Hi everyone,
Last week, I talked about bad writing advice. This week, we’re flipping the script to share some actual good advice. I’m keeping it simple with 5 items. If you want me to do another list, I’ll add it to my ideas.
- Study the industry- I’ve mentioned this before in my bad advice list. The publishing industry is always changing. Technology evolves. Platforms come and go. (Remember when CreateSpace was a thing?) And since it can, sometimes, take years to release a book depending on circumstances of the author’s life, what you think you’re going to do when you start writing may not be an option down the road.
- Hire an editor! You can edit your book 200 times and still miss things. You’re too close to your work and/or there are certain things you’ll latch onto but it serves no purpose to the story. Even critique partners and betas may miss things, either because of their experience critiquing writing or because they’re trying to be nice and soften the blow. So, you need a non-biased set of eyes who will tell you like it is and help you get your book to be the best it can be.
- No info dumps- So, you have this beautiful world and all this information you’ve researched. But, your reader doesn’t need to know what your MC’s grandma did when she was 12 unless it moves the plot forward. They don’t need to know when every business in your town was founded or the political structure with every mayor or council member since the beginning of time. That information is for YOU to help write a better setting but keep it in your own notes unless it’s absolutely necessary.
- Watch the gratuity- This could be a matter of my personal taste. I don’t like buckets of blood or super raunchy sex for the sake of it. My grandmother let me borrow a romance novel she had finished and, I kid you not, it went like this.
*Man meets woman
*They bang
*Plot point briefly happens
*They bang
*Conversation
*They bang
I couldn’t take it and I had to put it down. Same goes with violence. If you’re going to go all Texas Chainsaw in your book, know it probably won’t appeal to all audiences. - Develop a thick skin- Criticism is going to happen. From critique partners or your editor. But, that’s because they’re trying to help you improve your work. Your work is not going to appeal to every reader so someone will leave you a less than perfect review. Also, thanks to the Internet, trolls are a thing so people will leave you a 1 star just to be a dick. For the love of whatever higher power you believe in, please do not throw a Twitter tantrum every time you receive critique or criticism! It’s unprofessional and it draws attention to the bad reviews. Yeah, it may sting but it’s part of life. How the heck did you make it through school? Did you scream and cuss out your teacher every time they made a comment on a test or a paper? You didn’t? Then, why are you doing it now with something you’re trying to make a career? Take the criticism, see if it’s intended to help or just someone being a jerk, and then learn from the criticism that is meant to improve and ignore the rest.
That’s all from me! Tune in next week to see what my plans are for Preptober 2020. It’s gonna be fun.