A dear, young friend of mine shared with me her goal of writing a fiction novel for National Novel Writing Month. I am so proud of her and of course, flattered that she asked me for advice on publishing and how to make her fiction strong. Here is my absolute best advice for a young author.
- You are a writer. It took me a long time to admit to myself and others that I was a writer. I thought I wasn’t really a writer because I wasn’t a published author yet or because the work I did at the time was commissioned pieces for other people not words from my own heart. But I realize now that this is a lie. I was always a writer. From the time I started my first journal in grade school, I was a writer. As a teenager, I wrote all the time. I wrote poetry and prose, and it was art. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not a writer, not even yourself.
- Be grateful for your support system. Don’t listen to anyone who might discourage you. They’re wrong. Because they don’t understand you, they take out their own insecurities or doubts on you. Whether it was my siblings teasing me or teachers who didn’t support me, I internalized their criticism and didn’t grow as I could have. Seek out people who will support you. Find others who are interested in writing. They will be your people. They will help you become a better writer. At the same time, don’t lose friends because they don’t get it. People can be supportive in other ways, even if they’re not readers. Don’t be hurt because someone doesn’t read your book. Some of my closest friends haven’t read mine but they may be supportive in other ways. Keep people who are positive and encouraging in your life. Limit how much time you spend with negative people.
- Write from your heart. You are not writing for sales, for the people who support you, for your family, or friends. You are writing because you are a writer! You must write. If you don’t give in to your form of art, you won’t be who you are. If you write, you will be happier, proud of what you accomplish, and continue to grow and improve.
- Brainstorm and outline. Yes, sometimes the words flow beautifully on to the page or screen. They come fast and easily. In a few moments, you have a poem, song, or scene. But to write something great, you must have a process. Brainstorm or free-write whatever comes to mind. Then organize your ideas in a logical order. Now you have an outline to keep you on task. Flesh out each scene or chapter in your outline. I promise this will save you so much time. You won’t waste time on sections that won’t fit into your finished book and you won’t skip important areas. Along those lines, always start at the beginning. I like to start at step two, but we can’t expect everyone else to know where we are. A great storyteller takes the slowest readers on a journey with them, the best authors hold their hand and lead them along, showing them the story.
- Stop writing when your book is 90% finished. The last 10% is the hardest. It’s the details, the editing, the filling in of the gaps, and checking for continuity that gets tough. When an author reads their own work, they read what they think they wrote and not what they actually wrote. The story that is living in your head doesn’t fully make it on the page. It’s easy to waste time struggling with choosing the right word or tweaking a scene. Don’t edit so much that you never finish the book. The manuscript for my first book sat on my computer for months because I couldn’t figure out how to get it from 90% to 99%. (Of course, I wanted it 100% but if I waited for perfection it still wouldn’t be published.) At 90% turn it over to your beta readers. They’ll help you get it to 99% in no time!
- Edit ruthlessly. A simple, short book is better than a long, flowery one no one finishes. This is truer in nonfiction than it is fiction. (I write this as my second book is growing too long for its own good. I will go back and cut whatever isn’t necessary.) What isn’t necessary?
- Adverbs. Many words that end in “ly” are unnecessary. Find a more direct verb. Instead of “She walked quietly and cautiously across the shiny marble floor.” You can say, “She tiptoed…”
- Cut ideas, themes, or pieces that you introduce but never flesh out. They aren’t’ worth mentioning if they aren’t a complete thought.
- Words to watch for: one of, some, thing, very, that, just, then
- Cliché. If it’s been said before, it doesn’t have any value. Use fresh metaphors and similes.
- Never give up! It doesn’t matter if you never become a published author. It’s ok if that isn’t your goal. Writing can be a source of income, therapy, a hobby, or all of them. It’s your art. You get to choose what to do with it.
Happy Writing!
