The Art of Rewriting

Soon after my novel "O Father" won the 3-Day Novel Contest in 1990 and was published the next year I began working on a sequel. I liked the characters and story and, apparently, the readers did, too.

Turned out publishers . . . not so much.

I tried my best to get it published but it just didn't happen. As I continued to pitch the manuscript I moved on to other books. The sequel, or the second book in a series, sat in a box in the attic for a long time.

Then along came the Internet, self-published e-books, and Kindles and Nooks.

These days I'm working on a new novel and, at the same time, editing and revising that sequel. I much prefer creating something new to editing something not-so-new. I mention all this because maybe you have a completed manuscript or one that partially done and 2012 is the year for you to dig it out, look at it objectively, and decide whether or not to publish it yourself or finish it and then publish it.

Whether you've just finished a new one or have a long-ago-completed one on hand, it's going to need another round of editing (and proofing) before you send it to a publisher or publish it yourself.

Finish editing the new. Finishing writing the old and then give it another edit. At that point let some people you trust (ones who will be honest with you and whose opinions you value) take a look at it. It could be it's not publishable but then again . . .

Welcome, New Kindle Owners!

Wow!

I have five self-published books available on Amazon.com and, I'm happy to report, thousands and thousands of them were given away in a five-day promotion that concludes today.

The top choice was "How to Write Your Novel in Nine Weeks."

I hope next Christmas you can have your own promotion and give away your book! (And then jack the price back up.)

Just keep writing.

Resolve to Write in 2012

A new year is a great reason, a wonderful excuse, to begin a new writing project or get back to one that's been sitting a while.

Years ago I often gave myself a book on writing for Christmas as an added push to write, edit, and publish in the coming year.

This year I'm so pleased hundreds of you picked up "How to Write Your Novel in Nine Weeks" when it was offered for free at Amazon.com. I hope it, and the podcast, give you the little boost and bit of encouragement you need to begin, or finish, your own book.

It's a wonderful and rewarding feeling when you get into that daily writing rhythm. That's my wish for you in 2012.

(And Happy New Year from Little Willie and me.)

Bad Tips for Writers 005

Self-editing is a waste of time. You're a writer not an editor.

Make your motto: Second drafts are for losers.

Getting Back to Your Book

It's great when a book comes together day after day with few interruptions. But that's the exception. Most of the time, with most books, there are starts and stops, and even some long intervals between periods of writing.

No matter how you complete your book, completing your book brings a wonderful sense of satisfaction. Yes, the "journey" is part of all of this but arriving at the destination is pretty sweet.

If you're moving right along, day after day, good for you!

If you're in in the middle of a brief break, for whatever reason, that's okay. Your manuscript will wait for you. And while it doesn't offer you unconditional love, it doesn't ever blame you either. ("Where have you been!") We writers tend to do that to ourselves. Maybe some guilt is deserved. Often, not as much as we heap on our own shoulders.

And if it has been a long, long time since you've worked on your novel, pick it up, dust if off, read through it, and continue. If that's your decision. Or review it and then shelve it with other writing lessons and move on to a new book. The one you really want to do now. Your book.

Bad Tips for Writers 004

Don't waste your time reading! Just write. You already
know how to read.

Make your motto: Shakespeare is dead. Get over it.

Perseverance Beats Talent... Most of the Time

I'm at a stage in my writing career where it's easy to forget what it was like starting out. Back then it seemed almost impossible.

There were thirty-four students in my high school freshman class. (A seminary. All boys.) By the time graduation rolled around there were only twelve of us. Some left voluntarily, deciding this wasn't the right spot for them. Others were... invited to leave.

All twelve graduates went on to professional careers. (Two were ordained.) And among those twelve there were some good writers. As talented as any seventeen- or eighteen-year-old can be. So why am I the one with a string of published books going back decades?

Part of the answer is the idea of a "vocation." A person is called to do what he or she loves to do and is good at doing. And by doing it over a long period of time, gets better at it.

When I left the seminary after my sophomore year in college I began taking classes in short story writing and novel writing at the University of Washington. After I graduated from U.W. I continued to write novels. To complete novels. To get better at writing and completing novels.

I don't mention this to brag. There's nothing to brag about. Some classmates did the same in the field of theology or law or counseling. They studied, they learned, they worked.

It takes work to become a priest, a lawyer, a counselor.

To become a writer.

To become a better writer.

To become a published writer.

I'll say to you what I would say to myself during some of those long years of not getting published, no matter how hard I tried: "I can't guarantee that I'll succeed but if I quit now I can guarantee that I fail."

Just keep writing!