What should an aspiring writer know? Practical advice. Tips for Aspiring Writers: A Book from Idea to Publication On Words, Living and Dead

The profession of a writer seems amazing: a person creates the world, publishes books, and if they seem interesting, then he gets good money. Domestic practice shows that literary creativity is more a vocation than a profession. In this article, we will figure out how to become a writer.

Who is the real writer?

Writer is a person who creates works intended for public consumption. For this type of activity, he receives remuneration. Another form of this activity is the recognition of a person by the writing community, critics, or obtaining another expert assessment.

Is it a hobby or profession

The writer must be:

Able-bodied - between the ideas in the head and the book in the cover there are hours of work. Competent - not a single proofreader will correct a huge number of mistakes. Diligent - the ideas that have arisen must be able to present them beautifully. To do this, you will have to spend many hours at the computer. Educated - many authors keep diaries in which they enter beautiful speeches, sensations, skits, etc. They will need this material for work. Be able to express their thoughts, feelings, mood.

A writer can be a person who has talent. Appropriate skills can be developed, a sense of style can be instilled. However, teaching a person to beautifully transfer an idea from head to paper is very difficult. But probably.

Is it possible to make money on this

Usually publishers pay 10% of the cost of a copy, and retailers make a 100% markup. The author receives approximately 5% of the cost of the book on the shelf. Novice writers publish works in the amount of 2-4 thousand copies. If the fee per unit is 10 rubles, then from this amount you can get 40 thousand rubles. You can also sell books via the Internet, setting the price yourself. All profits will be fully owned by the author. Circulation will depend on the popularity of the work.

How to start a writing career

Writing, like any art form, is built on clear rules. To become a writer and make a living from this occupation, you will have to drive yourself into the framework of terms and topics. But first, a lot of work needs to be done. 1. Choose a genre and your style A correctly chosen genre is a 100% hit in the target audience. Many authors feel that narrowing the work down to one genre will deprive them of potential readers. This thesis does not apply to novice authors. If the latter does not want to define the genre, then he confuses the potential reader, that is, the buyer. The reader wants to purchase a particular product. If in a matter of seconds the author cannot explain what book he created, then the reader will leave without buying. 2. Make at least 10 attempts Beginning and successful writers alike often face the challenge of maintaining their "unique" view of the world. Before reaching the writer's Olympus, one must study what humanity has already chosen. Then the author's view will become truly original. In an attempt to ignore the culture of mankind, the writer risks being left alone with his vision. You need to constantly write. A lot and about everything, try to choose the right words. Try to keep a fresh look at literature. The best way to do this is to use wit. In order not to get lost halfway, you need to believe in yourself and your strengths, write as sincerely and well as possible. 3. Analyze the result Try to keep a fresh look at literature. It will depend on whether the reader wants to study your book and tell others about it. To do this, you need to compare your work with the work of a famous author. This move worked well with the editor. If a person at the first meeting says that he writes in the spirit of Saltykov-Shchedrin, then it becomes clear to publishers that they have an author who seeks to create an artistic and political satire. Finding style icons is important not only for comparison, but also for further learning.

4. Listen to the opinions of others Provide your work for study not only to the editor, but also to relatives. If they offer constructive criticism. Then you should listen to her. Unless you contacted the all-knowing "hacker". You need to be able to distinguish the opinion of amateurs, from people with professional and life experience, and listen to the latter. Then work on the mistakes, that is, on editing the style and the availability of the presentation. The editor's tips are very useful. Most often, he receives a raw product with a large number of errors. Its task is to correct the shortcomings and create a stylistically competent and light text. Sometimes it is quite sharp and tough. Because in many respects the final success of the book depends on the results of his work. 5. Listen to yourself - is it yours or not The success of the essay depends on the ability of the author to transfer the reader to the center of events. People don't care about the hardships you experienced as a child. If you can make the reader feel like what is happening, learn a lesson, then the book will be successful. Another question is whether you can do this in an accessible way as an author. You need to listen to your inner voice. 6. Keep writing no matter what Popularity is the result of painstaking work on the bugs. Becoming a writer is very difficult. Not everything depends on diligence and “training”. You can sit at least for 6 hours with a laptop and a voice recorder, but as a result you get a dull work. Not always the desire to write coincides with the talent of a person. If you put in the effort, improve your skills, read a lot, write even more and try yourself in different styles, then the chance of success increases significantly. 7. Come up with a pseudonym for yourself An author with a beautiful name is easier to remember. How to come up with an alias:

Determine which part of the name you want to leave, for example, instead of Alexander - San. Choose a name that matches the genre. Initials are more suitable for a fantasy author, and “soft” names that will sound nice for a literary creator. Come up with several beautiful pseudonyms and give yourself time to study each of them. Choose the one that you liked the most.

