Are you an aspiring new writer with a completed
manuscript or even just a great idea for a novel, and absolutely no idea
where to go from there? If you'd like more in-depth answers to your questions
than I can offer on this web page, please see my
The Writer in YOU page for
details !
I am frequently
asked how I got started writing. Well, I couldn't NOT write. I
have so many stories to tell, I have to write! The entire process
can seem overwhelming to beginners, though. Here are a few tips for those of
you who have stories of your own to tell but need a little help getting them
down on paper.
First of all, find a
special working space that's yours alone. That might be just a corner of the
kitchen where you can sit undisturbed with a notepad and pencil or a word
processor, or an extra bedroom that also doubles as your sewing room. For many
years, I had an office in my home. However, since I've expanded to need more
room than is available there, I've moved into the building housing the family
small business (Michigan
Mold, Inc.). Pictured on this page is my office, with a very modern work
space surrounded by the antique furnishings of a Victorian parlor, to get me
into the "mood" of the historical period in which I set my novels.
It's tough getting
started, but, first and foremost, you must write every day! When I first
started writing seriously in 1979, I was secretary to the manager of a nuclear
power plant, wife, and mother of two growing sons. "Free" time was
severely limited, so I traded sleep for hours at the typewriter-- sometimes, I
would wake up with my head on the keys! Now that I have established myself as a
writer and can pursue it full-time, I am usually up by 5:00 a.m. and write
until noon, then more from 2:00 - 4:00, including weekends. No days off when I
am working on a book!
Where do I get my ideas?
Most come from research. Maintaining authenticity and keeping the flavor of the
time period is very important to me; many
readers have written to thank me for
the "painless" history lessons contained in my stories. Conversely,
if I make any type of error, my readers politely but firmly point them out to
me. Over the past 20 years, therefore, I have collected a vast personal library
of historical and reference books, and am a member of such organizations as:
the Mid-Michigan
Romance Writers of America,
The Council on America's
Military Past, Oregon-California Trails Association,
Romance Writers of
America®, Western Writers of America,
Women Writing the
West, the Nebraska
State Historical Society, and the
Montana
Historical Society. My husband and I also make frequent research trips to
the locales I'm writing about so that I can get a "feel" for the
settings. In turn, places I have visited and even seemingly minor footnotes in
the history books have sparked "what ifs" for future books. As for
characters--most pop to life from my imagination, but occasionally, a
suggestion from a fan sparks a description, as in the case of
Wandering Star, a handsome young Native
American boy who is the son of one of my readers.
When you
have a completed, polished manuscript in hand, it's time to contact a publisher
or agent (I sold my first 15 books without an agent.). Familiarize yourself
with the market, write to the various publishers for their tip sheets and
authors' guidelines, and go for it! Don't let rejections get you down. I
collected 100 rejection slips for my first nine novels before I made my first
sale. But, when I was rejected, I got mad, not discouraged. I thought,
"This is a good story. Somebody is going to want it."
Perseverance paid off in 1982 when I made my first sale, Sweet Prairie
Passion, my ninth manuscript which became Book #1 of the
Savage Destiny Series. I have since
reworked several of those first unsold manuscripts for publication, and the
rest reside in a drawer for possible future use!
How do you know what
publishers to contact and how to get those all-important tip sheets? The first
places to start are your favorite bookstores, and your local library. Seek out
books that fit the type you have written, and copy the publisher's name and
address from the copyright page. Most publishers also have web sites, and list
their writers' guidelines on-line--all you have to do is print them out. Or,
look for helpful how-to books such as: Writers Market Guide &
Fiction Writers Market and Inside Guide to Book Editors,
Publishers, and Literary Agents. These books are updated every year, so
ask for the latest edition.
You might also
want to check out the Romance Writers of America® website for
information about membership, which includes a subscription to their magazine,
Romance Writers Report, and info about local RWA writers' groups.
Most of all, you
must be dedicated and determined. Don't give up, and good luck!
You might also be
interested in reading my new article, Please ...
Just Write!! -- Today's Technology and the Business of Writing
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