Write Like A Professional

Last year I had a revelation about writing. I realized that if I ever expected to reach professional status - that is actually writing full-time as a career - I was going to have to treat my writing in a professional way.

This doesn't mean I don't shake my fist at my inner editor and call her unsavory names now and again. It doesn't mean I have conquered the mysterious world of spreadsheets and databases that some employ to track their progress. It doesn't mean when I sit down to write I wear my interview clothes. (Not that that wouldn't be kind of fun.)

Writing like a professional means finishing what I start, even when the story truly sucks.
It means setting goals about how much I write each week.
It means gritting my teeth and skipping a rerun on TV (even if it is The Good Wife) and working on the edits to that story that should be sitting on an editor's desk right NOW!
It means subbing to the hardest markets first, even if they are the hardest markets.
It means accepting criticism and rejection and continuing to write anyway.

I used to have this idea that if I wrote on my own time there was no need to set strict goals. There was no point in holding myself to deadlines. Once I was published I would start changing my writing habits.

Then I began to realize what an impact writing habits have on my writing. I would not be able to achieve professional publication unless I was acting like a professional.

None of this means that I don't sometimes blow off writing in favor of an evening vegging in front of the TV. Or that I make every one of my goals and deadlines. Or that I don't sometimes write something short and sweet and sub it to an easy market because I get tired of the "Sorry, it's not what we want" emails.

But I am working on making a habit of writing every day. Of finishing every story. Of polishing as many of those finished stories as possible. And then subbing those polished stories 'til the spec-fic publishing world is crying mercy. Because that (I think) is how the professionals do it.

People Are Stupid. Get Over It.

At some point every author runs up against someone who, for reasons unknown, just dislikes something we've written. Perhaps they say the main character is unsympathetic. Or they don't like the fact that you've used "adult" language. Or maybe they just find your story unsettling. 


Here's a quick heads-up. People are stupid. (They are also entitled to their opinion, but that's a different story.) They have biases and dislikes that have nothing to do with how well your story is written or what the plot is or whether or not your MC is a misogynistic ass. 


And, there is nothing you can do about it. 


So get over it. 


I know it's hard  to ignore the patronizing critique or the scathing comments left on your blog. But obsessing over one or two people who happen to not like your story won't get you anything but a bad case of heartburn. And responding in kind will make you look bad. 


So get over it. 


There is, naturally, an exception to this sage piece of advice. 


If you are beta-ing a story (either in a critique group, writers forum or via email) you should at least consider even the most outlandish criticism. Especially if you see the same type of comments coming from all your readers. This may be a sign that your precious story is not quite the piece of gold you thought it was. 


If, however, we're talking about something that's already published you should ignore the detrimental comments and go about your business. 


That is all.

A Quick Note

My flash fiction romance (Apology) is now published on Every Day Fiction.

Focus

I'm the kind of writer that works best when I have more than one iron in the fire. Sometimes I have a lot of irons in the fire.

Just a glance at my In Progress widget over there on the right margin and you'll see a portion of what I'm working on. And those are just the ones that have a significant portion written. (There is a folder on my laptop entitled The Trunk and another one called Bits of Tripe for things I've either set aside for the time being or started before realizing they stunk.)

But there is a point at which I start to lose my momentum and the Today I... list sits quiet for weeks at a time.

Beginning writers always want to know "How many projects should I be working on at one time?" As with everything else, there are countless answers. A portion of authors work on one project at a time. Others juggle three or four or a dozen at once.

The true answer, the only one that remains true for everyone, is this: Work on however many projects you want, as long as you continue to make progress on at least one.

For me the number of stories I can write simultaneously varies from week to week and month to month. Sometimes even day to day. And that's okay.
It's okay if one day I can only work on the sci-fi western and have to put the steampunk day-in-the-life and the alternate high fantasy aside for a while.
It's also okay if I work on all three side by side for a week or so.
As long as new words are being put down on paper (or laptop) every day I can work on however many projects I want.

But when the words start to die off, it's time to cut back and refocus.
Because finishing one story is better than working on, but never finishing, a dozen.

Just Hit Send

Submitting a story of any length - I include everything from Twit Fic to novels in the "story" category - is daunting.

In fact, sometimes it's downright frightening. But there is a "cure". It's called Just Hit Send. This is how it works.

