This information is from a panel I listened to a year or so ago. I took notes while attending a wonderful SF/F symposium called Life the Universe and Everything. The panels are very educational. The panelists were: Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury, Lisa Magum, Brad R. Torgersen, Dave Wolverton.
I took a lot of notes on this panel, so make yourself comfortable.
– Submit to writers of the future, every deadline. The advantage of this contest you compete with your peers (starting writers) not professional writers.
– Don’t quit. Don’t give up.
– When you start selling, don’t think you’ve made it. You will still get rejected after selling . Keep submitting.
– If an editor says “No” but also says “do such and such” Pay attention to that.
– You can learn writing by writing. Finishing the first manuscripts you lmove on to the next. Finishing a book can show you what kind of writers you are.
– Learn about: 1. Learn how to write 2. How the business works in publishing and books 3. Learn about publicity. Often a writer will concentrate too much time on one of the above. Study each of the three in a balanced manner
– SFWA.org has good information forwriters.
– Do your homework. Learn about where you want to submit. Also learn the submission requirements such as123 point or font new roman.
– Don’t obsess on over writing. Sometimes if a story doesn’t work, throw it away and start over with the knowledge yo gain writing the first version of the story.
– To get out of the slush pile you must first be in or submit to the slush pile.
– “You have to connect to the right editors at the right time.
– Be prolific. The Pop corn theory is by each kernel of popcorn is a submission. Spread out those subs to multiple opp9rtunites where there’s heat and see which ones pop. Put yourselves in ore places.
– Sometimes writers don’t know their own quality. It may be better than you think it is.
– You don’t have to have a perfect manuscript to submit.
– Even bestselling authors have people who complain. A wonderful story will cover multiple of sins.
– If you can write a great story the grammar can be worked with.
– Caring too much about the pros of the txt can prevent seeing that a wonderful story is what sells the story.
– Be careful about the advice you get from writers. Sometimes take advice with a grain of salt. There are different ways to skin a cat.
– Orson Scott Card offers Hat rack and Nauvoo writing workshops that are on line.
– Benefit of writing groups is that others can evaluate why a story doesn’t work but you learn as well about writing when you evaluate other stories that are not your own. You learn why certain stories don’t work and you apply those observations to your own writing.
– Don’t compare all stories of an anthology or a magazine and compare them against your story. Only seek to learn from the stories you like. Don’t try to duplicate the techniques of a writer you don’t like just because they may be a professional.
– Invest in yourself. One cannot find time to write you need to make time to write. Don’t watch TV or read, it just to delay your writing. Read books on writing and go to conferences.
– Have other people give you deadlines (like editors or a potential market). You an use those deadlines to say no to people who want to divert you away from writing. Even submitting to a writing group can be a useful deadline.
– Stop thinking and talking about writing and get off your butt and treat your writing like a job. Get rid of thinking of your ‘hobby’ mentality.
– You need to network. Be nice to everyone. An employee in a book store may advance up the career latter and later become a purchasing agent. Friendships in former years can sometimes influence you in later years. Recognize that any person you meet may eventually become a mover or a shaker.
– Write both short and long stories. This might be influence by what you read. If a reader tells you that the story feels too short than expand it. Often book publishers may ask short stories to write a book. That story writer than moves to writing books and leaves a vacuums in the short stories area that can be filled by other short story writer.
– Story market looks for new short stories.
– Write a scene that excites you and then rewrite it to put scenes together.
– When you write something, submit to potential readers and get their feedback.
– Each writer concentrates upon different things.
– Check out the book The first five pages by Noah Lukman.
– Do a search on computer to look for all LY words. In your text.
– Macros can do a search and destroy common problems.
– Chicago manual of style= read chapter on punctuation.
– Take responsibi8ty for your career.
– Be honest with yourself. Write what you love and you’ll learn what you don’t know.
– Read books on how to write. Read ones that cause your mind to wonder and makes you think how to implement the principles of writing.
– Stop procrastinating. Start sending your manuscripts out. Don’t try to second guess the editor.
– When you write, finish up the manuscript, send it out and move to the next.
– Pound the pavement – visit schools, book signings.
– Not all agents are created equally.
– Network: each writer can trace their success to someone they met.
– Characterization is a differentiation between characters.
– Stephen King does great characterization.
– Dialog has to sound ‘normal’. Has to sound like real people.
– Internal dialog: what is the character thinking during an event so that the reader will be in a character’s head better.
– Depth: instead of a narrative new report, you want to immerse the reader into the story. Read Jimmy Fincher’s book.
– It’s okay to have patience displayed in your story.
If you’ve been writing for a while, you may have learned a few things along the way as well. Please feel free to share with your experiences or points of knowledge with the readers this blog. Thank you.
