A lot of beginning writers ask where they should start in the writing game. How do you go from wanting to write to actually writing? There is tons of advice out there, but really, the process is simple, it’s the execution that’s hard. Therefore, I wanted to go into the boilerplate advice I offer in hopes that it helps those willing to put in the hard work.
My advice is fourfold: Read a lot, write a lot, have realistic expectations and don’t give up. All of them are important and that’s why I’ll be dedicating a separate post to each coming up. However, I think it’s important to understand the overall philosophy of writing as that really tells you a lot about why you should pay attention to these things.
The simple reality is, a lot of people who get this advice, they don’t want to take it. They aren’t looking for actual answers, they want shortcuts. I have to be the one to tell them that there are none. Learning to write well is a very long, involved process that takes years of hard work and dedication to achieve, something most people simply do not have. You are not going to decide that you want to be a writer one day and wake up the next an expert. It doesn’t work that way, no matter how much you wish that it did.
It took me more than 40 years from the time I finished my first book to today and I’m still learning every single day. If that’s not the kind of time and dedication that you’re willing to put in, then stop now before you waste a lot of time and just get frustrated. That isn’t to say that it’s going to take you half of your life to get anywhere. It might and it might not, depending on how hard you work, but it does explain why the average age for anyone to publish anything for the first time is 36. This is not a quick process. It wasn’t for me and it almost certainly won’t be for you.
Stephen King had written three novels and numerous short stories before he got lucky with Carrie. Most authors complete 5-6 full length novels before they’re good enough to get published. J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected a dozen times before Scholastic took a chance on it. Nobody is automatically good at this. Nobody.
It’s why I structured my advice the way that I did. It’s the order in which you need to do these things. It doesn’t matter if that makes you happy or sad, your rejection of reality doesn’t change reality any. This is how writing works and if you ask any successful fiction writer for their own recommendations, you’ll get the same basic ideas, perhaps worded somewhat differently. In fact, I think it’s best to separate the people who are doing this for emotional reasons from the pack right off the bat because those are the people who will never get anywhere, not unless they change their perspective. Writing is hard. I stress that constantly, not to scare anyone away, but to separate the wheat from the chaff. Then we can help the people who have what it takes to get anywhere useful and not waste our time on those that do not. It might sound mean but I assure you it’s not. Those who can’t make the cut, they really shouldn’t waste years of their lives giving it a try. Find something that you’re really passionate about. That’s where you’re more likely to find success.
Over the next couple of posts, I’ll go through each of my suggestions and detail why it is so essential. Hopefully you’ll come along on the ride and maybe learn something. Perhaps you’ll learn that you’re not cut out for this, or maybe, it will strengthen your resolve. I hope the latter, but if the former, then at least you found out early on in the process and can redirect your energies elsewhere. There is no shame in realizing you’re not meant for something, only in not figuring it out early on. For those who are really serious about it, I hope my advice spurs you forward. It’s some of the advice I wish I’d received, more than 40 years ago.