8. Try to publish your creations Publishing a book costs a lot of money. Even after passing through a rigorous selection of works and adjusting the style, no one can provide a guarantee of cost recovery. In addition, the works of beginners are published in a small circulation. Therefore, editors advise starting with social networks and special online platforms. Electronic publication saves the author from several degrees of stumbling: he can go out to his circle of readers and test various literary works. J. K. Rowling received 8 rejections before publishing the Harry Potter manuscript, and the Austrian publisher found the work of E. L. James "50 Shades of Grey" on a fan fiction forum.

9. Hold a literary evening of your work Another way to find your reader and listen to the opinions of critics is to participate in a literary evening of works. First, you should visit the event of a famous author, get acquainted with the "literary elite", listen to current topics. The evening follows two scenarios: either fans read the author's favorite works, or the "idol" himself reads new works. Meetings are also practiced at which authors writing in different directions speak. Aspiring creators at such events share their sketches and listen to the opinions of professionals, including literary critics. Becoming a writer requires great talent and self-discipline. You need to clearly understand what kind of prose you want to get, have an example before your eyes and follow it. The most difficult thing for a writer is to complete the work. This cannot be done without patience. All really good books are striking in their plausibility. The reader seems to experience all the events and emotions himself. Only a good writer can give all this to people.

If you want to write a novel in three parts but don't know where to start, just sit down and start writing. This is the main advice that can be given to a beginner. This includes not only the creation of works, but also keeping diaries, blogs, letters to relatives, etc.

It is not necessary to describe the events in chronological order. The writer is the creator! First you can come up with an ending, and then the story itself. The Russian language is very rich. Try to use unexpected metaphors and comparisons when creating works. It is very difficult to keep more than three characters in your head. Therefore, it is better to create a short description for each of them. Names should be chosen that are different from each other, but at the same time characterize the characters. Works with unexpected endings are strongly embedded in memory and evoke a lot of emotions. The finished work should be given to someone to read. If it is not possible to use the services of proofreaders, it is better to give the work to friends and acquaintances, but do it anonymously in order to get an objective assessment.

This is how Stephen King creates his works. The author needs to have two copies of his work: a draft and a final version. The first must be created without anyone's help behind a closed door. It will take time to transform all expressed thoughts into a work. At that time, the writer advises to completely change the type of activity or leave to rest. The book should lie down for at least six weeks in a closed box. After the specified time, the first corrections to the text are carried out: all typos and inconsistencies are corrected. The main goal of re-reading the work is to understand whether the text is completely connected. The formula of the second copy of the manuscript = First option - 10%. Only after reaching this proportion, the book gets on the table to the proofreader.

How to quickly want to write if the muse has left you

Anyone can leave inspiration. How to be in this case:

Are you worried about some burning question? Try to understand it yourself and help others to do it. Stephen King recommends writing for one ideal reader. After all, it is no coincidence that the books that have come down to us from ancient times are a letter to one person (“To Myself” by M. Aurelius). There are no bad sketches. The task of the writer is to polish the text well. The source can be anything. Trust your intuition. Inspiration can come at any moment. Try to grab onto it and use it to the maximum, and then work with the result. One more nuance: inspiration comes during work. Work at 110%. Write about what interests you personally. Then other people will find something familiar in the written.

Develop your literary talent all the time

The job of an author is not to create ideas, but to recognize them. There is no Repository of Ideas or Bestseller Island. Good ideas literally come from nowhere. The task of the author is to recognize them. When a poet writes, he creates an essay for himself, when he corrects it, he creates it for readers. At this point, it is important to remove all unnecessary. Then the work will become interesting for other readers. The writer must develop his vocabulary. But by reading. A spelling dictionary is best placed on a shelf with tools. Stephen King believes that any work can be spoiled by adding a bunch of long words to it. The author should express thoughts quickly and directly. A good description is the key to success. It is an acquired skill that can only be learned by reading and writing a lot. Description is a visualization of an object, characters, objects, which begins with the words of the author and must end in the imagination of the reader.

How to be a good children's writer

Making children's books is a trendy but challenging endeavor. The perception of a child is not the same as that of an adult. They do not need trendy, but interesting books. A poet of children's books has a great responsibility. They should not contain violence, cruelty, bullying. The children's psyche is not yet formed, so it is difficult for them to understand irony and sarcasm. The children's author must clearly know the audience. The younger she is, the simpler the stories should be and the brighter the characters. Toddlers perceive fairy tales well, and older children perceive intricate stories.

I want to become a famous writer, how to achieve this

Make sure you really want to be a writer and are willing to work towards it. Without self-confidence, it will be very difficult to move on. Read as much as possible. Alternate short stories with serious masterpieces. This will greatly expand your vocabulary. Write a 10-page story in 10 days. Use your imagination to the fullest. Keep a diary for a future "bestseller" and fill out one page in it every day. It doesn't matter if it's fiction or documentary. The diary is needed to hone your skills. Provide your creations to the general public. You can start promoting the book yourself, via the Internet. Listen to constructive criticism. Write down short abstracts for yourself and leave them in a prominent place. Try to create real heroes and love your characters. Write about everything that interests you!

