Advice for a First Time Author

I will conceed that reading as much as you can is a good way to learn how to write, just like watching lots of sports gives you an edge when you're playing. That's actually true.

 

And if you didn't play, you would not get that edge. So you can see now that they both go hand-in-hand.

 

Hhahaha. Don't forget Stephenie Meyer's ever-famous face slam.

But... I find some of these useful. Writing is something that can come second-nature to some people. The tips that they give are just that, tips. They're just little things to put into thought when writing; not your actual writing style.

 

I feel a tremendous sense of entitlement. Famous authors don't owe you anything. Even if they decide to write a book On Writing or give advice, you should just say thank you. They don't have to share their knowledge of the trade, just because you think they should.

Well, if I had heard/read the advice you give above, I would've dismissed it out of hand. I wouldn't slam you in public, but I probably wouldn't be encouraged to pick up any of your books either, because the advice you dispense here is so incredibly subjective that it's more an unsubstantiated opinion than real advice.

 

...how is that 'of little or no help' when it's the key to good writing?

...why should they, when they're writers, not teachers?

...they're not here to be 'in touch with us' but only to 'touch us' with their stories and characters... why do you think they are obligated to do any more than that?

 

^What are you people, their agents?

I never asserted that they should be obligated to do anything. They have the right to give advice or not. And I have the right to say that their advice is terrible. And it is! So there.

 

I was going to comment, but... nah...

 

I think you may have misunderstood the idea of 'discussion'

 

Ditto.

 

There is plenty of mind maps, and plot diagrams of famous stories out there, not to mention reading cliff notes, it sounds like you haven't looked hard enough or in the right places. I've read a lot about different parts of the craft, but I also take a strong initiative to find exactly what I want to study. I get out of studying the craft, what I put into it, and waiting for a paint by number from a "Great", is not going to do it. It is not a paint by number process.

Get a routine = do it everyday to get good at it and finish it, and be able to recognize crap in an instant.
Avoid cliche = don't be lazy and just do what ever everyone else does.
Read a lot = study your craft, study your competition.

^
Those principles can be applied to everything from snowboarding to stockbroker.

As far as the English professor discussion, you are assuming everyone writes in the English language. People writing in Spanish would have no benefit from English language mechanics from an English professor. Language is a means of communicating, it is not story. If you want better advice, create it for yourself. Take a story and dissect it using the principles of what makes story, and you will get your answers.

Are they out of touch with us? Well, If I had a deadline of one year to research, write, rewrite, edit, send to editor, get back from editor, rewrite, edit, and repeat, I'd probably never give advice, not because I'm with holding secrets, but because there is no time for that crap. The fact that they lend themselves time to share a few pointers here and there, is just plain nice on their behalf.

 

I found a really good article online that might be just the kind of advice you're looking for. I hope this falls under the relevance-issue in the forum rules. Anyway here it is:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one there are several authors who give their best advice to aspiring writers.

 

This is a ridiculous view point. Not wanting to be creative writing professors makes them jerks? That's just silly. Most of these authors get asked about this sort of thing in an interview, and they give a short answer.

Is every lawyer who doesn't go around finding law students to advise a jerk? Is every doctor who doesn't teach medical students a jerk? Is ever car mechanic who doesn't go around advising kids in auto shop a jerk? Frankly, that's a laughable position. Authors who do want to teach become instructors, or hold workshops, etc. Those who don't are not jerks. What a weird entitlement mentality.

 

Do you really think that is what I said?

Exactly. They give a short answer. See thread title.

If someone asked you, Steerpike, how to be better at flipping burgers and you replied with some rhetoric about "hard work and sacrifice", then you are categorically a jerk.


BTW, right now I'm giving good advice about how to give advice. Pay attention.

 

You keep failing to understand that this is not the same thing at all.

Reading a lot, and writing a lot, is actually how you improve. No author is going to sit there and tell you how to get their voice. You have to find you own. Otherwise you are just copying someone else.

