Teale Blog
So how does one become a successful fiction writer? Part 3
Our last blog continued a conversation about creating success as a writer of fiction and I’d like to add a few more points to the discussion today. Successful Fiction Writers Ignore the Experts By the way, you could spend the next 10 years reading all the advice that’s ever been written by writers who have been asked to share their insights on how to write fiction. It would all serve to keep you from writing, however, so my suggestion is that you absorb whatever you feel is important from the countless novels you’ve been reading, find a short primer on how to write fiction, and dive in. You can learn as you go in this field and it’s quite possible that the less you are guided by the experts, the more interesting your work will be. If you truly want to be published by a traditional publishing house, though, your finished product needs to be exemplary. Fiction writing is a multi-layered, complex business. Who said there’s only one way to do it right? The authors I’ve admired most are not the ones who had a formula figured out, but rather are they the people whose world view taught me something about my own humanity. Be that kind of person. Live, hurt, feel, think. Make mistakes, lose your temper. Take us on your journey. Give us a piece of your heart and leak out the beatings of your soul. Honour your baggage and explore the many ways it’s holding you back now. Or did, at one point. Be humble and live your greatness. Ask questions for which you don’t know the answers. Ignore the experts and ignore your loved ones when they tell you to give up before you get hurt. Give yourself permission to bust out of the rules that surround you, and feel passionate about something. Anything. Dream. Dare. Cry and eat chocolate until you feel sick. Take some chances and take some classes. Watch what’s going on in the world around you and promise yourself that you will not forget how that feels. Know what the rules are and then throw them away. Laugh. Love. Cringe. Become so immersed in the story of your own life that you become sensitive to the stories woven in the tapestry surrounding you. Imagine. Fall. Tell the truth as you see it. And then shatter your own myths about who you are and who you are supposed to be. You can be whoever you choose to be. Make a choice. Be the biggest you it’s possible for you to be. And then help your characters do the same. They are aching to be unleashed. Can you free them? Only if you find a way to free that part of yourself that has been holding you back from your own success. But most of all, share with us, your readers what you’ve learned about Life. We are waiting for what you are dreaming about sharing. Please hurry! Have you started a novel? Would you like some help completing or editing it? I invite you to visit my business website to see some of the ways I work with authors and if you see something there that resonates with you, please get in touch!...
Read MoreSo how does one become a successful fiction writer? Part 2
Our last blog began the conversation about creating success as a writer of fiction and I’d like to add a few more points to the discussion today. Successful Fiction Writers Finish What They Start. It took me 13 years to finish my first novel. Thirteen years of a turbulent personal life that saw me the mother and step-mother of five children, and the doting owner of two wonderful dogs. I masterminded seven moves in 10 of those 13 years and I gave birth twice. I also walked my husband—who had been my high school sweetheart—to a traumatic death by stomach cancer. There were a lot of reasons not to finish my novel. It was a discouraging project that contributed not a penny to my family’s well-being. I fully understand why people give up. But what kept me going, aside from the encouragement of my family, was the thought that if I actually did give up I would never know if this was something I actually could do. It was my life’s dream to become a published author, the icing on the cake of a successful career as a business writer. And it was a very scary goal. But I think that success in any endeavour involves feeling the fear…and doing it anyway. No publisher will green light a half-finished manuscript. So if you’re feeling the supreme discouragement of the exhausting challenge of writing your novel, ask yourself this: how many other would-be authors gave up and are now living out their lives wishing they hadn’t given up on their dream? And how many successful authors started their writing careers feeling the exact same gripping fear of failure that you’ve been tripping on yourself? The difference between the successes and the failures is sometimes only the difference between wishing and deciding. They Edit Like Maniacs The amount of effort that goes into completing a work of fiction is monumental. Some of the authors whose work I have been privileged to edit thought they were done when they hired me to edit their manuscript. They had already invested countless hours in creating their opus, in making it the best they were capable of creating. That was me, too. When I sent my manuscript to my editor I had no clue there would still be so many errors to correct. After all, I had spent 13 years writing, re-writing, editing and agonizing over my characters and their stories. I was a professional writer, for pity’s sake! But my editor found areas where the motivation was unclear, the language was too wordy and she pinpointed areas where the details were missing. I labored long and hard over that baby. And then I started over at the beginning. There are some ego issues involved in working with an editor, by the way. Having someone else take a long hard look at your manuscript is like belly dancing on a busy street in your PJs. Every neurotic impulse you’ve ever had is on display, waiting for judgement. But being edited is not about you. It’s about your book, it’s about making that story the best it’s possible for it to be. Strong editing takes a good story and makes it incomparably better. Not everyone will love your finished, published book, by the way. Becoming a published author is a huge accomplishment that is sometimes met by catcalls and criticism. Don’t take it personally! Learn from the experience, continue improving your writing skills, and stay true to your own inner voice, the one that says “This is the kind of writer I am.” Not everyone is your perfect reader. Have you started a novel? Would you like some help completing or editing it? I invite you to visit my business website to see some of the ways I work with authors and if you see something there that resonates with you, please get in...