Today there are no problems with publication: almost everyone can find a publishing house, of which there are a great many, and print their work. But after all, printing a work is the final, but far from the main part of the process.

Remember that the answer to the question of how to write a book lies in the talent and ability of each author. If he has them, then you can count on the success of the work. Moreover, in addition to this, you also need the desire to write and learn how to correctly formulate your thoughts into a “written word”. After all, it is not always possible to correctly express our emotions and ideas in literary language: this requires some knowledge and skills.

As a rule, if a novice writer does not know where to start writing a book, things do not go further than the idea. The desire to learn and the ability to find the necessary information are one of the guarantees that things will get off the ground. We will try to help you with this.

First of all, decide what your story will be about, in what genre it should be written. Perhaps you are interested in a poetic form or prose, maybe your idea will be adequately interpreted in the form of diary entries, an essay, or even a whole novel. A very important issue, which is directly related to the success of your work in reading circles, is the relevance of the topic you have chosen.

Of course, the answer to the question of how to write a book is not limited to the choice of topic and form of the work. The author must be well versed in the topic that he is going to cover. In order to decide on this, you can choose several topics that you would like to reveal, and from them - already the one that is more to your liking. Moreover, knowledge in this area should be as thorough as possible.

In addition, you must clearly understand the potential audience that your work may be interested in. The fact is that the goal set and the circle of intended readers form the style of the book and its direction as a whole. You know that popular science literature is very different from children's or fiction. The reader is your addressee, and the language of presentation should be clear to him.

Remember that in the question of how to learn to write books, you should not rush to choose a name and structure. As a rule, during the creation of a work, many new thoughts, ideas, even storylines arise. The writer is a creative person, because it was not for nothing that Leo Tolstoy wrote about his novel “Anna Karenina” (approximate quote): “Imagine, my Anna took it and threw herself under the train.” The line of the hero or the plot as a whole develops independently and prompts the author of the logical ending of the work.

Remember that the title of the work is a very important element, because it attracts the reader and "provokes" him to read or not read the book. Therefore, the choice of the headline must be taken very responsibly and postponed until a later date, when the entire text is ready.

In that, the main place is occupied by the issue of creating the main content of the work. You should not limit yourself to any deadlines: it often takes more time than you initially think. The flight of fancy has no limits, therefore it is impossible to predict how long it will take you to write a book. It is better to count with a margin.

As you have noticed, the creation of a literary work is a very complex and lengthy process that requires a lot of effort and knowledge. Therefore, a novice writer needs not only to know how to write a book, but also to correctly use the information received.

What can you write a book about? How not to get lost in the plot? Do I need to wait for inspiration to create a truly masterpiece? Almost all young writers are tormented by such questions. The tips for a novice writer, collected in this article, will answer them, cheer them up and help them cope with the difficulties that await authors at different stages of their creative life.

8 Secrets of Writing

Read a lot

To learn how to write books well, you need to read as much as possible. It is never too late to get acquainted with the world classics, to delve into the literary process. Reading different literature, it will become clear which genres, trends, authors are more drawn to, and which ones are generally neutral.

Do not neglect the current wave of the reader's mainstream. What do people read on the subway? Which product is being talked about more on social media? It is important to understand what the modern public wants, what are the literary trends, but not to succumb to the temptation to borrow the style of a popular author.

Don't wait for inspiration

There is an opinion that you need to write books only when the muse comes. This is bad advice for new writers. But what if the muse does not come at all, or does it come, but does not wait for the author? Maybe it's worth putting in a little effort?

Think of writing as a job, not a hobby. Surgeons do not wait for a special wave to start the operation, the actors go on stage even with a temperature.

Accordingly, having allocated several hours a day for work, it is worth spending them on writing a text. No matter what - bad, free, detached from the topic. Soon a habit of writing, perseverance, a need for solitude will be developed.

It must be remembered that:

• 50 words is a paragraph.
• Another 350 is a page.
• 300 such pages is already a novel.
• Writing every day is a habit.
• Reworking weaknesses is improvement.
• Letting someone read what you write is feedback.
• You can’t be upset when publishers refuse. This is writing.

Create an idea bank

Novice authors are concerned about the question of what to write a work about. All advice to a novice writer is connected with him. To close it forever, you can create a bank of your own ideas. You need to replenish it every day, adding 5 any ideas to the archive. Write down everything that comes to mind or hooks: a scene seen in a supermarket, a funny incident, a ridiculous story. Over time, the theme bank will become a treasure trove of unique ideas. It remains logical to link the brightest ones together.

Create a mind map

Branches are drawn from it in different directions. Each of them is an association leading to the main idea. The diagram should branch off until the picture is complete.

There are many free programs on the Internet with which even a beginner can create mental maps.

If at the time of writing it seems that there is a dead end ahead, the map will become a beacon indicating to the traveler in which direction to move further.

