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While we would never consider ourselves experts in the
craft of writing, because we've been published we get an
awful lot of questions about it. And knowing how we
craved and devoured any tiny morsel of information and
advice on writing and the industry before we were
published, we thought we'd share some things we've
learned and the better sources of information we've
discovered over the years.
craft of writing, because we've been published we get an
awful lot of questions about it. And knowing how we
craved and devoured any tiny morsel of information and
advice on writing and the industry before we were
published, we thought we'd share some things we've
learned and the better sources of information we've
discovered over the years.
First, some basic tips that might come in handy if
you're just getting started on that novel or screenplay
you've been kicking around for years.
you're just getting started on that novel or screenplay
you've been kicking around for years.
1. READ. I'll say it again--READ! Read everything you
can get your hands on. Novels, short stories,
essays, magazines, screenplays. Read the classics,
read everything on the "new books" table at Barnes &
Noble. Never stop reading.
can get your hands on. Novels, short stories,
essays, magazines, screenplays. Read the classics,
read everything on the "new books" table at Barnes &
Noble. Never stop reading.
2. Put your butt in the seat and write. This piece of
advice came from my college mentor Bill Miller and
has been invaluable to me. If you wait for that
great mystical, mysterious "inspiration" to strike
before setting your words on paper, you're going to
be waiting a while. Writing, like so many other
things in life, is a job. It's a discipline. So it
takes discipline to do it. Just sit in the chair and
write.
advice came from my college mentor Bill Miller and
has been invaluable to me. If you wait for that
great mystical, mysterious "inspiration" to strike
before setting your words on paper, you're going to
be waiting a while. Writing, like so many other
things in life, is a job. It's a discipline. So it
takes discipline to do it. Just sit in the chair and
write.
3. There is no such thing as writer's block. Now, this
one, I know, is controversial. There are plenty of
professional writers out there who will tell you that
writer's block is absolutely real. Here's my take:
being stuck, confused, unsure, and even bored is all
part of the process. It will happen no matter how
prepared you are or how long you've been doing it.
The key is to work through it, don't let it stop you.
Sit down and put some words on paper anyway. Any
words. Put loads and loads of terrible material on
that blank page. You can always delete or rewrite
them. In my experience working through story
problems is the only way to get beyond them and get
the work finished. I've spent days on end writing
absolute drivel that no one will ever see. And I've
also felt completely mired, and stuck and had the
drivel I wrote turn into the most exciting parts of a
story. Sitting down and writing even when it's hard
gets me past the sticky parts, helps to eliminate the
boring parts and, most importantly, gets the work
done.
one, I know, is controversial. There are plenty of
professional writers out there who will tell you that
writer's block is absolutely real. Here's my take:
being stuck, confused, unsure, and even bored is all
part of the process. It will happen no matter how
prepared you are or how long you've been doing it.
The key is to work through it, don't let it stop you.
Sit down and put some words on paper anyway. Any
words. Put loads and loads of terrible material on
that blank page. You can always delete or rewrite
them. In my experience working through story
problems is the only way to get beyond them and get
the work finished. I've spent days on end writing
absolute drivel that no one will ever see. And I've
also felt completely mired, and stuck and had the
drivel I wrote turn into the most exciting parts of a
story. Sitting down and writing even when it's hard
gets me past the sticky parts, helps to eliminate the
boring parts and, most importantly, gets the work
done.
4. Finish. There are no shortcuts. You have to finish
it. Even if you've written ten of the greatest
chapters the world has ever known, no agent and
certainly no editor, is going to give you your first
big break based on an unfinished novel. (And forget
about it altogether in screenwriting--even Oscar
winners don't get to hand in the first half of a
script and say "Trust me, the second half will be
great.") Once you've proven yourself and you've got
a few published works under your belt your editor may
give you a deal based on a few chapters. But, until
then, you're going to have to finish. All the way.
To the end.
it. Even if you've written ten of the greatest
chapters the world has ever known, no agent and
certainly no editor, is going to give you your first
big break based on an unfinished novel. (And forget
about it altogether in screenwriting--even Oscar
winners don't get to hand in the first half of a
script and say "Trust me, the second half will be
great.") Once you've proven yourself and you've got
a few published works under your belt your editor may
give you a deal based on a few chapters. But, until
then, you're going to have to finish. All the way.
To the end.
5. Getting a book published is not like winning the
lottery. Your ship has not come in. The books you
read about hitting it big only make the news because
it is so freakishly bizarre for such a thing to
happen. For every Fifty Shades of Gray or Hunger
Games there are thousands of books sitting way, way
off the New York Times Bestseller List clawing their
way to royalties--or remainder-hood. So...
lottery. Your ship has not come in. The books you
read about hitting it big only make the news because
it is so freakishly bizarre for such a thing to
happen. For every Fifty Shades of Gray or Hunger
Games there are thousands of books sitting way, way
off the New York Times Bestseller List clawing their
way to royalties--or remainder-hood. So...