Read MoreFive Masterful Tips For Finishing the Book You’ve Decided to Write — Part Two
Last week’s blog started us out on an investigation of how to finish the book you’ve promised yourself to write and we covered four main ideas: become highly motivated, set up a writing schedule, locking yourself away and get professional help ;-). What else can you do? Read on! 5. Don’t worry about it. I decided about four years ago to write a book about writing but just couldn’t seem to get any traction on the project. The Write Way was finally published last fall. The actual writing took me less than six months (which I’m pretty proud of, considering I’m the self-employed widowed mother of three kids, two of whom are teenagers, and I have a house to look after as well as a handful of pets.) But I started every year for three of the past four years promising myself that this was the year I was going to write my book about writing. The first year I completed a very sketchy outline. The second year I completed a series of blog posts that I figured I could use in the book. The third year I was too busy to get at the project. And I felt terribly disappointed in myself. But here’s the cool thing: although it took me four years to go from deciding I wanted to write a book about writing to actually holding it in my hot little hands, they were years that were actually full of events that resulted in a much better book. During those years: I published two other books, which gave me a lot more credibility as the author of a book on writing than I would have had if I had led with that book Having written the first two books, I had an established relationship with my publisher when I finally completed the writing book, and that meant it was much easier to find an avenue for publication than it would have been if I had started with that book as well. ALSO during those four years, I did a lot more editing than I had been doing previously, which meant that the book I did end up writing was fleshed out by a solid section on working with an editor I became an expert at content marketing, which I didn’t know anything about four years earlier, and so I was able to include a section about that topic in the book as well. Finally, I did a whole lot of training in the area of fiction writing in those four years, and I wrote a lot of short stories, some of which received some fairly notable mention, and so a section on fiction became a part of my book on writing as well. So in the end, the book I ended up writing last year was a lot better than the book I would have written four years earlier. And even though it was frustrating for me to feel, at the time, that I wasn’t getting any traction on my book, and even though I felt disappointed in myself for not getting more done, there was Divine Timing involved and it all worked out the best way possible, in spite of my efforts to take control of the whole situation. May I invite you to remain open to the possibility that this might be a principal at work in your life as well? If you do decide you want some professional help with your book writing project, however, and you think I might be able to lend a hand, I further invite you to consider a few events I have coming up that revolve around book writing. First of all, I am holding a group Mastermind Day in Oakville, Ontario, on January 24th and it`s going to be an action-packed opportunity to make some very massive headway on your book. Up to three people will be able to spend the day locked in a room with me with absolutely nothing else to do but work on your book and enjoy a light lunch. I will bring every ounce of professional know-how to...
Read MoreFive Masterful Tips For Finishing the Book You’ve Decided to Write — Part One
I came upon an interesting statistic the other day that really gave me pause: almost 240 million Americans (81%) believe they have at least one book buried inside them waiting to come out. Roughly 40 million of those people (less than 20%) actually start writing that book. And how many are going to keep writing until they get to the words “The End?” Slightly less than two per cent! I found the statistics on abouttheauthornetwork.com (and full disclosure: my book writing profile is listed on that site). While these numbers related to a primarily American audience, I imagine they are also applicable to other English-speaking countries as well. I did a little more digging and turned up the statistic that about one in every 1,000-to-2,000 book manuscripts ever goes on to get published, but that’s another story for another day. I know from experience how difficult it can be to finish writing a book. My first novel, Shades of Teale, took me 13 years to complete. Now that my third book, The Write Way, has hit the shelves, I also know that it’s possible to speed the process substantially. If you’re feeling stalled on the road to publication of your own wonderful book, you might want to take a look at these suggestions for getting the job done: Boost your motivation. How badly do you want to finish your book? Trust me, the desire to complete your book manuscript has to become the driving force of your life. It has to become the most important project on your list and you need to pursue it with every fibre of your being, as though a posse of saltwater crocodiles are snapping at your heels and will have you for breakfast if you don’t finish and soon. Knowing why you want to complete the book is key here. Is it going to save lives, transform the world, or boost your business to a whole new level? Then why are you waiting? Set up a writing schedule. This doesn’t work for everybody but if you develop a great outline and set yourself some deadlines, and give yourself the gift of working on it consistently at the same time every week (or, better yet, every day!) then you will get it done. Alternatively, some people take their holiday time and lock themselves away at a nice secluded and hopefully somewhat boring location where they have nothing to do but write. No laundry to do, neighbours to chat with, bills to pay or grass to cut. Just you and your keyboard. I’ve done this myself, and it’s heavenly. Find an accountability partner. A lot of people I know set up an accountability partnership with a friend or colleague who is likewise afflicted with the desire to write a book. They meet on a regular basis for a set period of time and they produce chapters, or chunks of chapters, for each other’s review every time they meet. Having someone who expects results, and who is firmly supportive of your desire to complete your book, is a great help. Get professional help. Well, yes, writing a book can certainly strain one’s emotional resources, but I’m actually talking about hiring a book coach, like me, to help organize, prod, guide and inspire you in any way necessary to get that book complete. This can become a rather costly line item in your balance sheet but at least you can deduct it from your taxes if there is a business purpose to the expense. I have one more suggestion on this topic but you’re going to have to wait until next week – we writers like to add a little suspense to our...