Look for impressions

Much of the advice given to aspiring writers by seasoned writers boils down to living brightly. What does it mean? Fill your days with live communication with different people, travel more, try new things. Then the created images will become harmonious, and the descriptions of the landscape will become deeper.

All writers need emotions, impressions, events. For example, a young science fiction writer Max Kidruk sits down to write his techno-thrillers after traveling to different parts of the world. As he himself admits, the more extreme the trip, the brighter it will be to write an episode.

Be ready for obstacles

Unfortunately, creative crises are not a myth, they really do happen. Sooner or later, everyone meets them, but you should not be afraid of them, because, having survived the turning point, we are entering a new, higher level.

In addition to fighting with yourself, you should be prepared for the fact that others may not understand the main idea or criticize the image. No one has succeeded in pleasing everyone, then why try?

Take writing courses

Courses, master classes, trainings are fashionable and useful ways to improve your professional level. The most important thing is that they are effective. If, due to employment, it is not possible to attend an audience or such classes are not yet open in the city, you can find an online course on the Internet.

Communication with like-minded people and the opportunity to get practical advice for aspiring writers are worth a lot.

trust yourself

Schemes that helped others do not always work for us. Then should they be obeyed unconditionally? The answer is "No". Tips for novice writers and tips for everyone to decide for themselves whether to follow them or not.

Opening a blank sheet, the author needs to obey, first of all, his heart, and not the voice of the teacher. Trust yourself, not a textbook with literary theory. Almost all famous personalities were innovators. Once they decided to just be themselves and were not mistaken.

• Screenwriter Etgar Keret recommends starting writing the text from the middle. In his opinion, the middle is the most catchy and interesting part of the story. From it, you can develop the plot in both directions, as well as avoid the “extra paragraphs” that have to be deleted if you write first.
• Stephen King, the author of many bestselling books advises to imagine the ideal reader and write for him. You can’t please everyone, and the golden mean is never remembered. You can start with a new email - fill in the “To” column and write a few lines.
• American novelist William Faulkner, having become the owner of the Nobel Prize at the age of 52, he discovered several of his secrets of success. He argued that you should not be a writer, you just need to write. This process revives, becomes life itself. Faulkner believed that anyone who could read could be a writer. He also warned against writing for money. After all, where business begins, creativity ends.
• A young but already famous writer Vyacheslav Stavetsky advises to dream more. He believes that Dostoevsky, Marquez, Hemingway became famous all over the world precisely because they dreamed of a new world. And today's pragmatism and prudence, which dominate the minds of writers, do not let them into the world of art.
• Featured Author Paulo Coelho warns novice authors against excessive description of their own research or conclusions. If you go too far with "smart" thoughts, then you can get bored with both readers and yourself. Coelho reminds that books are not created to demonstrate the level of education. And in order to reveal your inner world.

The advice you've just learned about for aspiring writers is a powerful pill for discouragement or writer's block. Having enlisted the support of well-known authors and having gathered your will into a creative fist, soon you yourself will be able to give beginners your own, proven by experience, advice.

How to be a writer? This is the main question that many are interested in.
English-language blog for aspiring writers WriteToDone compiled a list of 201 tips that are designed to help a young author, and divided them into thematic blocks.

Block one: How to develop a successful attitude in yourself?

1. Be open, curious, involved in life and living every moment of it.
2. Accept all forms of criticism and learn to grow from it.
3. Live with passion.
4. Tell everyone: "I'm a writer."
5. Admit your fear and overcome it.
6. Rethink the concept of "normal".
7. Check if your conclusions are correct.
8. Don't accept excuses.
9. Break out of your comfort zone.
10. Approach writing with gratitude rather than as something that “must” be done.
11. Take risks - don't be afraid to shock. You are not who you think you are.
12. Always think about your readers.
13. Learn to LOVE writing and reading.
14. Text like you're on a first date.
15. Just let things be what they are.
16. Acquire as many new experiences as possible in the shortest amount of time possible.
17. Love your instruments. In the words of a famous bumper sticker: "My fountain pen writes better than your A student!".
18. Accept your shadow side. Learn what traits and characteristics you don't want to reveal.
19. Write to excite the mind and nerves.
20. Remember: if you are not sure about something, then you do not know it.
21. Know when to leave - and when to return.
22. Believe that you are a writer.
23. Destroy something regularly. Picasso said: "Every act of creation is, first of all, an act of destruction."
24. Never take a routine experience for granted.
25. Keep yourself in good physical shape. A healthy body promotes creativity.
26. Be yourself. There is no need to look for inspiration in someone else.
27. Never give up.

Block two: How to develop the skill of a writer?

