Novel Writing Made Less Impossible Introduction Continued: What you MUST Do and Your End Goal

When people decide to write a novel (or novella, short story, what have you), the imagination kicks in ... and I'm not talking about what it takes to put a cohesive plot together.

No -- and I do this too -- we all start imagining the glorious -- and often unrealistic -- results of our completing the work.

We're going to receive an amazingly glowing review from the [fill in the blank of whom you feel publishes the most prestigious literary review], we will sell the story to Hollywood where the film outgrosses any other film ever made, we will sell a million copies on the day it is released, we will spawn a toy line, we will sell a million copies in pre-order and then more on the day of release, we ill do the talk show circuit, our favorite actor and/or supermodel will start sexting us, and our moms will get off our backsides about our choice of career.

Let me know when Glinda of Oz transforms you into Stephen King, okay? But until then, the rest of us have got to work.

In reality, there's only TWO THINGS that I believe you really need to do to succeed in this game.

First of all, WRITE!

A writer who doesn't write regularly is like a wannabe musician who doesn't play their instrument or a vocalist who never sings. The very act of writing makes you a better writer.

Whether it's for fifteen minutes or all day and all night (minus bathroom breaks in my case ... and a lot of them, I'll have you know), you must exercise those writing muscles. Even if your day's output is sheer garbage, you now have it out of your system and can do far better when you try it again. And you say you don't have time? You have to wait for your muse to tap you lightly upon the shoulder and request your kind attention? You cannot write until all the stars are in alignment and your favorite TV show is over and you're about to get that high score in your newest video game?Stick around and I'll sort you out too. The path of writing righteousness -- and no more excuses -- awaits.

Second, and just as importantly, READ! You MUST read. Read your newspaper or magazines or your favored daily news source. That helps to feed your imagination. Read books on writing because you will never receive a better chance to learn from those who plowed the road before you. Read what you love to read. Why should learning be dull? Read what you hate because you want to know what traps to avoid in your story. Study the work that takes your breath away and analyze why it works. Study confusing tales and ask why they didn't sweep you off your feet.

Now what's your End Goal? For the sake of this blog -- and I'm sure it's true for many of you -- the End Goal is to GET INTO PRINT!

Whether you place your manuscript with a publishing house of any size or you decide to do it all yourself, the ultimate destination for your work is in front of as many eyes as possible ... preferably paying ones. (If you just want to write for your own pleasure, you're welcome to stick around ... however, I'll be aiming most of my advice to those would-be writers who would like to see some kind of payment for their efforts, aside from the warm glow that only comes from accomplishment ... this Freelancer recognizes that success is not measured in just one way ... but we like money and just the same, hope you get some benefit from this blog)

Also, publication is good for the soul, the ego, and occasionally the wallet. It's a great benchmark for achievement, which might be a more apropos word that "success."

As this blog evolves, I'll happily share what little I know about the process with you in order to demystify it and demonstrate that this writing career thing is very, very do-able.

NEXT WEEK: Killing Your Excuses: "I Don't Have the Time."

#BrianKMorris #Writing #StephenKing #Reading #Gettingpublished