Where to Start?
Last week I wrote about things a new writer – in this case defined as someone who had a novel finished or nearly finished and was wondering about what to do next – might want to know.
Living Creatively
The following question came to me via e-mail: “I really liked what you wrote but, what is your advice for someone who is serious about writing professionally, but doesn’t know quite where to start? Should I take courses on writing? How about workshops?”
I thought I’d offer an answer here, since even those writers who are beyond this point might know someone who would benefit. In fact, the more I think about it, how to become a writer is a question most writers get asked a lot.
Q: What is your advice for someone who is serious about writing professionally, but doesn’t quite know where to start?
A: First make sure you really like to write – not just like the idea of having written. It’s much easier to talk about your great story idea than it is to actually get the idea down on the page.
Next, consider what you’re going to do to make a living until you start making enough money to give up your “day job.” I strongly recommend not taking up a profession that involves a lot of writing – even if writing is what you’re best at.
My experience – and I’ve heard this from other writers as well – is that each person has only a certain amount of writing in them on any given day. If you use that all up in your day job, then you’re not going to have it when you come home in the evening and want to work on your novel. Even the difference between writing non-fiction and fiction is sometimes not enough to stop your brain and creativity from drying up.
Q: Should I take courses on writing?
A: Certainly you should take courses if you wish. Just don’t major in creative writing!
Alternately, if you already have a career path, don’t fool yourself into believing that taking courses on creative writing will suddenly make you publishable. In my experience, the only thing that numerous courses on creative writing – especially the type taught at most colleges – are good for is to give you the credentials to teach other people about creative writing.
Yes. A course or two can be useful, if for no other reason than that, if you take them seriously, they’re going to teach you about writing to a deadline (always useful for a professional) and how to structure your day so that you make time to write. However, writing – a lot of writing – is what you need to do to refine your skills so that you can become a “pro.”
Q: What about workshops?
A: Workshops can be very useful. Many workshops address “genre” or “popular” fiction – a topic that is, sadly, anathema in many college courses. Therefore, if you’re interested in writing mysteries or romance or science fiction or fantasy or thrillers or any other of the many forms of popular fiction, writing workshops may be of greater use to you than college courses.
There are workshops specifically focused on specific genres. However, even workshops that aren’t as tightly focused will offer lectures on subjects such as narrative hooks, researching, characterization, and keeping the plot moving – all of which you can apply to your own writing.
Writing workshops also often include lectures on the business side of writing. This can be very valuable, even if all you learn at first is the vocabulary of the trade. (You’d be amazed at how many would-be writers I’ve met who don’t know the difference between a publisher and an editor, an agent and a publicist.) Especially during the more intensive workshops, you will have the opportunity to network, thereby making contacts with writers and other professionals that may be valuable for years to come.
Since writer’s workshops can be expensive, both in time (some run several weeks) and in money, research your potential options before signing up. Take a look at the schedule before attending and map out those lectures you want to attend.
Some workshops offer an opportunity for attendees to sign up for a short interview with an agent or editor. I wouldn’t recommend attending a workshop in the hopes that this will be your big break. However, such pitch sessions are something you’ll rarely find as part of a college course.
Q: If I shouldn’t major – or take lots of courses – about writing, then what should I do to prepare myself to be a professional writer?
A: First, train for a day job that you’ll either like or that at least won’t drain away your creative energy while you work on your writing. Even better, consider a job that will stimulate your creativity. Just in sampling our New Mexico writers, I know an environmental engineer, a physicist, several lawyers, a couple journalists, myriad computer geeks, a doctor, and a couple of teachers. All of them have, at one time or another, drawn on their professions in their fiction.
Second, consider taking a course or two on subjects like contracts and accounting. Yes. I’m serious.
From the minute you sell your first story – even a short story for half a cent a word – you’re going to be signing contracts. At the beginning of their career, many writers don’t have an agent to advise them on what to sign and what not to sign, so it’s a good idea to be familiar with the basic form of contracts. Did you know you’re not required to accept everything in a contract? However, knowing what is negotiable and what in non-negotiable will be a matter of learning your profession.
Why take courses in accounting? First, you’re going to need to declare any income you make from writing. That means no more EZ tax forms. If you’re going to itemize your deductions, you’ll need to file various additional forms. It also helps to know what you can deduct and under what circumstances. Yes. You can pay an accountant to prepare your tax forms. (I do.) However, you’re still required to supply the accountant with the basic information. Since most accountants charge based upon the time they need to do the job, the better prepared you are in advance, the more money you’ll save.
Many people think the life of a writer is filled with creativity and imagination. It is. However, if you want to sell what you write you need to accept that writing is also a business and educate yourself accordingly. I’ve known a couple of writers who didn’t bother to do so and they’re paying the piper for their ignorance, either in lost rights or in cold, hard cash.
Q: That’s a lot to think about. Anything else?
A: Yes. Although courses and workshops may help you, the only way to become a professional writer is to write, to submit what you write, and to keep doing so until you finally “make it.” (See last week if you want my views on the self-publishing option.)
Recognize that writing as a career – rather than as an art or hobby – involves more than knowing how to tell a good tale. I promise, you won’t regret it!