28. Use simple, declarative sentences.
29. Avoid the passive voice.
30. Limit the use of adjectives and adverbs.
31. Keep it simple.
32. Don't pour water.
33. Don't write too much.
34. Don't overdo it with descriptions (places, people, etc.).
35. Check each long word to see if it can be replaced by a simpler counterpart.
36. If you have a rough idea of ​​how you want to end the part you are writing now, try starting from there and see how it turns out.
37. Avoid three weak words, in addition to direct necessity: "If", "But", "Can't".
38. Never save your hero.
39. Practice single-tasking. Set a timer to write without interruption.
40. Work on powerful headlines.
41. Start with metaphors and stories.
42. Write the first sentence or headline last.
43. Write exclusively from your heart and avoid copying others.
44. Think twice before including a swear word in a text.
45. Ask yourself, "Can this be turned into a list?" Come up with at least five things you can list about what you write.
46. ​​Use the miniskirt rule: keep your story long enough to cover everything important, but short enough to be interesting.
47. Write in small paragraphs to get to the point faster.
48. Imagine the person you are addressing in front of you: what is reflected in his eyes when he reads this? What would be the first thing he said to you in response?
49. Do what works for you.
50. Always call a shovel a shovel. And in no case - a garden tool with a long shaft!
51. Try to write sloppy. If you stop worrying about mistakes (which is the responsibility of the left hemisphere of the brain), thoughts will flow more easily (the right hemisphere).

Block three: How to develop good writing habits?

52. Exercise or at least warm up in between writing.
53. Create a schedule for your project and stick to it.
54. Mark ideas for further development of the plot before leaving work until tomorrow.
55. Find time to write anywhere, anytime.
56. Keep a copy of Strunk and White close at hand.
57. Keep a work log to be able to analyze your progress.
58. Write on ugly paper to trick your brain into believing that not everything has to be perfect.
59. Write when you're tired.
60. Rewrite from memory some good story that you once read, and then compare it with the original. Appreciate the difference and learn from it.
61. Practice contraction. Write a summary of your story and then shorten that too. Then press the summary of the summary. It helps a lot to get to the core of the story and discover what it's really about.
62. Make writing a priority in your life. If you claim that it is so important to you, prove it by how you allocate your time.
63. Write when you don't feel inspired.
64. A little trick to get yourself started: you only need to spend 15 minutes a day writing.
65. Use a deck of cards to start writing a book. On each write an object or idea. Then arrange and describe each one in order to create the first sketch.
66. Every day, force yourself to disconnect from the outside world at least for a while: turn off your phone, player, music, email, twitter - any conversations with other people.
67. Set a limit for each writing session, as well as a goal for how much you have to get done in that time.
68. Do not be afraid to rummage through the dictionary in search of the very Word that will fit the sentence better than what is there at the moment.
69. Buy a small notepad and pen to carry with you everywhere.
70. Stop clicking on links - go write! Right now.
71. Set a timer and force yourself (even if it won't be your best job) to write a story within a set amount of time.
72. Read good literature.
73. Write at dawn.
74. Read Saul Stein on Writing cover to cover.
75. Regularly read the WriteToDone blog (or our group =) - approx. trans.).
76. Use the voice recording feature on your phone to record unexpected ideas or the right words - but not in the shower.
77. Write in a simple text editor.
78. Engage strangers in conversation. Then write about them from memory, describing the person, the setting, and the conversation itself.
79. Always ask yourself the question: "What if ...".
80. Have a dialogue with your characters.
81. Join writing challenges.
82. Write 15 minutes a day. Every day.
83. Drink more water to avoid weakness.
84. Play opera music in the background - or whatever suits your story.
85. Start writing early—not hours before a deadline.

Block five: How to become a writer?

101. Set word limits for yourself and write within them.
102. Outline your work. And then fill it out.
103. Discover a new word every day.
104. Write in collaboration with someone.
105. Read "Words That Work" by Frank Luntz.
106. Read more about copywriting and content marketing.
107. Mean what you write and write what you mean.
108. Write about something that someone else has already written about.
109. Stretch your fingers while writing.
110. Learn a foreign language well enough to think in it.
111. Write your life story.
112. Sleep at night as much as you need.
113. If thoughts are confused, take a nap for 15 minutes.
114. Draw strength from emotions.
115. Write like you have to stand up and read this article in front of a thousand people. Would they listen to her, or would they go home?
116. Write in a variety of genres: blog posts, short stories, essays.
117. Read grammar books.
118. Allow yourself a poorly written first draft.
119. Try to eat well. If you only eat fast food and processed foods, your thinking skills also suffer, and you are not able to write as well as you could.
120. Be sure to read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron.
121. If you can't write a book, write a blog post.
122. If you can't write a post, write a comment.
123. Write without being distracted by anything.
124. Tell the truth - then you will not have to remember everything that you wrote.
125. Pay close attention to how successful writers construct sentences.
126. Write about what you want to write, not about what you know.
127. Watch a movie. Could you write this story better?
128. Write in a crowded cafe.
129. Write in the toilet.
130. Write for 24 hours.
131. Write. And then write more.
132. Read, think, read, write, meditate, write - and read again.
133. Listen to people talk.
134. Read a lot of books. Both good and bad.
135. Listen to podcasts for writers.
136. Get inspired by other art forms: music, dance, sculpture, painting.
137. Re-read your old work and recognize how far you've come since then - and how far you'll go.
138. Make writing your priority in the morning.
139. Keep squeezing words out of yourself, even if you don't feel inspired.
140. Read the work of people from different cultures. This will help your work avoid a smack of stagnation.
141. Write at the time of day when you are most productive.
142. Set aside time for the necessary searches and research.
143. Take part in Nanoraimo.
144. Go to the supermarket, football, school, construction site. Write down all the details and feelings, fix the atmosphere, people.
145. Parse and analyze books and articles that you enjoy.
146. Read "Read Like a Writer" by Francine Prowse.
147. Find your own unique voice.
148. Write different articles on the same topic, first for, then against it. This will help train your thinking.
149. Write about what you would desperately like to read about yourself.
150. Read as much as humanly possible.
151. Be in the flow of time: how do your headlines resonate with your audience?

