I’ve been writing for a LONG time and in that time I’ve come across a fellow scribe or two. Some of them are the serious kind, willing to invest the time, discipline and energy in achieving their writing goals. Others are the deluded kind, which think writing a book will bring them fame and fortune (well, it CAN ... just not right away and only if you do it right).

These are the kinds of writers that, crazy as it may sound, I want to educate a little. Sure, they’re probably so caught up in their fantasies of what it’s like to be an Author or a Published Writer that no amount of reality checks will snap them out of it. But for all intents and purposes, I feel a little Writing Life Reality 101 is called for.

WRITING WILL NOT MAKE YOU RICH.

Sure, there’s a couple of writing jobs out there to help you earn a decent living, but the long and short of it is that being a writer doesn’t mean you’ll be a millionaire, too. And just because you get a novel or book published, it won’t automatically shoot you to the bestseller list or bring in a multi-million-dollar contract. (Well, if you’re the best damn writer signed up with a legit agent and you get a book deal with a big publisher like Random House or Bantam, that could happen.) (Or if you’re a celebrity.) I know of a few multi-book novelists and authors who still keep their day job. And there are some writers who, like me, have numerous clips but still hope for the day that “Big Check” or “Big Contract” comes in. (For the record, not every freelance writer is able to make a thousand or two with every article they write.)

WRITING TAKES DISCIPLINE.

The only way to be a good writer is to write every day. Period. You have to exercise your skill with words. Writing is like a muscle: Unused, it is useless. You have to take the time to write every day or as much as possible. I’ve been writing stories since a teenager and I’ve written four novels (one of which is published, another of which is at a publisher). I know I wouldn’t be able to write the way I do today if it weren’t for all that time I put in to PRACTICE WRITING. You can’t write just one book, take it through something like Publish America then call yourself a writer if you haven’t written another word since. Sure, you can call yourself an author, but that’s just about it. And you won’t write a better book next time around if you don’t PRACTICE your writing.

CRITICS ARE NOT THE ENEMY.

OK, so you’ve written something. You think it’s wonderful, perfect, worthy of a Pulitzer Prize. Then you show it to a friend who is also a writer and what do they do? Rain on your parade. The story has too many loopholes, the characters are flat, the plot’s too unbelievable and the writing could use a little fixing. Darn. Might as well toss the thing and take up knitting instead. Right? Wrong. Criticism may hurt but, if it’s offered constructively and in a helpful way, it might be a good idea to pay attention to what’s being pointed out. Who wants to read a story riddled with loopholes? Or something poorly written? (I have tossed many novels because of poor writing. It’s amazing how much bad writing can get published. Anyway!) Pay attention to the meat of the criticism. Don’t take it personally; this reader is trying to help you write a great story. It might be aggravating having to rewrite/revise your story after you’ve spent all this time writing it and you want to be DONE with it. But believe me, that extra effort to fine-tune your work and correct things no good novel should have are well worth it in the end. Look at it this way: The difference between a poorly-written novel and a revised one is the same as the difference between an unknown writer and a thriving one. On the same note, always remember...

REJECTION HAPPENS.

If your novel gets rejected, DON’T GIVE UP! Even if they only read half of it or ask for the whole thing then reject it, do not give up on your desire to become a novelist. Finding a home for your novel is hard work. Well, it’s hard work for both the novel and the nonfiction book. (WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT TAKE IT THROUGH PUBLISH AMERICA OR SOME KIND OF VANITY OUTFIT WITHOUT FIRST SENDING IT TO A REPUTABLE PRESS!) There are a number of reasons why your book can get rejected and, yes, a lot of the times, it can be because the reader-in-charge just didn’t LIKE it. (It happens – you can’t please everybody.) Lots of writers know the story of the unknown writer making their break with a publisher straight out the door but other writers, such as Frank Herbert and Theodor Giesel (Dr. Seuss), had to face rejection before they finally got their books published. It’s rare that a book will be accepted with the first publisher you submit it to, but that doesn’t mean you should give up if this doesn’t happen. Keep trying and keep submitting. Perhaps the publisher has more previous contracts with authors than they do for new ones, perhaps they’re shutting down, perhaps it’s not the right publisher or maybe they feel the book needs more work than they’re willing to have the patience for. It can be any number of reasons. One or more reasons. If you get rejected, submit again. And again. Repeat until you find yourself a publisher. (And, if all else fails, there’s always POD or self-publishing.)

BEING ABLE TO WRITE DOESN”T MAKE YOU AN EXPERT ON WRITING.

Just because you can write something – a book, short story, poem or essay – it doesn’t make you an expert on writing that particular thing. There are so many writers out there still learning things. And with technological advances and more demanding readers, there’s quite a bit to be learned about being a writer. Don’t ever think that because you can write, you don’t need to read any magazines like WRITER’S DIGEST or a book like Robert McKee’s STORY (which is an excellent book, by the way). There is always something new to learn and other writers out there, especially the ones in the genre you want to write for, have something specific or interesting to tell you. Pay attention to books, magazines, newsletters and E-zines that are for writers. If you’re serious about being a good writer, reading about writing can be well worth your time.

COPYRIGHT 2005 BY DAWN COLCLASURE