The Most Important Rule Of Writing

Posted on Feb 9, 2009 08:18:20 PM

I just finished a set of conferences with my students which inspired me to write about the most important rule of writing — writing is a process.

So many of difficulties struggling writers face occur when they ignore this simple rule. Once you embrace the fact that writing is a process rather than an event, once you recognize that the more time you give the process to work the better, then not only will writing be easier you will also write better.

Writing is a process. While that process varies somewhat based on the task and the individual writer, the basic steps it includes are the same no matter what.

First is the initial brainstorming process. No actual writing takes place in this step although there may be some note taking or non-stop writing exercises. The more time you give yourself for this process then the easier the next step will be. Experiment with various forms of brainstorming and prewriting to determine which works best for you and your various writing tasks. What may work in one type of writing may not work as well with another. The more you experiment then the more likely you will find the optimum brainstorming process for you.

Second is the drafting process. That first rough draft should be a quick and painless draft. Your main goal at this point is simply to capture the fruits of your brainstorming in one document. Just write until you have tapped your brain. Do not hold yourself back by rewriting, revising, or editing. Do not pause to worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation, or word choice. If you are conscious that you will need to fill in gaps then simply hit return twice (my usual technique) or write in all caps MORE LATER then move on. The important goal at this point is simply to capture your ideas in one place as quickly as possible. It does not have to be pretty and likely it will not be pretty, but it will be done.

Third is the revision process. This should take more than one draft to accomplish. Again, do not spend time worrying about spelling, grammar, punctuation, revising or editing. Fix the obvious errors that are distracting to you as you rework but that is not your main goal. Your main goal with this part of the process is to look at the big picture. Is your thesis clear and well supported? Are your ideas well organized and fully developed? Are there any gaps in the writing or logic? Do your ideas transition well from one to another?

Fourth is the editing process. Now is the time to worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word choice. Zoom in your focus from the big picture to the sentence and paragraph level. This effort may take one or more drafts to polish your writing to the desired level.

If you are creating a more in-depth project then you may also need to add a step between brainstorming and drafting that includes research and organization which would make the writing process include five steps.

The most important part of creating your own individual writing process is to let it evolve as your skill grows. The more you refine and polish your process then the better the work you produce. The key to developing a successful writing process it to give yourself time — time to let your process evolve and time to let your writing develop. This means not to rush the development of your writing process. Let it evolve over many different projects. This also means not to rush your actual writing. Allow days to pass between various stages and drafts. The more time you allow to pass then the more work your subconscious will do for you and the fresher eyes you will be able to bring to the project.

I promise that if you remember the most important rule of writing then you will improve as a writer. Developing your own individual creative process and giving it time to work will make you a better writer.

Importance Of Self Promotion

Posted on Jan 30, 2009 05:26:40 PM

Promoting yourself is as important as writing your novel. It’s important to get your name out there, and allow people a sample of your work. People can’t buy what they don’t know about. Not only is promoting an important step of the publishing process, it’s a vital element to any writers career.

In the age of the information superhighway known as the internet, there are many opportunities to promote your work. It’s important that you utilize a good mix of all of them to maximize your exposure to readers. Why not take advantage of the vast resources available for little to no cost.

Blogging is a great way for an author to interact with readers. Services such as Myspace, Ning, LiveJournal, Yahoo 360 and Bebo are great services that allow you to customize the message you want your readers to see. You can post updates, excerpts, contests and more for your readers. When using these services it’s important to remember interacting with those on your list is important and more likely to earn you a fan base than simply hard selling your work.

Review sites are phenomenal places to get exposure for your book, gain a fan base and allow others, specifically the reviewer, to offer an unbiased opinion of your book. It’s important to get your piece to as many reviewers as possible. There are many readers out there who consult these review sites when making choices about new books and new authors. Don’t feel left out, utilize their services.

MSN and Yahoo offer the option to create and join in many groups on many different subjects. There are hundreds of groups out there specific to reading and writing. There are critique groups, promotions groups and just general chat groups. Often you will find that publishers have groups as well. This is a great way to network with other authors and publishers. These groups tend to be very active and provide a lot of information that can be useful and necessary to the aspiring author.

Finally don’t forget the power of building your own website. Not only can you customize this specifically for you, you can give extensive information about your releases, you and projects you are working on. Often you’ll find people in the writing community would like to have your website address. This is important because it provides readers a link to you. You can start a blog on your page, you can run contests on your page, you can post excerpts of your work. Ultimately, the importance of a website is giving your reader a way to connect with you.

Success as a writers is dependent on your skills at self promotion. There are so many avenues out there for exposure it is simple, cost free and often a lot of fun. Remember that readers can’t find you if they don’t know about you. So make it a point to put yourself out there and let people know who you are.

Self Publishing: Is This The Way To Publish Your Book?

Posted on Jan 28, 2009 07:41:40 PM

Self publishing might be the best way to publish your book. There are several advantages to self publishing that you might not have considered.

First, and most important, self publishing places you firmly in control of your book. When someone else is paying you to publish your book then they make many decisions regarding the editing of the manuscript, the cover, the title and the marketing that can impact not only how well your book will sell but also how it will be received by the reading public. For example, my second book ended up with the title “Kentucky Kisses” simply because my publisher’s marketing department reported that books with the word “kisses” in the title sold well. I felt the title was rather frivolous for the content but my wishes were ignored.

Self publishing is also faster than traditional publishing. With my novel, Kentucky Kisses, it took me over a year to find a publisher interested in buying and several months before we went to contract. Then after the contract was signed it was another 18 months before my book was released to the public. That is a long time to wait.

Self publishing also allows you to retain all the profits from your endeavor. While you may have to put some money up front (depending on the method you use to self publish your book) you will not have to wait for months or years to see income as a result. Most publishers only pay royalties once or twice a year and then those royalties are only a small percentage of the book price. When you self publish your book then once you have covered any publications costs everything you earn is pure profit.

Finally, it cannot be overlooked that self publishing offers you an opportunity to break into print that might not be otherwise available. The simple fact is that traditional publishing is highly competitive and many worthwhile manuscripts (and authors) cannot find a publishing home although there may well be an eager and receptive audience for that book.

It should be noted that self publishing may not be for everyone. If you are still struggling with your writing and voice, or your manuscript still needs polishing, then you should continue to work on your book and perhaps bring in the assistance of a critique group or professional editor. Self publishing a book that is not yet ready for publication could be a costly mistake. If your manuscript has been polished and well received by several critical readers then you should at least consider self publishing your book.

Not only does self publishing offer you the advantages of complete control, faster publication, and higher profits, it is easier and less expensive than it has ever been before thanks to modern technology. Self publishing could be your big break as a writer.