Tora Moon
You have a dream of becoming an author. Stories whisper to you in the night and pull on your soul during the day. How do you turn this longing to write and tell stories into reality?
The best advice I can give to anyone who wants to become a fiction author, is to do two things: a) read, and b) write, in that order.
Read voraciously in the genre and its subgenres that you want to write in. I don’t mean three or four books, I mean thirty to sixty, or more, books, before you even start to put pen to paper or fingers on keyboard. Doing this will give your subconscious time to learn the tropes found within the genre, the flow and structure of story, what makes a good story, and what touches you, and what you like and don’t like within that genre.
Every genre has tropes or common themes that readers expect to find in that genre. Romance tropes are so specific, they are formulaic, and if you don’t follow the formula, readers won’t finish reading your story and will trash it to other romance readers. Fantasy usually follows the hero’s journey and has magic or magical people and/or creatures. Science fiction stories are explorations into the future, and depending if it’s hard or soft science fiction, it includes speculation on technology. If it’s hard science fiction, readers expect details on the science, backed by current scientific data. The best way to find these tropes is to read many books written in the genre.
Good stories, no matter the genre, follows a certain structure. There’s a beginning, where the inciting incident occurs that has the potential to change the main character’s life forever. There is the middle, where the main character, the protagonist, is given opportunities to change, where they are challenged to grow, and where they must make the decision to continue as they have been, or to change. There has to be conflict and an antagonist, who pushes the protagonist. Then comes the ultimate clash, the climax of the story, when the problem is solved, the couple falls in love if it’s a romance, or the big battle takes place. But the story doesn’t end here, there has to be an ending, a denouement that ties up all the loose ends in the story and brings it to a satisfying conclusion. If it’s a story in a series, then this is where the introduction to the next story takes place, a new inciting incident, a new challenge or mystery for the character to solve. Reading helps teach you this structure and how it flows it the genre you want to write in.
Besides reading stories in your chosen genre(s), read technical books about writing. Read books about story structure, writing dialogue, writing action scenes, writing emotions, and the list goes on. This is where you start writing. Do the exercises suggested in the books to give you practice on putting your thoughts on paper.
Then begin to write. Write short stories, story snippets, and even keep a personal journal. It is said you need to write a million words before you write anything good. Use these beginning stories to learn your craft, and writing is a craft, a skill that you can learn, improve, and master. These early drafts will never be seen by anyone other than yourself.
And keep writing. Keep putting your butt in the chair, your fingers on the keyboard, and pouring out the words onto the page. It may take years before you’re at the skill level to publicly share your work, and publish it. I started writing stories as a child. I started my first novel at eighteen, and continued to write on and off until I finally finished a novel, then two, then more.
If becoming an author is your dream, don’t let anyone or anything keep you from it. It seems for us fiction writers, it is a calling, something we must do. The stories batter at our souls, urging us to let them out. Don’t let those who don’t feel this call stop you from writing. Keep writing, keep reading, and one day, you’ll reach your dream, as I have, and be able to say, “I am an author!”
The best advice I can give to anyone who wants to become a fiction author, is to do two things: a) read, and b) write, in that order.
Read voraciously in the genre and its subgenres that you want to write in. I don’t mean three or four books, I mean thirty to sixty, or more, books, before you even start to put pen to paper or fingers on keyboard. Doing this will give your subconscious time to learn the tropes found within the genre, the flow and structure of story, what makes a good story, and what touches you, and what you like and don’t like within that genre.
Every genre has tropes or common themes that readers expect to find in that genre. Romance tropes are so specific, they are formulaic, and if you don’t follow the formula, readers won’t finish reading your story and will trash it to other romance readers. Fantasy usually follows the hero’s journey and has magic or magical people and/or creatures. Science fiction stories are explorations into the future, and depending if it’s hard or soft science fiction, it includes speculation on technology. If it’s hard science fiction, readers expect details on the science, backed by current scientific data. The best way to find these tropes is to read many books written in the genre.
Good stories, no matter the genre, follows a certain structure. There’s a beginning, where the inciting incident occurs that has the potential to change the main character’s life forever. There is the middle, where the main character, the protagonist, is given opportunities to change, where they are challenged to grow, and where they must make the decision to continue as they have been, or to change. There has to be conflict and an antagonist, who pushes the protagonist. Then comes the ultimate clash, the climax of the story, when the problem is solved, the couple falls in love if it’s a romance, or the big battle takes place. But the story doesn’t end here, there has to be an ending, a denouement that ties up all the loose ends in the story and brings it to a satisfying conclusion. If it’s a story in a series, then this is where the introduction to the next story takes place, a new inciting incident, a new challenge or mystery for the character to solve. Reading helps teach you this structure and how it flows it the genre you want to write in.
Besides reading stories in your chosen genre(s), read technical books about writing. Read books about story structure, writing dialogue, writing action scenes, writing emotions, and the list goes on. This is where you start writing. Do the exercises suggested in the books to give you practice on putting your thoughts on paper.
Then begin to write. Write short stories, story snippets, and even keep a personal journal. It is said you need to write a million words before you write anything good. Use these beginning stories to learn your craft, and writing is a craft, a skill that you can learn, improve, and master. These early drafts will never be seen by anyone other than yourself.
And keep writing. Keep putting your butt in the chair, your fingers on the keyboard, and pouring out the words onto the page. It may take years before you’re at the skill level to publicly share your work, and publish it. I started writing stories as a child. I started my first novel at eighteen, and continued to write on and off until I finally finished a novel, then two, then more.
If becoming an author is your dream, don’t let anyone or anything keep you from it. It seems for us fiction writers, it is a calling, something we must do. The stories batter at our souls, urging us to let them out. Don’t let those who don’t feel this call stop you from writing. Keep writing, keep reading, and one day, you’ll reach your dream, as I have, and be able to say, “I am an author!”
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