 

Right now I'm hearing a lot of... well, are you sure you posted the right age on your profile?

 

Not worth the trouble.

 

Nah...

 

This is clearly a young, immature user. Does it really help when older users, who should know better, join in with insults and patronising comments?

 

Wow, some rude comments being thrown around here. So much for civility.

I skimmed through everything, so don't pick on me if this has already been said or argued against. I think that the three points mentioned at the beginning by the OP were actually pretty good. You have to read to get ideas, you have to keep writing to get better, and you have to be unique in some way to make a good book. Writing isn't about fame, it's about quality. If one isn't famous, it doesn't mean that he or she didn't write a fantastic book.

 

Summing up, some good advice in this thread from other members that, like that of the writers you're lambasting, you're dismissing out of hand.

- There are no secrets. If you believe there are and that famous writers are keeping them safe somewhere like that ancient knight from Indiana Jones, you'll never be a 'famous' writer, as you put it.

- Your attitude is horrible and seeing you insult people who are trying to help you is born of exactly the same mentality you use to address the 'famous writers' so-called advice'. Open your mind, stay calm, learn from whomever and whenever you can and you may, just may become a published writer some day. Bitch and moan and kick and scratch and you'll never get any better.

- The three pieces of advice you list are good and can even be condensed. Work hard, learn, work harder, stay focused. Whether you understand why that's such incredibly good advice or not determines whether it's of any use to you. No one can make it useful for you.

Oh, and what Kio said. If fame is what you want, there's X-Factor. Writing feeds the soul, not fame and certainly not the bank account.

 

lol.... ok. i give up. famous authors give outstanding advice.

 

Yeah, yeah, civility would be nice. Let's get on track -- how about we talk about this wonderful link:

I enjoyed some of these pieces of advice. How about this one:

5 Do restrict your browsing to a few websites a day.

Man oh man. I was online all day yesterday. And then I wrote four lines of my story.

9 Do it every day. Make a habit of putting your observations into words and gradually this will become instinct. This is the most important rule of all and, naturally, I don't follow it.

I'm constantly doing this. I'm always thinking like a writer. I attribute it partly to my father. He's not a writer, but he's very creative and sometimes he narrates his life out loud.

10 Remember writing doesn't love you. It doesn't care. Nevertheless, it can behave with remarkable generosity. Speak well of it, encourage others, pass it on.

Yeah.

 

Thanks for that link. Full of excellent advice. I stand corrected!

 

I read through this discussion and I agree with both Mercury and Steerpike. Obviously, no one is saying that well-known authors should be forced by law to publish books about specific writing tips. No one is saying that they should monopolize interview time going on diatribe-y tutorial lectures. And, obviously, there is no one correct way to write. I think the people who go on and on about how people MUST use the three-act structure or the snowflake structure, and that there MUST be a "death of the mentor" scene or "three tests of the hero," are pretentious douchebags.

But I totally agree that answering questions about writing tips with something like "just let your creativity flow" or "write for yourself" are extremely irritating, and if I'm ever well-known and asked for advice, I'll be sure to give something more meaningful than that. Hell, I've [hopefully] given more meaningful advice than that on my blog on here, and I don't have any published novels yet.

 

I think part of the problem I see is that some of the advice asked for/expected is something that can be found in other venues. And I think most pro writers assume that 'novices' have done their homework in that regard. And really, it is very difficult to respond to someone asking, in essence, how do you write? There are so many factors, both basic and complex - which is more important, what is often overlooked, how do you describe that "x-factor" (talent?)? Add to that the premise that because a writer doesn't give 'lessons' in their advice, but instead tries to tell novices what it takes besides the basics, that they are 'jerks'...

No one can tell anyone how to write a good story. One can critique it after it's written, when it's possible to see where the writer has gone off-track - but it really does take study to get to the beginning point. It can't be explained in a sound bite or an article. So when asked, it only makes sense that writers will hit on several points they feel are important for them. And that's all one can realistically expect.