McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

How Do I Start As An Author?

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whingnut:

--- Quote from: Starbeam on December 09, 2011, 06:51:25 PM ---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.

--- End quote ---

My lovely wife got sidetracked, as she sometimes does, and forgot to get you some links so I will help out

writing excuses
http://www.writingexcuses.com/

and

The Once And Future Podcast
http://www.antonstrout.com/Once___Future_Podcast.html

both have a LOT of good info by and from people in the business both from the publishing side and the authors side and in the case of O&F BOTH sides as Anton Stout is published and also works for Penguin Group.

Enjoy and Thank you for your service!

MClark:
Interesting comment about bad movies, meg. I went thru a spell a few years ago where I was obsessed with zombie movies and I watched a bunch of them. Comparing them to Casablanca (my favorite movie) or even Gamers: Dorkness Rising (not as good as Casablanca) really showed how bad most zombie movies are, and how I would do it differently.

Paynesgrey:

--- Quote from: trboturtle on December 09, 2011, 06:00:18 PM ---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

--- End quote ---

Second that.  Fanfic allows you to use a pre-made world to allow you to focus on particular aspects of writing without juggling world building at the same time.  For example, to practice capturing an iconic character's "voice" and, well, character... allowing you to learn how to be consistant with the voice and portrayal of your own original characters later on. 

It's like how art students will be assigned first to sketch with accuracy a pre-existing artwork, and then they'll be assigned to do a more detailed version, even a reproduction of the piece... and finally to explore different styles the piece could have been done in.  It allows you to practice your technical skills with some training wheels, basically.  Nailing down composition, brush technique, mastering the quirks of the chosen medium (water, oils, chalk, etc), giving them a full toolbox to work from when they're ready to tackle totally original work.

And it can be fun.

Snowleopard:
I started with fanfic and then moved into my own Universe.
As PG and others say - a good way to learn the rules.
And, I'll reiterate it, write, write, and write some more.
Good, bad, indifferent - it's the way you learn.
Or as a writer once said - "Get Black on White".
Good luck by the way.  If there's anyway we can help let us know.
 

meg_evonne:
Love the santa hat Snowleopard!

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