|
The writing life is like a series
of vicious kicks in the teeth.
I guess I quoted Gardner once already, didn't I? Well, there's a reason for it --
or a couple, actually. 1) He's one of the most important editors in the specfic
business. 2) He's right.
I've participated in many, many online writing groups in the last 10+ years, and there
are a couple of things that come up over and over again, but probably most frequent is: how???
How do you get in, how do you stay in, how do you get the editors' attention, how do you sell
to pro markets, how come I'm not a successful writer yet, even though I've already written
four stories that my sister - Aunt Zelda - critique group - everyone's cousin - LOVED?
Simple. You learn how to take the kicks and roll with the punches. And you write better
than the rest. If you do that, if your stories have a true wow-factor, sooner or later
you won't be passed up. But even then, you're going to need patience and determination
and a very thick skin.
The essays on this page reflect my own experience in the business and are often answers to
the kinds of questions I've heard asked frequently in newsgroups and listservs and discussion
groups. I hope you can find some answers there.
Starting Out
Technique
Post-Story Questions
Villa Diodati Workshop | Clarion West 98 | Cutting Edges: Or, A Web of Women | Joe's Heartbeat in Budapest | The Aphra Behn Page | ECHO
Home | Publications | Fiction | Nonfiction | Writing | Gallery | Lit-arts.net | Links © Ruth Nestvold, 2007.
| |