It's now 6AM.
I think that writers secretly love driving themselves crazy over these things. Tiny plot tweaks, switching a "the" from the beginning of the sentence to the middle, reworking a phrase.
Editing is undoubtably one of the hardest parts of writing.
But we're never going to have anything to edit if we don't get along and write it! So here's everything I know about writing (condensed, in the 5 minute version).
1).
"If you want to preach, get a soapbox, stand in the park, and see how much luck you have." Stephen King
Probably my favorite writing quote of all time. Writing isn't about pushing your own agenda. Whether that agenda is homosexuality, the plight of the mentally challenged, why Sam I Am likes Green Eggs and Ham, whatever. I don't care how touchy a subject or how much you believe in it, your writing should be a pure reflection of the characters' thoughts, feelings. You have to work to keep it authentic.
This isn't easy. I'm a borderline blatant feminist, and in the novel that's publishing (The Titleless Wonder, as we fondly refer to it at the agency), sexism is a big issue. Nearly all the characters are sexist in one way or another, and there is no real resolution to it.
Does it grate on me? Sure. But I'm not here to shove my religion, beliefs, down anybody else's throats. I'm here to tell a story, to tell it nicely, and to make it sound pretty and give you lots of emotion to sift through.
2). Have a reason. So Taryn goes on a journey across the entire expanse of the world with a mentor who teaches him the Ways of his Kind and he battles the Evil Shmieval and learns to become who he is.
Yeah, great. That's nice. Generic outline for a Fantasy. Or do you prefer a generic outline for a Women's Lit?
K, So Taryn is madly in love with the new woman working on his wealthy father's ranch but she's a bit of a snob so he woos and makes love to her then she spurns him and runs away.
Whatevvvaaa. Plot or no plot, generic or no generic, realistic, surrealistic, video-gamey, action-packed, I don't care. Why are you telling me this story? What is the purpose? If you can't tell me a reason why you're writing this story, you shouldn't be writing it.
3). Use your resources. Do what works for you. When I write, I put on a classic Disney movie, turn the mute on, and listen to Bright Eyes, Arctic Monkeys, Regina Spektor, Commander Venus, whatever works.
Being a writer is all about finding your you. To be a writer you have to have a voice. Your voice must be distinctive to you, and it takes a long time--years--of writing, to find. There are ways to move this along.
Find your time to write. (Mine, sadly, is between the hours of eleven PM and six AM). Find your mood to write. Find your writing music. Find your passion. Because believe it or not, your writing will only be good when it's something you're passionate about. You have to love your characters, and I do mean love.
Okay, I hate Samantha, my female protagonist, but I also love and am protective of her. It's kind of a "I-can-say-I-hate-her-but-you-can't" type of thing.
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Those are my three tips. They're pretty easy. Don't preach, have a reason for writing it, and be an individual. A thing I've been saying to a lot of people on this forum is, "If this book is your baby, don't name it Ashley."
There are to many Ashley's in the world, and I say this fondly, but it's true. Give me culture, give me ethnicity, give me authenticy.
Those are three of the big things agents are looking for.
And of course, good writing. Which, like all things, has everything to do with taste.
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