The One True and Only Way -- To Become Published (Part 1)

When I was a member of the Horror Writers Association, the Actives on the discussion board promoted a method of writing that nearly all swore was the best way to be published. I don't remember all the details, though the ones that stand out are: do not use adverbs; know how the story will end before you start writing; and don't make excuses, just put your butt in that chair, start writing, and don't stop until the story is finished.

Now, there's nothing particularly wrong with that method; in fact, I follow most of its rules myself, but I don't agree with all of them, and in fact the three I mentioned above are the ones I disagree with the most. Which is probably why I remember them. The admonition against adverbs (and speech qualifiers other than "said", "replied", and the occasional "whispered") is understandable. Many writers use them as crutches to avoid showing rather than telling. However, the complete elimination of one-third of the English language for so minor a reason seems like overkill. I prefer to follow Ramsey Campbell's advice and use them when they can convey crucial information, as in "I hate you!" she said laughingly.

Likewise, it is certainly true that many writers are unable to finish their stories because they cannot figure out how to end them, but it is by no means certain that this is the primary reason. I've often found that, if I start a story without knowing how it will end, an ending comes to me in time, usually one that emerges from the evolving story. If instead I waited until I had an ending I might never start the story in the first place.

It's the last rule that I have the most problem with, and that's the point of this little tirade.

Before I get into that, however, what really bothered me about their promotion of this method was their insistence that it was the ONLY way to get professionally published. I remember debates between the Actives and the Affiliates on this issue, and whenever the latter claimed that there might be other viable methods, the former invariably responded with some variation of the following:

"We know this method works because we've all become professional writers using it. If you think you have another, prove it by becoming a professional, and then use it to show others how to become professionals as well."

Implied was the belief that no one who uses that other method will become professionals (which they defined as becoming Active members of the HWA). In fact, this insistence that there was only one true way to write was reinforced shortly before I left the HWA when it was announced on the board that they were considering a change in posting rules: that no one could post writing advice unless it was based on the One True Method and had been pre-approved. I don't know if they ever put that change into operation, but it indicates just how wedded they were to that one particular method.

To be continued next Saturday.