NIPPING & TUCKING

Say you've written a nifty tale about a concept that hits your mind.  For example, I one wrote a piece called "Ninja Leprechauns", simply because I put the those two words together.  And, like the chocolate/peanut butter mix of Reese's cups, I typed up a story about assassins with the combined powers of ninjas and leprechauns.  And these bastards wipe out a whole bunch of mobsters as a sort of "final exam", easily succeed, and become full-fledged badasses.

And you know what?  The story sucked!

Yep.  I'll admit it.  It sucked.  I let it sit and collect dust for about 3 years.  And now, I'm gonna put "Ninja Leprechauns" into my second book.  Why do this?

Because I'm gonna nip and tuck the original draft.  This is the best/worst part about the writing process.  You don't just write a story, run it under the spell-checker, and figure that it is utterly flawless.  That's good for high school but the real world.  If you've written something and care about it, be prepared to polish and re-write it a bunch of times.  How many?  That's up to you.

Here's my method (maybe it'll help):

Step 1: Puke a story into existence, while under the influence of music and caffeine.  Just write.  Don't edit.  Just write it out, save it, and go about your day.  Let what you've written percolate in your head.  What really pisses me off about this phase is that I'll save the story, turn off my computer, hit the shower, go to work, and then come up with fourteen different add-ons for the damned thing!  Should this happen to you, scribble them down until you can get back to your fledgling masterpiece.

Step 2: Within 24 hours, look it over and fix the errors/non sequitors.  You'll have spelling and grammatical errors.  Some of your wording might not flow and need some fixing.  And sometimes, you'll screw up facts in the piece (like having someone fire a six-shooter 8 times) or have to hit Google to verify the state capital of Florida.  You're human.  It happens.  Read through it and patch it up once.  Then go about your day.

Step 3: Within 48 hours, look it over again with a calm mind and some spare time.  Think: "I can make this thing a little bit better".  The thing is . . . you probably will.
Step 4: Put it away and write something else.  Try not to touch this story against for AT LEAST a week.  I know.  It sounds weird.  But I've got so many stories in my stable that I can actually do this.  And when I look over a story that I haven't touched in months/years, I see it with a new set of eyes.  My mind's more able to pick apart its flaws and make it better.

Step 5: Then, when you decided to pick up the story, make a decision.  Either polish the story up a bit and feel happy.  Or scrap the thing, because it just won't fly.  And sometimes (like in the case of "Ninja Leprechauns"), you can go back to Step 1 and rewrite it from scratch.

Step 6: When you feel it's done and ready, stand up and re-read it aloud.  Seriously.  It's funny how you'll spot weaknesses in your descriptions, dialogue, or word flow when you're reading aloud and pacing about.

Step 7: Hand it off to your editor and/or fellow writer.  Accept any criticisms your story gets and change only what you think needs changing.  But try to see their critiques through their eyes.  NEVER, EVER, write a story and submit it without putting it under another set of eyes.  That's just silly.
How many edits does it take to get a story to where you like it?  I dunno.  I opened up "Unheroic" and still see stuff I want to change.  But that's a peril of the writing game: to paralyze yourself by eternally polishing a work . . . and never submitting it.  My advice is to go with your gut and then get a second opinion.  If a story's ready to go - perfect or not - put it out there.

If the story's well-written and downright enjoyable, you've done right by your reader.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to redesign my assassins.

Have a nice day.


[Older posts can be seen at http://PlotTwisted.blogspot.com]

GOT A POEM OR SHORT STORY THAT YOU WANNA SUBMIT?

There's a site called "Duotrope" wherein writers can submit their stories/poems to over 3,400 current sites.  They can narrow your search by genre, payment type, etc.

Here's the link:

http://www.duotrope.com/

I'm gonna hit this site like a hungry T-Rex.

When you're looking for magazines to submit you, this site might be of use.

Adios.

DON'T TRY THIS ALONE

Beware the Sirens' song of the introvert, which makes you reluctant to interact with fellow writers or chase your writing dreams solely on your own.  I've made that mistake and it's slowed me down considerably. 

Please remember that time's not like money (which you can "re-earn").  Frankly, time's probably the most precious thing that any of us possess.

Now, if you're uncomfortable about discussing your work with others, my advice is to get "comfortable" and quick.  Everyone you meet won't help you.  But there are so many ways that others can help you become a better writer (from constructive criticism to inspiration for a story to the name of their publisher/cousin). 

It's not what you know or who you know - it's both.  Hand-in-hand, your writing skills and the right allies can make it easier to get sh&t done.

Contacts with others in the writing game offer some useful advantages.  Here are some examples of how help from others did wonders for my writing efforts so far:

1.  I found my current editor while chatting with a friend of his.  While she knew that I was working on a book, she didn't think to mention him until I said that I needed an editor.

2.  I stopped writing a few years back.  A fellow co-worker/fellow writer invited me to her Writer's Club.  I went to a few meetings, got hooked, and ended up getting my first book done much sooner that I would've if she hadn't invited me in.

3.  I knew this guy who was a graphic artist.  I needed someone to do my cover and asked him if he knew anyone with skills.  He raised hand and ended up giving me a killer cover for a great price.

4.  One of my favorite stories "The Inheritance" was inspired by a story I heard from a lady in Subway restaurant.  Her story was about a family cleaning out the home of a deceased relative, accidentally finiding some money, and then sharing what they found.  My sick mind took that story and wrote about a group of siblings who enter a booby trapped mansion on a lethal scavenger hunt worth billions.  Had I never met her, that story wouldn't exist.

I could go on and on about the impact of others upon my writing quest.  And if you've been in the game long enough, I'm sure you'll come up with some examples as well.

Look up conferences.  Join writers' groups.  Submit pieces of your work and get known.  Make buddies on-line.  Learn from their mistakes and avoid 'em where you can. 

And if you do nothing else, keep in touch with the outside world, which impacts everything you write.  The more you interact, the more you learn, and the better you can write.

Learn what they have to teach and don't be afraid to give something back (say, to a writer with less experience).  Struggling writers tend to get along pretty well, y'know.  Makes me happy to know that I'm not the only lunatic dreamer out there.

So don't think of just needing "a room with a view".

Think of needing a world of colleagues, friends, and near-strangers whose collective aid/wisdom can make you a better writer.

CHECK THESE GUYS OUT!

I've stumbled across another potentially-useful site (Publetariat) for self-publishing types, read into it a bit and stuck in my "Favorites" tab.  Feel free to tap it's interesting blogs and contact lists. 

Don't worry - I'm not the jealous type.  Anything out there that'll help my "vast" [snicker] fanbase become successful writers is fair game.

The link's below.  Hope it helps.

http://www.publetariat.com/

By the by, I'll be back to my standard schedule in a bit.  I've got a heavyweight personal matter to attend to.

Take care.

Keep writing.