How to Write Mid List Fiction # 2

I am being unfair to Rusch. She is talking about how to become a mid list genre writer, and her rules are for people who want a living from writing.

She is warning aspiring genre writers about getting obsessed with style. Mostly -- I think it's fair to say -- genre fiction is about the story line, which is often stereotyped. This kind of fiction is about the pleasure of reading a familiar story. Even though it's familiar, the story matters; and this means language should not get in the way.

As a rule, the reader of genre fiction -- space opera, mystery, romance -- is reading for character and plot. She does not want to keep tripping over the style.

There is science fiction that plays all kinds of games with style. Think of J.G. Ballard. And there is fantasy that uses lush language. Think of Gene Wolfe. But Rusch isn't talking about this kind of writer.

For the most part, commercial writers make their living through volume. As I mentioned, Rusch can write 4 to 6 novels a year. This means fast writing is essential, and revising becomes a problem, if it interferes with production.

I guess I am bothered by Rusch, because I write slowly. I feel defensive reading her, because she doesn't seem to allow any space for the kind of writer I am.

Why do I write slowly?

I'm a slow person. So far today, I have exercised, done a load of wash and a bit of other house work, read facebook and three blogs, and written these two posts. That has taken almost seven hours, most of it spent writing and revising. I need to think things through, write them down, then decide if I've said what I wanted to say. Some stories flow out. Those are the magical ones, that seem to come from a muse. In a lot of fiction, I'm feeling my way line by line. I stall and have to stop for a day or a month or more. I stopped for years between the first and second halves of A Woman of the Iron People and wrote an entire other novel.

This way of writing -- the slowness and the stops -- does not a commercial writer make. I knew from the the start I was not likely to make a living from writing, and I didn't want to rely on writing. I wanted to be able to walk away from a deal if I didn't like it. I did this once, when a publisher wanted changes to the politics of a novel.

Some of what Rusch says I really agree with. You need to know the business aspects of writing. No one is going to take care of you, and there are many ways to screw up or be screwed over.

I think her advice to aspiring commercial writers is probably good, though I don't know enough to be sure.

But I think there is room for someone who writes the way I do. For me, it seems that the slow and thoughtful method works; and feeling your way through a story line by line can lead to interesting and unexpected places.