Block six: How to edit what you have written?

152. Reread what you have written over and over again until your eye has nothing to catch on.
153. Never blindly trust automatic spell checking in a text editor.
154. Show what you have written to a trusted friend and ask for feedback.
155. Edit and edit again.
156. But don't get stuck editing to death.
157. There is a time for writing - and there is a time for editing. Do not combine one with the other, otherwise you will be too critical of what you write.
158. When in doubt, cut out.
159. Take a break between the end of writing and the start of editing.
160. Read your work out loud to anyone who can stand it - including your cat.
161. Cut out 10% of the total number of words.
162. Doubt again? Cut it out too.
163. Kill all overloaded sentences.
164. Let your work lie down and then return to it to look at it with fresh eyes.
165. Ask someone else to do proofreading and proofreading.
166. Don't be afraid to cut out a sentence that seems brilliant to you but doesn't really make much sense.
167. Read more aloud - it's easier to catch mistakes.
168. Love the words you write while you write them - and be suspicious of them when you edit.
169. Take on the role of a reviewer and write a review of your own book, article or story.

Block seven: How to become more creative?

Creativity is the most important thing when it comes to writing. The following tips will help you boost your creative energy.

170. Capture all your brilliant ideas: they are easily forgotten.
171. Keep a journal to keep your writing energy cool.
172. Use this diary to sort out your thoughts and feelings.
173. Watch people.
174. Write, trying to keep within 101 words.
175. Start writing down your "stream of consciousness" and see where it takes you.
176. Let your mind wander.
177. If there are no other ways to spur inspiration, try to find it at the bottom of a glass ...
178. Meditate regularly to put your mind in order.
179. Mow the lawn, go for a walk or a run, anything that keeps your mind focused while your subconscious mind is in the creative clouds.
180. Copy this list to your wall so you can refer back to it when you need inspiration.
181. Write down all random quotes, story ideas, thoughts on your phone when you are on the road.
182. Group data according to various criteria, look for comparisons.
183. Study nature.
184. Write while writing. If something spurred you on, don't stop.
185. Write with a pencil instead of a laptop for more inspiration.
186. Check news and social media feeds to find inspiration in the current.
187. Get to know someone who is not at all like you and use their experience.
188. Try new things, take up new hobbies: the more variety in your life, the more likely you will be able to continue to generate new ideas for your creativity.
189. Set aside time for reflection.
190. Write where the action is in your scene. If you want to write about the beach, take a basket of food and go to the sea.
191. Use mind maps.
192. Collect words.
193. Write everything down. Don't trust your memory, especially with new ideas, especially at night.
194. Trying to convey some emotion, but not sure how best to do it? Listen to music that reflects that feeling as you write.
195. The cure for writer's block - read an article by your favorite author or other favorite publication.
196. Try writing with the other hand. The inconvenience and complexity of the process will allow more thoughts to come to your mind.
197. When you feel like you've reached a dead end, get distracted by something that doesn't require much thought from you, whether it's ironing or walking.
198. Write outdoors.
199. Write when inspiration strikes.
200. Don't wait for ideas. Find them yourself.
201. Read the comments on your blog and appreciate those who take the time to leave them for you.

Be a writer!

Based on materials from the VKontakte group

People read books, sometimes with interest, and sometimes with delight. Other literary works are quickly forgotten. Sometimes stories and novels remain unread. But in any case, the author, whose name is printed on the cover, seems to be a romantic person. It often seems to an ordinary person who goes to work at nine o'clock that this is an enviable lot - to work whenever he wants, not to listen to the boss's tedious remarks, receive large fees and live in a special world where fantasies reign, fictional characters conflict and mysterious events occur. In order to get there, you need to know how writers become. But the writers themselves are in no hurry to share this secret of theirs, although they seem to be hiding nothing in words.

If you can, don't write

Sitting down at the desk, everyone who has chosen literature as a profession for himself should remember this responsibility. But it is not enough to make this choice yourself, it is necessary that the love for art be mutual.

