Take Control of Your Writing

When writing fiction, sometimes it seems the author has little to no control: before we're published, it can be a challenge to get noticed, or receive the contest scores we think we might deserve.

Once we're published, a whole new host of issues crops up. We may feel stuck or pressured to write a better book than the last one. We can receive bad reviews. Or our books might not be priced well or carried in major chain stores (or not make it to the shelves on release day). Also, the market can  change so rapidly, an author can struggle to keep up. 

Wherever you are in your writing journey, there can be a sense of helplessness about writing, but the truth is, we do have considerable control . The key is to focus on what you can control.

• Finishing manuscripts. Some authors work on a single novel for years, striving to get it to the place where it's publishable. While polishing and editing are valuable and admirable, I suggest that we keep trying new things. Editors will sometimes contract books that aren't perfect, knowing they can help shape the story. With each new book, we hone our skills. Which takes me to the next point:
• Growing and Learning! Attend conferences and workshops. Read books, articles, and blog posts on the craft.  Follow agents, editors, and writing groups on Social Media. Yes, the market does change, sometimes rapidly, so determine how to keep abreast of new preferences. Joining a national chapter can be an invaluable resource in these areas.
• Choosing Your Why. You alone can answer this question. Why are you writing? What is it you need to say, and how is God calling you to use this gift? How do you see success differing in God's eyes, compared to the world's eyes? When you answer that question, you have a purpose for your goal of writing, and it can help you stay on track.
• Stop Worrying About Everyone Else! By this, I don't mean to ignore other authors' work--not at all! But stop comparing yourself to others who are more or less successful than you are. You are on your own journey. They are on theirs. Focus on You, Your Writing, Your Why.
• Reading! Read the genre you want to publish. Read outside of your genre. Reading molds our writing. Keep at it!

These won't guarantee success, of course, but they can help us take control of our journeys and feel as if we do indeed have power. 

And those things over which we have no or little control? One last thing:

• Talk to your agent or a mentor (don't have a mentor? Try a writing conference and ask someone experienced to share some insight!). Rely on others for advice and support. 

But some things, alas, are totally out of the author's control. Learn from each situation as best you can, handle it with integrity, and let it go...into the Lord's hands.

What other suggestions would you add to the list?

Ten Tips for Aspiring Authors

A quick google search will turn up all sorts of tips for how to get published. Here are ten tips that were either shared with me or that I learned along the way.

1. Join a writing group, like American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, or another group tailored to your particular genre. The resources are innumerable. Joining groups allowed me to learn the industry, improve my craft, attend national conferences, and perhaps most important, make friends!
2. Join a Critique Group. Peer groups are priceless, and critique relationships are essential. I don't know a single author who doesn't have a peer critique partner (or several!) if not a group.
3. Be Teachable. Learn from others with more experience, and study areas where you know you need to grow. There are several ways to do this: attending workshops on craft or aspects of the writing business; reading blog posts, articles, and books on writing; and allowing your work to receive constructive criticism. That leads to my next point...
4. Enter Contests. When I started writing, I had no idea what strangers thought of my writing. The best way I knew to get unbiased feedback was to enter writing contests for unpublished romance writers. The first results I received were not great, I'll be honest with you. But I kept at it. Then in 2008, I was shocked to be a finalist in the Faith Hope & Love Touched by Love Contest. Just as valuable as that final? The feedback I received. I entered more contests, and sometimes the criticism was painful--but most of the time, I felt the judge was right and I learned from it. I also learned what I was doing right. That sort of info is gold.
5. Develop a thicker skin. Some of the constructive criticism doesn't always feel "constructive." It can feel rotten. Most judges are experienced with judging all kinds of stories fairly, honestly, and as objectively as possible, but...sometimes the feedback feels personal. Or is delivered tersely or downright cruelly (I've heard stories!). As one fellow writer told me, we have to learn how to separate the meat from the bones. Take what you can from all feedback and discard the rest. It's your story.
6. Keep Writing. This sounds like a no-brainer, but we need to write daily (or almost daily) for several reasons: we can't sell a book if we never finish one. Also, daily writing helps us improve our craft and get into a routine.
7. Do your research on your targeted publisher(s). Unless you're planning to self-publish, consider who you're writing for, not just in terms of audience but also in terms of editors/publishers. Most traditional and indie publishers have guidelines for what they will and will not receive, in what format, at what word count, etc. Write to the guidelines. 
8. Keep reading! Read the genre you're writing. Read books outside of your genre, too! Iron sharpens iron, and reading published authors improves our writing.
9. Have a presence on social media. True, this has nothing to do with writing, but in our day and age, an online presence is mandatory. Agents and editors often wish to look up a prospective author to see how they interact with readers, whether or not they're professional in their conduct, etc. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, blogging, you name it--you don't have to do them all, but find a few that work for you and stick to those!
10. Keep Going! Start and finish stories...plural intended! Most authors I know did not publish their first novel...at least not at first. Their second, third, or thirteenth novels are what sold them. Yes, thirteenth. Persistence is key. So is the ability to set the dream of one story aside and start on a new one. And a new one after that. Nothing is ever wasted, so don't mourn when something doesn't get published. You don't know what God has in store for it. Want proof? It happened to me, with The Reluctant Guardian.

What about you? What would you add to this list?