Advice to Writers

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