Tips for Aspiring Writers - Getting started isn't easy

Dear Readers,

Every week I receive wonderful, encouraging e-mails from readers telling me they enjoyed my work, but also from aspiring authors. Recently I read a lovely mail from a young writer, Skye, who asked me how I found the courage to publish my books, and if I could offer her any advice. You could easily tell from her letter how creative she is, overflowing with ideas, highly motivated but also a bit unsure about her own talent. She told me that she had written over fifty unfinished stories, a phenomenon most writers know only too well. This is what I answered:

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Giving any advice about writing and publishing isn't easy. There are many great books out there about writing, publishing and self-publishing, and check out author sites, they often have great advice about writing! I am not sure if this will help you, but I'll tell you a few things that, from my own personal experience, are most important:

From all your ideas, pick one genre you feel most passionate about writing. Most probably it's the same genre you love reading the most. Try to focus on one project at a time, and don't write anything else until you finished it. I know this is SO SO hard but you have to force yourself to sit down every day (and if it's only 10 minutes to start with), and simply write what comes to mind. I know that it takes a lot of discipline and courage. I have countless unfinished stories myself, buried somewhere in my desk and waiting to be written one day. 

Read, read, read. Reading not only improves your language and writing style, but also shows you how popular novels are structured. Try to write your book in a way that it will fit into one of the popular genres later - it can and should be original, of course, told in your very own voice. Sadly, most agents and publishers aren't interested in short stories (except erotica), so you should aim for a novel. Which, by the way, absolutely doesn't mean that I don't love a good short story! (Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King are my personal favorites *bows to the masters*)

Write. Write. Write. You don't need to be perfect or even good right from the start. Writing needs a lot of practice, like learning to play the piano. You can always go back, revise and change things later. A great way to learn and practise your writing is publishing fan fiction or writing for public forums. You'll get a lot of valuable critique from the readers, but also encouragement. 

Writers need to develop a thick skin with time. You'll get rejected more than once - by editors, agents, and publishers, and you'll have to deal with some harsh and painful reviews if you plan to publish in any way. Now all writers I know are a oversensitive lot, especially when it comes down to our own stories, but we can learn to deal with (and learn from) critique if it's constructive, and ignore the haters. Personally, what keeps me going are mails like yours, and hearing from people who love my books. When I published my first book, I would have never, ever dreamed about such a reaction. My readers' feedback is incredibly heartwarming, and motivating. I know some dedicated, faithful readers who have become very dear friends to me, who have been supporting me since I started publishing my first chapters of Bound to the Prince on forums and fanfic sites. They kept pushing me to write more and more, and made me learn what readers want from a story.

Try to find some beta readers and someone who will proofread and edit your work if you have finished one project and want to get it published. A professional cover wouldn't hurt, either, if you want to go the self-pubbing way.

Sorry to say this, but most writers I know can't live just from the income their books provide them with. Many publishers pay a not-too-high sum in advance (and you may have to give some of it back if your book doesn't sell), and you might get your first money months later. The publishing process itself can take up to two years even if you found a publisher who will work with you. So until the day you'll hit the NY Times bestseller list, it's always good to have a day job.

Just do it! Write, and don't be afraid that you might not be as good as other authors. You will be, and even better, you'll soon find your own voice if you are patient and just keep writing. ;-)

xoxoxo

Deborah

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There is a new section on my website, www.deborahcourt.com, "For Writers". Check in regularly for some advice on writing and more information that might be helpful for aspiring authors.

Writer's Block and how to overcome it

Today, I'd like to speak about a phenomenon that every writer knows and fears: The all-famous "Writer's Block". All authors know this frightening state of mind. You sit in front of your computer for hours without writing a single word, just staring at the screen. You just can't. Your head is a complete vacuum. Instantly, you find yourself doing all kinds of stuff that keeps you away from that horrible blank screen:

- You read gossip and entertainment blogs.
- You check your Amazon page every hour, checking the ranking of your book and having a bad conscience because you know that you haven't published anything in a while.
- You remember that you need to re-watch all episodes of Lost, Moonlight and True Blood. Oh, and Star Trek - The Next Generation, too. Still in love with Data.
- You scan recipe books you haven't touched in years for new ideas about what to cook (even if you absolutely hate cooking, in my case).
- You start cleaning (now this isn't the worst thing to do while having writer's block - at least you have a clean house afterwards).
- You start plundering your chocolate drawer (not so good).
- You listen to Benedict Cumberbatch reading Keats one more time (get the mp3 here).
- You paint your toenails blue.
- You make yourself a sandwich with every ingredient you can find in the fridge.
- You brush your cat five times a day. (And I really don't mean this in a dirty way. I actually have a cat!)

Having done all that, you still haven't brought a single word to paper. Isn't there any hope for your next book ever to be written? After all, you need to feel what you write.

So is it possible to overcome writer's block? Is there any cure?

Oh yes. For me, music is the key. In the past, I've tried out all kinds of music to see what inspires me most when I'm writing. As a very welcome side effect, this caused triggers. In the meantime, hearing certain songs almost instantly brings me in the right mood to write a scene connected with the feeling that particular music awakes in me.

Surprisingly I don't feel like writing romance when I hear typical "romantic" music. For instance, I've written nearly all the erotic scenes of "Bound to the Prince" while listening to "Mr Brightside" by The Killers. I don't know why myself, it's an uptempo song, not a ballad. Maybe it's simply the line "Now she's touching his chest, now he takes off her dress. I just can't watch, it's killing me," subtle but very effective, and it totally works to get me into "the mood."

For action/fighting scenes, I use Skillet's "Rebirthing", and for dramatic, romantic scenes "Always" by Bon Jovi, or "Dear Jessie" (Skillet). Mythic, mysterious scenes can only be properly written with Loreena McKennit's "Mummer's Dance" (I wrote the whole last chapter of BttP listening to it). Movie soundtracks are an awesome way to create feelings, too - especially when you've seen the film many times and know the music to scenes you felt passionate about.

Whatever triggers your emotions, use it! So kick your own ass, sit down and write. It doesn't have to be Pulitzer Prize material, you know. It's just for you. If you really write from the heart, your readers will be sure to love it because they'll feel that your words are true. You could say it's a telepathic connection, but it's so much more.

It's magic.

Love,
Deborah
xxx