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SPECULATIVE
FICTION WRITER
PAUL ALLAN COMSTOCK
Speculative Fiction Writer
The Art Of Writing
Walking The Path Of Professional Fiction
Writing
Ok, so you know that writing is something
that's going to take a lot out of your life, but what kinds of things
do you have to do to make it as a professional writer? The sad truth
is, that it takes writing anywhere from half a million to a million
words before most people can write well enough not to look like
amatuers–and that’s the easy part. After that, you have to
write and submit, and write and submit, and write and submit, and...
Well, you get the idea. And that's just to get published. Where most
new published authors fail is in the marketing of their own books, but
I'll get to that later.
Write Consistently
If you’re a writer and reading this, then the best
advice I can give is to write, write, and write. And when you get tired
of writing, and can’t seem to put a single word on the page,
force yourself to write some more. Writing consistently and forcing
yourself to even when you don’t feel like it, is the sign of a
writer who understands that writing is a business. The only way to make
it is through persistence and determination, which are far more
valuable than raw talent.
Since I started writing again in November of 2004, after a
seven year hiatus, I have written at least 1,500 words nearly every
day. I try as hard as I can to write every day, but reality and life
never allows any of us to do so every day. Sometimes, it's best
to give yourself a break for special days and occasions, just don't
make it a habit. This is only fiction writing, and does not include
rewrites, edits, and other writing. I can honestly say, that my writing
has improved tremendously because of this, but it can get even better
with even more practice.
This is just what I do. Every writer has to come up with a
schedule that works for them, since their lives and responsibilities
will be different from mine. But to be realistic, no matter when anyone
writes, whether it is only on the odd days of the week, while riding a
train to and from work, or scribbling during lunch breaks, you will
have to do so consistently. Most authors will suggest writing a set
number of words a day like I do. This will work for most people, but
not everyone. The important thing is to produce the equivilent of 1,000
words a day in new fiction, or around 30,000 words a month. This isn't
my number, but is widely accepted as the amount a professional writer
needs to produce. Anything less, and you just won't ever quite make it
to the professional ranks of today, but you may very well be able to
publish a novel or two.
Read Every day
Along with writing consistently, it's important to read every
day as well. Preferably, at least an hour a day works well. If this is
difficult to work in, then use some creativity to do so. For example,
I've heard of one author who reads stories to his children and wife in
the evenings. Not only does it help him do his reading, but also adds a
good opportunity for family time. Writing can take away some things
from life, but it can add just as many back into it.
Another way to get the equivilent of reading is to listen to
audio books. Audio books are where someone reads the book, and records
it to an audio file. Audio books in this format are also referred to as
podcasts. You can listen to these audio files in the car if you have a
long commute, or even in place of listening to a TV, or radio, or CD
while you're doing other things. There are many ways to get audio
books, and many ways to enjoy them. You can go online and download many
of them for free from the right sites. One such site is audiobooksforfree.com.
Another is escapepod.org. Or
you could go out and buy them. Every good bookstore will have a wide
selection of audio books in a variety of formats. Another way to
purchase audio books, is to go to audible.com,
which has the largest selection of books, and has some discounts and
advantages over your local book stores.
Reading is important for several reasons. It allows a writer
to keep up with the current trends of the markets, and the readership.
It lets them know if their stories fit with what readers want.
Unfortunately, an author can not just write what they want and hope to
continue to publish. There are authors who do so, and sometimes
continue to publish based upon their past core readership, but you have
to really have readers who love you to stick with poorly concieved
writing that a new author wouldn't be able to get published.
Submit What You Write
Besides writing and reading, an author also has to submit
what they write. If all you're doing is writing for yourself, then not
submitting is ok, but don't think it'll make a professional writer out
of you. You have to submit to get published, and more likely than not,
you'll have to face a lot of rejection. Some of it may even be so harsh
as to make you want to quit, but remember, a professional writer never
quits. The professional writer takes the rejection in stride, shrugs,
and immediately sends the story off to another market.
Critique Other People's Writing
The final piece of the puzzle to becoming a professional, in
my opinion, is to critique other peoples work, especially when first
starting out. You can learn as much, if not more, about what you do
right and wrong from other writers and what they do right and wrong
from your point of view. Another thing it will do for you, is teach you
how to critique, and how to deal with other people's critiques. You'll
determine which things to take in stride as problems to consider, and
also what to ignore.
One of the best on-line places to do this is The Critters Writing Workshop,
which is free and a very good source of both new and experienced
writers. A serious writer can submit a new story there about once a
month, and even get chapters and novels critiqued, though I think the
site is much better for short stories. Novels are best left to be
critiqued by someone you trust and know, but won't hide the truth from
you. In exchange, you will be expected to critique, on average, about a
story a week.
Copyright © 2006 by Paul Allan
Comstock. All Rights Reserved
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