McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
How Do I Start As An Author?
USMCWolf:
So I am a pfc in the marine corps and am about to go to okinawa Japan for my first duty station. I really want to be an author ,because i have always loved to write and seem to be moderately decent(or no one wanted to hurt my feelings ;D) My question is what should i do to start? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Starbeam:
Read a lot. Write a lot. Read a lot about writing. Jim's livejournal is good, and so is On Writing by Stephen King.
meg_evonne:
Hi and welcome to this thread. Travel safe with laptop in hand.
Because of you, (thank you!) I dropped backwards to find Jim's livejournal link. As Starbeam mentioned, it is the best place for any writer to start, study, enjoy. Best news? There was a new KIB ( Kick in the butt) motivator. Here's the link. Start with Nov. 3, 2011. Then bop all the way back to the beginning and start reading. Here's the link. Bookmark it. http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/
Finally, write because you must, because your heart and soul require it, and write first and foremost for yourself. Getting published might be important to some, but it is the journey that counts in my opinion. Write so that every piece you work on is better than the last one. Be working on your next piece as you work your way through the present one. Plan on having a basket full of eggs, not one golden one. Yes, edit. Yes, re-write, but don't get stuck in one manuscript.
Then start reading books about the writer's craft, attend classes online about the craft, and find fellow writers who actively work on improving their craft. Treat your new knowledge with care and give it the respect it deserves. Don't be selfish and share what you learn with others.
Then read fiction critically. READ. READ. READ. DISSECT. DISSECT. DISSECT. Fill the books you read with handwritten notes and highlighter marks. The day will come that you begin to say, "I would have done this." or maybe, "If the author had done this, then it would have made me feel this way." Look for the writer tool box tricks as you read so you say, "Wow, s/he did this because it created this emotion, or this beat pattern because it made my heart match it, or look how I just read three descriptive paragraphs and I couldn't put it down because it was so freaking awesome. Then figure out how s/he did it." ABSORB. ABSORB. ABSORB.
Connie Willis says to watch bad movies, not good ones, and figure out where they went wrong. Know that learning to be the best story teller you can be will improve your writing, because you will learn how to hold your reader in your hand. Once you have them, never let them down and always treat them with respect.
Know that every time you reach your goal, there will always be another mountain on the other side--none of them easy. Enjoy the view, then turn around and start on the next. Bless your muse, your god, whatever that gave you the desire to simply write.
No where here have I mentioned being published. Instead, make being the best writer you can be your goal. Eventually, you will realize that you've reached a point that it is time to start studying the publishing industry. Then it becomes a huge game, but while you play it--keep writing.
trboturtle:
Write, write, and write some more..... ;D
A lot of people (Like me) started writing fanfiction and have moved on from there. Fanfiction, while not sellable, does have the advantage of allowing the author to take established characters and situation and play around with them. I think fanfiction is a good palce to start, but YMMV.
Right now, I'm writing stories set in the Battletech Universe -- everything else has been established, so I can concentrate on plot and characters. After twenty-five years of RT existence, there's a LOT of background about the universe, its factions and technologies that I can use to create stories. From fanfiction, you see what you need when you worldbuild your own universe.
Keep notes on what you like and what you don't when you read. When you read a scene, think "How would I have written the scene?" and maybe actually rewrite it.
Read not only fiction, but non-fiction. If you are writing science fiction, read some science books to get a feel for the things you have to account for in say, FTL travel. Since you're military, you have knowledge of military matters (Chain of command, your job, TOE of your unit). If writing a story with sword play, read about it (Or even better, train in swordplay). Have a working knowledge of many areas that you think you'll need to write your story. I have a large reference section in my personal library, and the internet can help if you don't have the right books or knowledge....
and keep writing!
Craig
Starbeam:
Another couple good resources, especially if you're writing genre, are the Writing Excuses podcast, and the Once and Future podcast. If I remember, I'll get the links to those when I get home, unless someone does it first.
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