So many books....so little time...
What do I say to someone who wants to write a book?
I didn't want to insult her by coming in too basic, and I didn't want to scare her off with a whole bunch of info she might not be able to use. Instead, I tried to split the difference.
I told her to read.
Pick any author, and I can guarantee they were readers before they were writers. Reading others' work inspires us to write and teaches us how. A good book expands our ideas for what is possible and motivates us to do more with our own writing.
When I studied voice, my teacher told me to listen to excellent singers. Whether Ella Fitzgerald, Debra Harry, or Whitney Houston, I listened hard and tried to copy what they did. I'd store these little tricks of phrasing or interpretation in my own toolbox, ready for when I was working on a new song.
I do the same thing when I'm reading.
See, no author operates in a vacuum. Whether it's one of the classics, a new bestseller, or the project I'm beta reading for an author friend, reading consciously will help me learn. And you know, it's also okay to copy a little, as long as there's no plagiarism involved.
Since I didn't have much sense for where my friend was in her writing journey, I suggested she make an effort to read in the genre she wanted to write, and to study how other authors put their books together. I also recommended On Writing by Stephen King, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamotte, and Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. All three books touch on both craft and inspiration, and they were all important to my growth as a writer.
I haven't had the chance to reconnect with her, but I've got some ideas for her next steps. Because really, the key for how to write a novel is to, you know, write. Make writing a part of your life, whether you're journaling or brainstorming or sitting down to Chapter One.
Some would probably tell my friend she must write every day. Others are more relaxed, but to me, the most important part isn't frequency or schedule. The important thing is that when you sit down to write, you write, whether or not the muse has chosen to grace you with her presence.
If you wait for your muse, your book may never get finished.
That's actually another thing I learned from singing. For almost ten years, I was the cantor for my church's Saturday evening Mass. For almost ten years, every Saturday I stood up in front of the congregation and led them in the Psalm, Ordinary, and hymns. I generally did a solo at Communion - whether I felt like singing or not.
It was great training for an author.
The discipline it takes to write when you're not feeling it will stand you in good stead when you need to get through edits. Even if the words weren't flowing when you drafted them, you've got a whole bunch of chances to fix things before you send your work out into the wild. (And if you've spent any time on Goodreads, you know how wild it can be! LOL)
I guess you could say that the three steps to writing a book are reading, writing, and editing, though this barely scratches the surface. I'm not trying to pile everything on at once - nor could I, even if I wanted to. The thing is, writing is a journey, and the information you need will be available when you need it. To get started, though, just read.
And write.
Best,
Liv
PS... it can be helpful to start small. A six thousand word short story is a lot easier to wrestle into shape than a 80,000 word novel.
PPS...here are a few other resources I found helpful...
- Save the Cat by Blake Snyder (great book on story structure)
- Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon (granular look at how scenes and stories work)
- Lawson's Writing Academy (excellent program, especially Margie's classes about body language and dialogue tags and just about anything by Rhay Christou)
- Janice Hardy's Fiction University (blog posts that address any craft question you can think of - seriously)
- Damn Fine Story by Chuck Wendig (for when you want your writing craft with F-bombs)
*** All links are from Amazon b/c I'm lazy. They're not affiliate links, so I don't earn anything if you click.
PPSS...adding another thought....Kristen Lamb, blogging/writing goddess, coincidentally made a post today on how important it is for writers to read. Here's the link. It's well worth, uh, reading. 😊
