From the Garret: Archives

Pearls of Wisdom: Advice from Other Writers (Part I)

I love to listen to writers talk about writing. Sometimes it merely comforts me to know that I'm not alone in my struggles. Sometimes other writers' words inspire me with new ideas. Sometimes they solve a pressing problem for me. Always, I come away with something to add to my personal collection of pearls of wisdom.

Now I'm going to open my jewelry box for you and share my treasures. Following are the seven most valuable pearls of writerly wisdom I've gleaned from my fellow authors. They've gotten me where I am and continue to help me move forward.

1) Join the writers' organization that represents your genre, and educate yourself in the business.
—Stefanie Mattesen, author of the Charlotte Graham mysteries

My first (never-to-be-published) manuscript completed, I attended a book-signing by Ms. Mattesen. She seemed to be an approachable person so I asked her what she would recommend I do with my manuscript. Now I know what a difficult question that is for an author to answer but she graciously put me on the path to Romance Writers of America and my local chapter, the New Jersey Romance Writers. These two treasure troves of information taught me everything from improving sexual tension to avoiding basket-accounting clauses.

Although I didn't write my next novel for another eight years, I educated myself on the market. When I again sat down at the word processor, I had a clear understanding of what kind of book I wanted to write in order to make it saleable. And that understanding made it a better book.

2) Keep writing. Do not go back and revise what you've done until you've finished the entire first draft.
—April Kihlstrom, creator of Book in a Week and author of 31 novels

After three months of writing, the first forty pages of A Bridge to Love were polished to diamond brilliance. Unfortunately, every time I got to page 41, I had to go back and revise something on page 27 or 32 or 15. My internal editor had gone berserk. Paralyzed, I stumbled into April Kihlstrom's Book in a Week seminar and after 45 minutes felt the thrill of liberation.

Not that I've ever attempted to write a book in a week; I stand in awe of those who can. However, Ms. Kihlstrom's methodology freed me from the clutches of the Revision Monster. Now I write my first draft straight through without revising. If something will need changing, I scribble a handwritten note in the margin and keep going. The idea is to finish the damn book. You'll have to revise it all anyway when you're done.

3) Our first responsibility as writers is to entertain.
—Barbara Kingsolver, New York Times best-selling author

My books generally start with an issue I am interested in exploring. In A Bridge to Love, I wanted to see what happened when I took away all the supports from my heroine's comfortable suburban life: husband, income, best friend, even her happy memories. How would she rebuild from rock bottom?

However, issues are for pundits, not novelists. So I have to construct a “good yarn”around my abstract problem. My characters have to live and breathe, and my plot has to sweep the reader along. In fact, every scene has to amuse or excite or tantalize the reader. If it doesn't, out it goes.