Dear Writer-Friends,


S.K. Quinn, Independent Author of Science Fiction


Sunday, April 29, 2012

So You Want To Be A Writer ...

I often have people ask how to get started in writing. Or perhaps they've started a novel, but aren't sure where to go from there. Or even finished their novel and want to explore publishing. This post is a general guide to help my friends explore writing to see if it's right for them.

If You've Always Wanted to Write A Novel ...
...but you haven't started yet, this section is for you. The most important thing for a beginning writer to do is simply write. Invariably, beginning writers do not believe me. Shouldn't they take a class? Or read a book on writing? Or possibly make an outline first? After all, they have no idea where to start. The hard answer is that no one knows where to start. They just do it. This is hard to hear, because it's like wandering out into the dark without a flashlight or a map, much less a GPS. Who on earth would do that? There's one person that does: a writer. Every time she stares at the blank page, or he takes a leap into an unknown plot twist, the writer forges out into the dark with no idea where they will end up but willing to take the dangerous journey anyway. DO THIS. Take the leap into putting words on the page without caution. It's the quickest way to find out if you've got the mettle to take on such a risky undertaking. A less frightening analogy: suppose you decided that you wanted to run a marathon. You shouldn't start out by reading about marathons, or signing up for a marathon trainer, or even watching marathons on TV. The first thing you should do is run. Every day. When you've built up some stamina, you can start worrying about things like interval training and carbo-loading and even reading books about marathons. But for now, just write.

If You've Started a Novel, But Don't Know How to Finish ...
...don't panic. Writing a novel is a tremendously large undertaking. It's not something you'll whip out in a weekend, and the first several novels will likely all be steep learning curves where you start to understand things like voice, craft, and storytelling. There's a famous saying that you have to write a million bad words before you start writing the good ones. Ira Glass has a delightful video on beginning artists (which includes writers) needing to fight through a large body of work before they can bridge the gap between what they can imagine and what they can produce. So, you have a long road ahead of you: don't be impatient. But the first (and very important) step is to finish that first novel. I highly encourage writers still working on their first novel to finish it, as in write it all the way to The End. It may be crap. In fact, it's almost guaranteed to be crap (with tidbits of awesome). Here's a secret for you: all first drafts are crap. It's learning how to get the words on the page, then going back and reworking them into something that SHINES that separates the beginners from the less-beginners (because I swear we're all still learning along the way).


If You Think You Want to Publish Your Novel, But Don't Know Where to Start ...
...stop. Do not leap immediately into self-publishing. Ask yourself these Seven Questions before self-publishing and evaluate your Writer's Mission Statement (don't have one? Make one). You need to know what your goals are before you publish, in order to have any hope of it being a fulfilling experience for you. See my For Writers page for links to posts about publishing. There has never been a greater time to be a writer, because of all the choices that writers have, from self-publishing to small publishers to Big Six Publishers. The choices are yours, but it pays to know what you're after and be well informed before taking the leap into publishing. If you thought being a writer was hard, trust me that being a published writer just makes everything more complicated. And rewarding and awesome, but only if you've got realistic and attainable goals in your sights.

Welcome to the wild and wonderful life of being a writer! I hope this post helps, and I'm always open to questions. Paying forward the many, many times that other writers have helped me ... well, that's part of my Writer's Mission Statement. :)

SEE ALSO: Stories Don't Expire - Don't Rush to Publish


  1. Fantastic article, will be visiting some of the links provided. Thank you for your time in writing this.

  2. Great points for whatever point in the writer journey we're at. Thanks.

  3. Excellent post, Sue! I like the marathon analogy. Love the new blog design.

  4. Susan, it really amazes me when people ask, "How do I get started writing?" And every time, I tell them, "You just start writing." There is no other way.

    Starting isn't hard, but finishing is. :)

  5. Your first section pretty much sums up a post I wrote recently. The whole 'just start' thing. And then keep going. And then stop when you finish. :D

  6. Recommended to you by a writer I met on Smashwords. I love to write, but am a stranger to things like this very space I'm writing in. Yes, this is my first Blog entry, response, whatever you call it. Hello, learning curve. Starting to write is no problem, writing is fun and addictive, closing a story has never been difficult, other than saying goodbye to friends I made up. I'm at the 'new author who doesn't know how to reach out' stage. Thanks for providing another learning tool. David L Howells

    1. David! I'm so glad you found this post! Sounds like you're doing just the right thing, seeking out information. Best of luck on your journey!