"So you want to be a writer..."
Aug. 5th, 2004 10:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brightrosefoxFrom George R.R. Martin's official website (http://www.georgerrmartin.com)
"Given the realities of today's market in science fiction and fantasy, I would also suggest that any aspiring writer begin with short stories. These days, I meet far too many young writers who try to start off with a novel right off, or a trilogy, or even a nine-book series. That's like starting in at rock climbing by tackling Mt. Everest. Short stories help you learn your craft. They are a good place for you to make the mistakes that every beginning writer is going to make. And they are still the best way for a young writer to break in, since the magazines are always hungry for short SF and fantasy stories. Once you've been selling short stories for five years or so, you'll have built up a name for yourself, and editors will start asking you about that first novel."
Good advice. I may decide to start a few mini stories about Dana and company, and then incorporate them into the book. Might help me finish the whole thing quicker. I did it all the time when I was much younger -- right after the Ninja Turtles came out when I was nine. I would attack my electric typewriter with hundreds of two-page and three-page blurbs called "Scenes From:(insert story title)". The actual stories never got written. It was just short bursts of character action. Really got my imagination going. The fanfics -- although I didn't know what they were at the time -- got better after the movies arrived (always right around my birthday -- eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth). Even then I used to torture the characters. I was already adding my own and creating my own worlds for the ready-made copyrighted characters to interact with. I got my first computer when I was fourteen. Oh, that was lovely.
I really, truly, badly want this book done. It's going so slowly, because it's evolving as I evolve and it's starting to annoy me. Aren't I evolved enough? It's driving me nuts. I'm a writer, damnit! I've been at it since I was five years old! I should know how this works by now!
*grumbles, goes back to the writing*
Oh... yeah. At this moment I am writing a new scene, and it is flowing really well. Those moments are getting stronger. I think I need to really start doing yoga as a real practice instead of just a part-time hobby. It's all stress. Life is getting to me. I must center myself. Focus. Remind myself of those college days when I'd spend four hours straight typing till my fingers ached. I will be there again. Not want. Will.
I will.
Pardon me while I channel some Wiccan wisdom for a moment:
As I will it, so mote it be.
There. That should do something. Words always have power. Magic. Isn't that the point of words?
"Given the realities of today's market in science fiction and fantasy, I would also suggest that any aspiring writer begin with short stories. These days, I meet far too many young writers who try to start off with a novel right off, or a trilogy, or even a nine-book series. That's like starting in at rock climbing by tackling Mt. Everest. Short stories help you learn your craft. They are a good place for you to make the mistakes that every beginning writer is going to make. And they are still the best way for a young writer to break in, since the magazines are always hungry for short SF and fantasy stories. Once you've been selling short stories for five years or so, you'll have built up a name for yourself, and editors will start asking you about that first novel."
Good advice. I may decide to start a few mini stories about Dana and company, and then incorporate them into the book. Might help me finish the whole thing quicker. I did it all the time when I was much younger -- right after the Ninja Turtles came out when I was nine. I would attack my electric typewriter with hundreds of two-page and three-page blurbs called "Scenes From:(insert story title)". The actual stories never got written. It was just short bursts of character action. Really got my imagination going. The fanfics -- although I didn't know what they were at the time -- got better after the movies arrived (always right around my birthday -- eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth). Even then I used to torture the characters. I was already adding my own and creating my own worlds for the ready-made copyrighted characters to interact with. I got my first computer when I was fourteen. Oh, that was lovely.
I really, truly, badly want this book done. It's going so slowly, because it's evolving as I evolve and it's starting to annoy me. Aren't I evolved enough? It's driving me nuts. I'm a writer, damnit! I've been at it since I was five years old! I should know how this works by now!
*grumbles, goes back to the writing*
Oh... yeah. At this moment I am writing a new scene, and it is flowing really well. Those moments are getting stronger. I think I need to really start doing yoga as a real practice instead of just a part-time hobby. It's all stress. Life is getting to me. I must center myself. Focus. Remind myself of those college days when I'd spend four hours straight typing till my fingers ached. I will be there again. Not want. Will.
I will.
Pardon me while I channel some Wiccan wisdom for a moment:
As I will it, so mote it be.
There. That should do something. Words always have power. Magic. Isn't that the point of words?
