PopSyndicate.com

The hardest thing about writing a blog column is coming up with a subject that might be of interest to readers. Interviews are easy—you’re asked questions. You answer. Writing a book is easy. (I’m talking theoretically, of course. Any writer will tell you it’s not EASY to write a book.) You have your characters, you have your plot. You write the book. But coming up with 1000 words about something related to the process or your characters or the world in general is NOT easy.

I thought about several topics—why I enjoy writing UF, for example. Because it’s edgy, contemporary and deals with unreal characters in the real world. But you’ve heard that before.

I thought about explaining my protagonist’s background and why I like her so much. Anna Strong is brave, loyal, intelligent and very much her own woman. She was a kick-butt human so it’s no surprise she’s a kick-butt vamp. Most of you know that, too.

How about the process of writing a novel? Every time I attend a conference, I’m amazed at the number of aspiring writers there are. I always tell them the same thing—don’t talk about writing a book. Write the damned book.

Which may be the topic I’ve been looking for. How do you go from that talking stage to actually producing a book? And then after you write it, what do you next?

Ever heard of Robert Heinlein?

He knew what to do. He gave us his “five rules “ to explain the whole process.

Heinlein (1907-1988) was one of the first authors of bestselling, novel-length science fiction. He was also one of the first to break into mainstream markets and is often called the “dean of science fiction writers.”  He freely gave away his five rules because he said almost no one would follow them—hence he was not afraid of competition. What are they?

1. You must write.
2. You must finish what you start.
3. You must refrain from rewriting except to editorial order.
4. You must put your story on the market.
5. You must keep it on the market until it has sold.

Pretty obvious, aren’t they? But they aren’t as easy as they sound.

Let’s look at the first one. You must write. Not you must think about writing, or you must dream about writing or you must try and find time to write. You have a full time job? You write during the lunch hour. You have a baby. You write while the baby is napping. You get up fifteen minutes earlier every morning; you stay up fifteen minutes later every evening. You produce a page a day and in a year, you’ve got a book.

Anybody can do that.

On to the second rule: You must finish what you start. Think that’s a no-brainer? Think again. I have three or four incomplete manuscripts tucked away in a box in the basement. Why did I stop working on them? I can give you a dozen reasons but none that are valid. I stopped because I got lazy or impatient or lost interest. Those books will never be published. The books that got published are the ones I stuck with. Finish what you start.

The third isn’t what it seems. It doesn’t mean NEVER polish that rough first draft or follow the suggestions of a critique group or partner to make a manuscript stronger. It means don’t rewrite the first chapter over and over because you want it to be perfect. You’ll never get past that first chapter. When the manuscript is finished, your editor and agent will tell you what more needs to done. That’s what’s meant by rewriting to editorial order.

Rule four—you must put your story on the market. That means as soon as the piece is done. That means querying editors and agents. That means making an “A” list of those you’d like to represent or publish you and sending out those letters. What goes into a good query letter? It should be one page, it should be divided into three parts—the first paragraph is your one line “TV Guide” description. It’s what makes the book unique, it’s what makes the editor or agent want to read it. The second paragraph is a little more description, something about the protagonist or the plot that compels the editor or agent to want to read it even more. The third paragraph is a little about you. Your writing credits, your background, what makes you marketable. That’s it. One page. Offer to send the first three chapters and a synopsis at the editor or agent’s request. Thank them for their time. Sign off.

Rule five may be the hardest. If you’re lucky, you may strike gold right out of the box. If not, take whatever comfort you can from knowing that authors from J. K. Rowling to Stephen King have faced rejection. Many rejections. It’s different when it happens to you. It’s personal and it hurts, especially if it comes in a form letter. On the other hand, sometimes you receive a real letter offering advice and extending an offer to reread the manuscript after you make whatever rewrites are suggested. This is a very GOOD rejection letter. It means you’re on the right track. In any case, the minute you receive a rejection letter that does NOT ask to see the manuscript again, you send out three more queries.

In the meantime…what?

You start the NEXT project.

See Rule One—

Bingo. You are a writer.