Read MoreSo how does one become a successful fiction writer? Part 1
The answer to that question could fill oceans. Although some people might disagree, I am in the camp that says that becoming a good fiction writer stems from being a consistent reader. Read constantly and critically. Read for the joy of a good story and the lessons of an excellent writer. Somehow, in the process of reading, we absorb the conventions of writing and become experts in the field of what we like in a story and what we don’t like. In observing other writers, we learn what we like and what we don’t’ like. My favourite authors include Stephen Leacock, Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. Those wonderful writers brought plenty of keen observation and painful irony to their work and the humour of their words, where it existed, has survived the relentless pounding of the years. For me, their work is timeless. No matter which writers you favour, reading fiction helps expand the boundaries of your imagination. Writing is a creative process and there are those who believe that the output is closely related to the input. Read a lot and you will also find that the process of writing becomes easier. Reading a lot of crime fiction can help you understand what makes a crime thriller good. What elements need to be included and what absolutely must be absent? Trust your own judgement. And learn as much as you can about the process of writing in your genre. Successful Fiction Writers Write on a Regular Basis I began my professional writing career more than three decades ago and I’m still learning. The field is limitless and the opportunity to evolve is endless. But practice is crucial. It allows us to experiment with fitting words together and it allows us to do it find ways to improve. Theory and knowledge have their place, of course, but there is no substitute for practice. Ask any professional athlete or musician. Did they become virtuosos simply by knowing the theory of what they wanted to do? I think that 10,000 hours of practice gives us a big leg up. My writing clients are all busy people. They have careers and families, charitable interests and big commitments. Most have had to make a decision to write their book No. Matter. What. It’s challenging and it requires driving a massive stake in the ground and promising yourself you are going to make it happen. The amount of self-doubt that can accompany the decision to write a novel is immense. So the decision to write anyway, is an act of courage. If you are contemplating writing a novel, may I invite you to take a big breath and do it anyway – no matter what your mother, your partner, your friends or your inner demons have to say on the issue. You can do it if you decide you can. If you would like to order a copy of either my novel, “Shades of Teale” or my book of creative non-fiction stories, “Passages to Epiphany,” you can either get in touch with me directly at susan@crossmancommunications.com or find them on...
Read MoreWhat Goes into a Good Story? Part 2
Our last blog post started a conversation about what I think goes into a good story and I’d like to add more to the discussion today. I don’t think this is an exhaustible topic by any means and I admire, and learn from, people in many walks of life who use stories in their communication. In terms of a novel, however, there are a few things that probably should be present and here are a few more ideas: Make Sure to Include Conflict The more impossible the conflict is, the more interesting your novel will be. Sad to say, there is nothing more boring in a novel than a character whose life is in perfect order, whose relationships are all smooth and sunny and who has always loved their job. For pity’s sake, give them flaws and weaknesses, enemies and inadequacies. Show us the scheming uncle, the mean-spirited mother, the spouse with no backbone and the cousin who is out to take your character’s meagre savings of. Engage us with drama and intrigue! Give yourself permission to say things that are not nice! That’s what keeps us reading. There have always been two sides to a story. Good and Evil. Make sure we know which one is which. If there aren’t any suitable characters to rage against, make sure your character has a good dose of conflict with someone or something. They can be pitted against Fate or God, Technology, Nature, the Supernatural, or even, God help us, themselves. Let’s have fear and anxiety, insecurity and failure. It all makes for wonderful reading. Symbolism If you want to have fun with your story, be sure to use a little symbolism. There are reams of information available online about symbols and symbolism but to be honest, I don’t think many of us want to be overwhelmed with it all the time. My favourite use of symbolism is subtle, gradual, so that I see the round table at which the lovers sit and think “Ahhh—Eternity!” But please don’t give us all another black cat to ponder. That was probably old in Methuselah’s time. Foreshadowing I think foreshadowing is a lovely technique for waking up the dark recesses of the brain and, again, it requires a gentle touch. If it’s too obvious, your readers will know the end game before we’re half way through, and if you’re too ham-fisted it won’t be fun to read what you’ve written. But subtle clues keep us on the edge of our seats, holding our breath, and wondering, “Was the author foreshadowing the character’s death? Or not?” Give us the delight of not knowing! Theme I love working with themes and I quite often use them in my business writing, as well as in fiction. Ideally, a theme is like a quiet river of thought running underneath the texture of the words. A theme is a central idea or insight that unifies your story. Take “loyalty,” for example. You might highlight the abuse of loyalty through the actions of one character and its desirability through the actions of another. It might be pure and sweet in the behaviour of a child and completely disregarded in the mind of a miserly grocer. But think about what you want to say about loyalty (or whatever theme you’re playing with) and bring that commentary out through the interaction of your characters. Have you started a novel? Would you like some help completing or editing it? I invite you to visit my business website to see some of the ways I work with authors and if you see something there that resonates with you, please get in touch!...
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