Books on Writing Part 1

Since I had so much fun writing the previous post series, I decided to tackle another. This time around, I'll be sharing my favorite books that instruct about writing.

To start, I'll share a common one you have probably heard of, thought of reading, or already have read.

Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Part autobiography spanning King's life, part writing bible, King's book is one of my favorite writing books of all time. Probably because I'm a fan of his novels, I found his memoir enticing. It moved at a snappy pace, never bogging down like many memoirs can. Then, when he's imparting his wisdom on the craft, he feels much like a personal mentor sitting you down in a private room and telling you all he knows before he retires to Boca and leaves you to write alone.

Some fantastic snippets:

"I believe the first draft of a book - even a long one - should take no more than three months...Any longer and - for me, at least - the story begins to take on an odd foreign feel, like a dispatch from the Romanian Department of Public Affairs, or something broadcast on high-band shortwave during a period of severe sunspot activity."

"I've found that any day's routine interruptions and distractions don't much hurt a work in progress and may actually help it in some ways. It is, after all, the dab of grit that seeps into an oyster's shell that makes the pearl, not pearl-making seminars with other oysters."

You'll enjoy this book if: you're serious about writing for publication, you're a fan of King, you like to feel a personal connection to the author giving you advice, and/or you need a knowledgeable mentor to help your tools for the craft move up a level.

The book pictured (my personal copy) is the 10th Anniversary Edition, which features (though the original may also, I have no idea) a section at the back of the book where King revises (by hand!) a segment of 1408 so you can see that the pros rework too, and gives you his list of must-reads.

Happy (Belated) Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary, everyone! I know, I know, it's belated now because another Tuesday slipped through my grasp, but it's still here!

One year ago, this week, (it would have been Monday, January 21, 2013, to be exact) I posted the very first blog post here. That's one year we've been sharing advice, encouragement, and our love for writing. It's exciting, yes?

Through this year, we've grown in our craft, probably gotten further along in those manuscripts, submitted, been rejected, or even accepted. If you're still with me - still writing - thank you. And thank yourself. You're the one who found time to write one sentence in between commercial breaks, karate recitals, and while waiting for the pasta water to boil.

Coming up: another year with weekly writing advise, and hopefully I'll hear more from all of you, my blog readers and fellow writers, in the comments section.

Speak to me. I want to hear what you have to say. But for now, Happy Anniversary. Keep writing.

Knowing Where You're Going (aka Genres)

Are you close to querying your manuscript? Do you want to enter a shot story in a contest? Need an easier way to describe what you're writing to those distant relatives who ask?

Turn to Genre.

Genres are the way writers and the publishing industry categorize their story in a simple way.

Here's a list of common genres:

Action
Adventure
Biography
Mystery
Satire
Humor
Memoir
Erotica
Fantasy
Science Fiction
Cooking
Gay/Lesbian
Self Help
Inspirational
Romance
Political
Thriller
Suspense
Young Adult
Middle Grade
Commercial Fiction
Graphic Novel
Historical Fiction
Literary
Western

Many more exist, and in addition, these can be combined to better describe the manuscript you wrote. For example, I've seen many Action/Adventure, Thriller/Suspense, and Literary/Young Adult stories.

While many writers don't want to be confined by genre or labeled as writing one genre and not others, you will need to know your genre if you're going to query agents, or if you plan to traditionally publish, or find your book a home in a bookstore.

Genres also offers the writer a way to see what's been done before. Take Western, for instance. If you're writing a western genre novel, you can study the ones already published (the massive collection of Louis L'Amour at your local library, perhaps?) and see what's been done. Twist it, reimagine it, and come out with a story that isn't predictable, but is still publishable.

Genre is not a coffin wrapped in chains and locks. Genre is a fantastic tool to research other books like yours and to help those who ask (or those you tell) about your novel understand it via an established system.

The Stages of Rejection

I'm talking about rejection today, not because I'm in a bad mood, but because I'm ecstatic I received a rejection in the mail today!

That sounds weird, I know, but until now I've only hit level 1 and level 4 on the rejection scale (see below). It's either emailed or mailed form rejection, or acceptance. However, today, I received my first level 3 rejection. Upon opening the envelope, I saw the form rejection and my heart sank - like it always does when you see, "Dear Writer, Thank you for submitting but we regret to inform you..." - but then I took the form out and noticed there was another paper behind it. A familiar one. My manuscript. (And here's the exciting part:) With corrections, editor's note and signature! It was like getting asked to prom by the football quarterback.

I've never been an advocate for saving your rejection letters. I've heard stories and even know of other writers who save every rejection, pasting them to the walls like wallpaper. They know the exact number, "This is 673, it's going on the headboard!", and use the rejections as motivation to do better. I understand this, but saving my rejection letters is not how I get motivated. In fact, I try to purge my life of anything considered clutter or negative (not that rejections are negative, just part of the writing life). So, instead, I save the important ones - like today's (and my first full manuscript request from an agent) - in a binder and store it in a drawer where I won't look at it constantly. That way, it's there when I need someone from the industry telling me I'm on the right path, just not there yet, but I won't obsess and freeze up when the writing needs to happen.


I know this is the part you've been waiting for:

THE REJECTION SCALE

Level 1: The form rejection. They sit in stacks in publishing houses, agent desks, and literary magazine editors' drawers waiting to be stuffed into your SASE. You've probably accumulated a few (hundred?).

Level 2: The motivational rejection. This is the form rejection containing a personal message from the editor or agent you sent the manuscript to. It's often short - one sentence or two - and may or may not come with signature.

Level 3: The personal rejection. May or may not be accompanied by a form rejection - always accompanied by the story being returned to you with edits and critiques (may not be line by line, but will speak specifically about the story you submitted). Usually signed or initialed.

Level 4: Acceptance. The holy grail of writers. You're going to be published. Break out the celebration drinks and party supplies.


Rejections got you feeling down? Take a look at these famous authors' rejection totals:

Stephen King: 30 rejections on his first book Carrie, and 60 rejections on the same short story
J.K. Rowling: 12 - a whole dozen - publishers rejected the first Harry Potter book
Jack Canfeld and Mark Victor Hansen - 140 rejections for the first Chicken Soup for the Soul
James Joyce - 22 rejections on his short story collection Dubliners
Margaret Mitchell - 38 rejections for Gone with the Wind
Madeliene L'Engle - 26 rejections for A Wrinkle in Time
Dr. Seuss - 15 rejections before his first book was published

Whether you burn your rejections letters in a giant pyre to the writing gods, pin them to your walls, or drag the rejection email to your trash box, take heart that even the best have been right where you are now.