The writer is the reader

Picking up a fountain pen or sitting down one day at a computer keyboard and trying to express in a literal format the totality of surging feelings is very difficult. It interferes and distracts everything, the words are hard to fit next to each other, thoughts seem beaten and all the time there is a feeling that someone has already written it. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if the new author himself read a lot. Novice writers often want to become Dostoevsky or Chekhov right away, and not everyone succeeds in this. In this sense, it is interesting to observe the metamorphosis of Anton Pavlovich's consciousness, which can be traced in his writings from the first volume to the last. From "Letter to a learned neighbor" to "Bishop" "a huge distance" (in the words of another classic). A more encouraging effect is given by reading modern writers, but not everyone can endure them for a long time.

An embarrassing business question

The great Russian poet spoke about inspiration and a manuscript that can be sold, and it is difficult to disagree with Alexander Sergeevich on this. But in this age of continuous marketing and management, supply far exceeds demand. Not all novice writers listen to the above advice about not taking up the pen without unnecessary need, therefore, without exception, all editorial offices are inundated with manuscripts, most of which are doomed to oblivion. A talented author will need the main personal quality for any person - patience. At the same time, you need to remember that the book should be interesting. Publishing houses are commercial enterprises, their goal is to make a profit, their products must be sold. Before you sit down at the table, you should soberly assess the readership potential of your future work and draw up a psychological portrait of a potential reader. Managed? Happened? Then get to work!

What to write about?

What kind of fiction is being read today? It is believed that in every publishing house there is a specialist who knows the answer to this question. His job title is Publisher. Theoretically, he can predict the speed of circulation sales, its volume, in other words, what determines the "commercial potential of the product." Probably, publishers are often mistaken, but it is very difficult to check this.

Children's writers are rare in our time, and it is not for nothing that the books of Suteev, Nosov, Prishvin and many other classics of the genre withstand numerous circulations, and the demand for them does not fall. The most popular genres are melodrama, detective story, mysticism, fantasy and some others that fall under the definition of youth culture. Read today housewives (not all, of course), students and intellectuals of the Soviet conscription, not yet finished with perestroika-shootouts of the last two decades. Modern writers, if they want to become famous, simply have to take this fact into account when choosing the stylistic direction of their works. They must create for their readers. There will be no others, and these are becoming less and less ...

How to write

All our fellow citizens went to school. So everyone can read. And write too. But this does not mean that the profession of a writer is public. It needs to be learned, it's an art. And like any art, it consists of two main parts - talent and craft. There is also a third ingredient - labor, but more on that later. It is possible to dream of being creative from childhood, especially if you have the ability. But where to study as a writer? The answer to this question seems obvious: of course, at the philological faculty! There certainly teachers know how to express thoughts! Yes, they know, but most often about how it is impossible. Graduates of literary faculties are fluent in theory, they know how to correctly compose phrases, they are familiar with the rules of linguistics, punctuation and, of course, spelling. That is why, apparently, they themselves most often do not write anything.

non-professionals

Both writers of the past and modern writers, as a rule, come to art from completely different professions. Detectives are composed by former law enforcement officers, melodramas are created by teachers or engineers. Chekhov was a zemstvo doctor, and Tolstoy an officer. Does this mean that they did not learn the craft? Far from it. They simply comprehended its subtleties, not sitting at a student desk, but in completely different places. Self-education is the best kind of education. How writers become today is a special topic. Literature has become a business, not everyone is allowed into it, and the artistic merits of works are not always the criteria. But Ivan Shmelev told about the old days. "How I Became a Writer" is a story filled with humor, but it also has very serious moments. It truthfully describes the first semi-childish "creepy" story, the received fee of 80 rubles (quite a decent amount at that time) and one's own surname on the cherished page of the Russian Review, which seems alien. It is clear to the reader that since the events described, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, and there have been many changes in the author's worldview.

About words, living and dead

As a rule, work on a literary work begins with an idea. In the life of every person there are moments that deserve to be told about them. Not everyone has a need for such a presentation, but if there is one, it is worth thinking about the technical side of its implementation. How writers become can be judged by what they must be able to do. First, there is such a thing as a good syllable. It involves the observance of certain rules, among which we can mention various rather formal points and the most common mistakes made by novice authors (for example, in the case of a hat that fell off while “passing by station N”). As a textbook, you can use the good book "The Word of the Living and the Dead", written by Nora Gal.

There is also such a thing as identity. It is manifested in the features of the speech of the characters, their recognition. A woman speaks in life differently than a man, the dialect of a rural dweller differs from the speech of a city dweller. However, there must be a measure in this, otherwise it will be difficult for the reader to be given the text. Good taste and captivating narration will give the book undoubted merits, and in this case it will become loved by many.