6. You've got to love it. This is something I heard a
famous actor say once. (And I wish, for the life of
me, that I could remember who it was. Tom Cruise,
maybe?) He said, basically, that to be an actor with
a long career you've got to love the work. You have
to love going to the set everyday and hanging out at
craft services. You've got to like the doing nothing
between setups and learning the lines and discovering
your characters. You have to love the day to day
work of acting because living only for the success--
the money, fame, junkets, and red carpets--will never
be enough to sustain a real career. Plenty of films
look good on paper and then tank at the box office,
catching the eager ingenues all dressed up with
nowhere to go. The same applies to writers. You're
going to have to love sitting down and writing,
working on the characters, messing with their sad
imaginary lives. If you're in it for the money, fame
(puh-lease!), or intellectual cache you're sunk
before you even get started. Now, that doesn't mean
you can't imagine achieving all those things or even
strive for them. It just means that success better
not be the only reason you're doing it. If it is
you're going to find the life of a professional
writer insufferable.
famous actor say once. (And I wish, for the life of
me, that I could remember who it was. Tom Cruise,
maybe?) He said, basically, that to be an actor with
a long career you've got to love the work. You have
to love going to the set everyday and hanging out at
craft services. You've got to like the doing nothing
between setups and learning the lines and discovering
your characters. You have to love the day to day
work of acting because living only for the success--
the money, fame, junkets, and red carpets--will never
be enough to sustain a real career. Plenty of films
look good on paper and then tank at the box office,
catching the eager ingenues all dressed up with
nowhere to go. The same applies to writers. You're
going to have to love sitting down and writing,
working on the characters, messing with their sad
imaginary lives. If you're in it for the money, fame
(puh-lease!), or intellectual cache you're sunk
before you even get started. Now, that doesn't mean
you can't imagine achieving all those things or even
strive for them. It just means that success better
not be the only reason you're doing it. If it is
you're going to find the life of a professional
writer insufferable.
7. There are no rules. (Note: this rule only applies if
you know all the rules.) There are thousands of
books about writing. Some writers spend all their
time writing about writing instead of actually
writing. This is a wonderful thing. These books can
be invaluable, especially to writers just taking
their first baby steps toward the profession. This
advice, though, comes with a caveat--feel free to
disregard any advice that you don't agree with or
doesn't work for you. (This applies to my advice,
too. It even applies to the previous sentence.)
Learn all you can and then cobble together your own
way of working, your own rules.
you know all the rules.) There are thousands of
books about writing. Some writers spend all their
time writing about writing instead of actually
writing. This is a wonderful thing. These books can
be invaluable, especially to writers just taking
their first baby steps toward the profession. This
advice, though, comes with a caveat--feel free to
disregard any advice that you don't agree with or
doesn't work for you. (This applies to my advice,
too. It even applies to the previous sentence.)
Learn all you can and then cobble together your own
way of working, your own rules.
| ON THE CRAFT |
| ON THE BUSINESS |
| OTHER RESOURCES |
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft,
Stephen King
Stephen King
13 Ways of Looking at the Novel,
Jane Smiley
Jane Smiley
Story: Substance, Structure, Style,
and the Principles of Screenwriting,
Robert McKee
and the Principles of Screenwriting,
Robert McKee
Screenwriting 434,
Lew Hunter
Lew Hunter
Screenplay: The Foundations of
Screenwriting,
Syd Field
Screenwriting,
Syd Field
Adventures in the Screen Trade,
Syd Field
Syd Field
Which Lie Did I Tell?,
Syd Field
Syd Field
The Writer Got Screwed (But Didn't
Have To),
Brooke A. Wharton
Have To),
Brooke A. Wharton
| ON NUTS & BOLTS |
Writer's Market,
Robert Lee Brewer (Editor)
Robert Lee Brewer (Editor)
Guide to Literary Agents,
Chuck Sambuchino (Editor)
Chuck Sambuchino (Editor)
Your Novel Proposal, From Creation
to Contract,
Blythe Camenson & Marshall J. Cook
to Contract,
Blythe Camenson & Marshall J. Cook
Formatting & Submitting Your
Manuscript,
Chuck Sambuchino (Editor)
Manuscript,
Chuck Sambuchino (Editor)
The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus,
Merriam-Webster
Merriam-Webster
The New Oxford American Dictionary,
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
The Random House Word Menu,
Stephen Glazier
Stephen Glazier
The Describer's Dictionary,
David Grambs
David Grambs
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novel, novelist, chick lit, women's fiction, womens fiction, Sarah Bushweller, Sarah Castellano, Emily S. Morris, Emily Servedio, New York, New York City, Hollywood, book,
good book, great book, fun read, book club selection, boy meets girl, famous, fun book, screenplay, script, read an excerpt, Simon and Schuster, Pocket Books, writer's
guide, advice for writers, good blog, great blog, writing, novel, novelist, two writers, pseudonym, friendship, bestseller, bestselling book, books, cool website, cool
author's website
First, you never know what might spark that amazing
story idea. Second, it never hurts to remind
yourself how it's all done. Even now, after writing
professionally for more years than I care to mention
I find myself reading a great passage of someone
else's work and say to myself, "Oh, right...
that's how you do it."
story idea. Second, it never hurts to remind
yourself how it's all done. Even now, after writing
professionally for more years than I care to mention
I find myself reading a great passage of someone
else's work and say to myself, "Oh, right...
that's how you do it."
Find a list of some of the books Sarah & I have found
most valuable over the years below.
most valuable over the years below.