Cutting Your Teeth

CUTTING YOUR TEETH

by StephB

I’ve been writing seriously for about ten years now. I love writing genre fiction and every genre has its own rules and quirks. But writing for publication takes patience, oodles and oodles of it. So as a writer who wants to see their project published, you have to be patient.

There are two ways to get published – you can self-publish or go the traditional route. Going the traditional route can be very rewarding, but this path requires a healthy dose of patience.

Thorny little word to an author who wants to see their manuscript published RIGHT NOW, isn’t it. Patience.

I’m striving to go the traditional route. Why? Time. Help. I have no time. (I’m a working, married Mom with two young boys.) A traditional publisher usually offers advances, pays royalties, and helps with marketing and publicity. (By self publishing, you’ll have to hustle to do all this and if you lack the time, it’s hard.) Also, I’m a writer who wants to write. While I understand the business side of publishing, I want to focus on writing, and using a traditional publisher will help with that.

To attract a traditional publisher, you have to hone your craft. Some writers are naturals, but it's taken me several years to master the art of telling a story. Crafting a story that will grab attention is not easy. Read a lot of the types of stories you wish to tell. If you write romances, read a lot of romances. You’ll be able to discern if your writing is up to par with traditional publishing by reading what is traditionally published. Along with reading, keep in mind that writing is 10% writing and 90% editing. You must master self-editing skills. A first draft of a novel is usually you, the writer, getting to know your characters. Expect to edit it.

A literary agent can help you put your foot in the door in the traditional publishing world. They have the same high standards the publishing houses do. Getting an agent to represent you gets your foot half-way in the door.

One of the things I’ve done to help me hone my writing skills is to enter writing contests. I’m very selective about the contests I choose. Writer’s Digest sponsors the best contests I’ve come across. They host two contests a year that I strive to enter: Popular Fiction and the Annual Competition which features ten categories. (They also have a flash fiction contest called short shorts and a poetry contest.) Last year, I entered my story, “Spontaneous Decision” in the Mainstream/Literary category of the 77th Annual WD Competition. This contest usually receives 17,000 entries a year. My story took 8th place in this category. (My story, “The Watch Tower” took 22nd in Genre Fiction.) I was pleasantly stunned.

Ten years of patience is starting to pay off. I’m writing those caliber of stories that will attract attention. For my 8th place win, I received a free year’s subscription to WD, a certificate and $25.00. As an added bonus, I’ve had two literary agents approach me, asking me to query my next project with them. Currently, I’m waiting to hear back from those agents regarding my project.

My patience is paying off. Keep writing, keep reading, and master self-editing skills. Challenge yourself to take your writing to the next level. Enter writing contests to hone your storytelling abilities. Study writing techniques. Even an honorable mention in a writing contest is a writing credit that might impress a literary agent. The Writer’s Digest Annual Competition has ten separate categories. They have a grand prize winner, list the top ten in each category, (who win monetary prizes) and give out honorable mention certificates to the top 11-100 winners in each categories. Out of 17,000 entries that’s recognizing 1,000 entries.

Here’s a list of my writing credits:

8th Place, Mainstream/Literary, 77th Annual WD Competition for “Spontaneous Decision.”

Note1 Honorable Mention, Romance, 2007 WD Popular Fiction Competition for “The Wolf’s Kiss.”

Note1 Honorable Mention, Thriller/Suspense, 2007 WD Popular Fiction Competition for “The Peenemunde Secret.”

Note1 Honorable Mention, Genre Fiction, 77th Annual WD Competition for “The Watch Tower.”

Note1 Honorable Mention, Genre Fiction, 76th Annual WD Competition for “Red Paint, Crimson Blood.”

Note1 Honorable Mention, Genre Fiction, 75th Annual WD Competition for “The Music Box.”

Note1 Self Published: “The Wolf’s Torment,” 2007, IUniverse. 4 stars, ForeWord/Clarion Reviews.
Note1 “Destination:Berlin,” 2001, IUniverse. “A tauntly written suspense.” Midwest Book Reviews.

© Copyright 2009 StephB buzzing around (UN: sgcardin at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.