Descriptions of some professional moments sometimes require deep knowledge. For example, the actions of a pilot at the controls cannot be described by an author if he himself has never flown an aircraft. Unprofessionalism is immediately visible, so it is advisable to avoid such moments so as not to become a target for fair criticism. However, it is also not worth distracting the reader to acutely special questions, unless, of course, a work of art is being written, and not a textbook.

preliminary criticism

It seems to every author that he made humanity happy with his work, and this is completely normal. After all, otherwise it was not worth taking up the pen. Another question is to what extent the opinion of a young (not necessarily in terms of age) writer corresponds to objective reality. Not everyone has the talent of a writer, but you can determine its presence by letting different people read your own opus. It should be borne in mind that good acquaintances, friends and true friends are rarely able to say cruel words, like “you, brother, are mediocre,” or “old man, you wrote a story that is boring to the point of yawning.” Therefore, it is best to opt for those readers who are more free to express their opinions. A great option is a school teacher of literature (and an excellent reason to visit a teacher, especially on Teacher's Day or another holiday). The problem is that she does not always have time, but if the author showed success in her subject at one time, she will certainly read it, and even with a red pencil in her hand, and this is an invaluable help. There are also colleagues at work (if they are not subordinates, of course). In general, here the author has the cards in hand, he knows better who can be a preliminary censor and who is not. And you also need to be a psychologist in order to understand whether the reader liked the work or not. Our people are cultured, even too ...

About volumes

Writing a couple of stories is not all. You could say it's nothing at all. Before you become a famous writer, you have to work hard. This means that only the writer who can offer the publisher a full-fledged book, or rather a few, has a chance for publication. And this is a dozen and a half printed sheets (each of about 40 thousand characters with spaces), up to half a million characters in total (different publishers have different requirements). Two or three short stories can be published in an almanac, but in this case there can be no question of publishing an independent book. Therefore, you need to be patient and work, and without a 100% guarantee of success. Another reason to think about whether it is necessary to make such sacrifices ...

How to achieve mastery

Any skill is achieved by practice. Variety performers believe that singing in restaurants is an excellent vocal school. For a novice writer, journalism or copywriting can become such a crucible of skill and professionalism. The ability to coherently express one's thoughts in the form of text is a habit that borders on automatism. An experienced writer of articles will never use the same words in adjacent sentences (except as a special device), pay attention to style, maintain the rhythm of the story and at the same time develop his own style, characteristic of every original writer. These skills are very important, they will come in handy when creating works of art, regardless of the genre.

How to publish a book?

And so the book is written. The last doubts have passed, I want to publish it. The author already knows in general terms how others become writers, and he wants to try it himself. The desire to send the manuscript to some publishing house seems quite natural, and the hope for a positive decision of the editors regarding publication is equally justified. Novikov-Priboy, Jack London and many other Russian and foreign writers did just that. They received fees, at first very modest, and then quite serious. O. Henry, for example, published his first stories while in prison.

But the experience of past centuries is not yet a reason for excessive optimism. The manuscript is considered for a long time, and very often the answer contains the standard text that it is "not of commercial interest." Should I be upset about this? Of course, it's a shame, but you should not fall into despair. In the end, the publishing house can be understood. Printing books is a business, and all business people are unwilling to invest in projects that have dubious financial prospects. Printing is not cheap these days.

The path to fame is winding and difficult, but there are still chances to overcome it. Firstly, there is more than one publishing house in our country. And secondly, success can be achieved in another way (in the case of one's own confidence that the book will be a reader's success). The advantage of our time is that, having spent your money, you can print everything by choosing your own cover, format, and illustrations. If you need the services of an editor, then you will also have to pay for them. By the way, many Russian writers published for the first time at their own expense in the past. There is nothing shameful in such an approach. In addition, if you're lucky, you can find a sponsor who will pay for the services of the printing house. In case of success, it would be useful to return the funds spent to him, and even with interest, because, laying out "hard money", a person (or organization) takes a risk. At the very least, it is worthwhile to stipulate the terms of sponsorship in advance.

It is best to choose a publishing house that has its own chain of bookstores, otherwise a situation may arise that plunges many aspiring authors into awe. The writer receives a large mountain of packages of his own works and does not know what to do with them. In this case, you have to deal with the marketing of literature on your own, negotiating with trading organizations about the sale. Experience may not be enough, besides, many stores are used to working with their own suppliers and sometimes refuse to cooperate, just to “not confuse accounting”. In general, there are many difficulties, and most importantly, you have to overcome them on your own.

New opportunities

Modern writers have access to means of achieving fame that the great writers of the past did not have. Every day, in any weather and almost around the clock, hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions, of people sit in their homes and apartments and look on the Internet for something interesting to read. On specialized sites, any person who considers his work talented can submit it to the general public. A novice writer should not immediately think about a high (and generally some) fee, so there is an easy way to evaluate the success of your own work by publishing your opuses on some popular page for free, based on reviews. After making sure that the reader is interested in the work, you can try to sell the manuscript on paid sites.