1. Write a story.
2. Edit with a machete or any large bladed tool of choice.
3. Polish remaining lean, mean story to a mirror finish.
4. Run spell check.
5. Format according to the guidelines of the intended market.
6. Attach to an email with a polite but brief note to the editors of said market.
7. Hit send.
8. Repeat.

Step seven is the part that tends to be problematic. I've written and edited and polished stories, even written the cover email and then deleted it without sending anything off. Even when I know a story is as good as it's going to get I still waffle about submitting.

We all know the excuses.
Maybe I need another beta reader to look it over.
Maybe I should let it sit for a few more weeks, just in case I've missed something.
Maybe this isn't the right market.
Maybe the market is oversaturated with this type of story.
Maybe, maybe, maybe.

What we should really be doing is clicking the send button.
Because beta-readers are useful but in the end, only you can decide if a story is ready or not.
Because if you thought it was ready for submission last night, then it's still ready today.
Because you won't know if it's the right market or not until you send it in.
Because if your story is as good as you think it won't matter how many vampire/zombie/pirate stories they've already seen.
Because, because, because.

Doubt is just another name for procrastination.

Talent, Luck and Hard Work

I wrote a post last year some time addressing the debate over Talent vs Work. (It's an old argument. Probably even older than Outline vs Pantsing or Character vs Plot.)


Now that I'm digging back into the submission game I've a bit more to add.


There are, in my opinion, three factors that determine whether or not a story sells.


1) The talent level of the writer. Whether talent is learned or innate, some writers are better than others. Just like some athletes run faster than others. I'm not saying this as a "You suck!" argument. Simply pointing out that there is a certain skill level that is required to achieve professional publication.


2) Luck. This boils down to hitting the right market with the right story on the right day while the editor is in the right mood. Unless you're consulting a ouija board or the spirits of your ancestors there is probably not much you can do about this aside from hit every possible market as often as possible with everything you've got.


3) Hard work. I've said before that hard work will trump talent every time. I still think that. In order to nail that sale you have to work hard. Work hard at writing. Work hard at editing. Work hard at submitting what you've written and edited.


Now. Of those three factors, which do you (and I) actually have any control over? (I'll bet you see where this is going.)


That's right: Hard Work. This is the only part of the magic formula for story sales that you can actually do anything about. Because talent is A) something you have or you don't and B) only gets better with practice. And luck... well, luck is what you make of it.


My point?


Too often we get caught up in the "Am I good enough?" trap. This is the mental block where we (and by "we" I really mean "I") start doubting whether what I write is any good at all. Do I have real talent? Will I ever be successful as a writer/author/scribbler on napkins? The answer, of course, is to work until you prove the talent is there.


Usually, once I get past the previous trap I get stuck in the "I must find the perfect market" trap. This is the one where I start spending all my time trying to find that one perfect market for a specific story. The one where it will sail through the slush pile and amaze and move the editor(s). Of course, the only cure for this mental glitch is to keep writing and submitting even when there doesn't seem to be a "perfect" market. Again, hard work is the answer.


Because talent is great and luck is amazing, but the nitty gritty of actually doing the work, well, that's tangible. And that's what's important.

Lessons Learned Cutting a Tree

1. Know your structure. 
And, no. I'm not talking about writing an outline. I'm talking about being familiar with the structure of what you write. From the basic beginning, middle, end to more complex sub-plot arcs, character development and so on. Short stories are simpler than novels. Not necessarily easier, but certainly simpler. They contain fewer characters, fewer plot points. A novel is a gargantuan thing that if you start at it willy-nilly is likely to twist and break and crush you under the weight of there's-so-much-here-I-didn't-take-into-account. 


2. Know your limitations.
The adrenaline rush of starting a new project tends to make me jump in with both feet. And that's all well and good, but it's important to know one's limitations. Even at my most excited and fastest typing speeds, I can't write a novel in a day. I'm lucky to get a rough draft in a month. This is one reason why goals are important, they tell you where you're going and keep you from burning out by running full steam all the time. In other words, work hard, but don't work too hard.

3. Getting the big stuff down is only the beginning.
A common misunderstanding among newer writers is that the purpose of editing is simply to look for typos and maybe tighten up a few sentences here and there. We've all felt that initial rush of Thank-god-it's-done that comes when we complete a rough draft. But if you're like me, you're also beginning to realize that the rough draft is just the beginning. Then comes cutting out the dead stuff. Killing those darling that just don't fit with the rest. Filling in plot-holes. Smoothing out character arcs. And so on. The rough draft is the easy part and once that's done the real work (of revising and rewriting) begins.