you. I'm not sure if I want to get back into DeviantArt. It seems way different then it was 5 years ago which is why I'm looking for something new.
     
  16. Michael

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    Try Nanowrimo.
     
  17. Argentwing

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    Regarding writing with the desire to become rich and famous-- why not keep the possibility in your head? If you think you have a really awesome idea and the chops to execute it, all the more motivation to do it. How surreal would it be if you actually get picked up by a publisher and make money with your work? I don't care if I make a quarter or several million dollars (although the latter is nice) the thought of commercial success is a major driver for me as well.
     
  18. thepandaboss

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    I'm a freelance writer. I don't have any of my own books published (but definitely will one day) and I've got a few things published online (reviews, opinion pieces, blogs, advitorials, etc).

    If you want to make a career writing, doing some freelance writing may be a great way to help you build up some credentials and an audience. The big thing about selling novels now is marketing and it's been this way for years.

    But that being said, writing itself is an art (unless it's advertorials and corporate blogs- that's just vomiting words on Xanax). Practice is the best tool you have. Write every day, no matter what genre or topic.

    Also, a key to getting your foot in the foot with a publisher or magazine? Knowing how to talk to people. A well-written cover letter is often the difference between getting rejected and getting accepted. Be courteous to your editors, any readers, fellow writers etc. Even if you're a "small name", good reputations can proceed you.