Who Is The Real Writer?

This is something that has been bothering me for quite some time, and I really need to get it off my chest. I love trolling the postings on craigslist and I have read some of the most ridiculous requests.

Students, on the college level, who are too busy, or too lazy, to write their own papers for a class are now posting for professional writers to write their classroom assignments. And, more disturbing, there are writers and companies that will do it for them.

I must be under the mistaken impression that going on to an institute of higher education means actually doing the work. Once they have that degree in hand, who is going to write their business correspondence for them? Or will they hire someone then, as well. Why do so many students still insist on taking the easy way out? Are they that under-educated they can not even research and write their own college essays and papers?

Granted, I haven’t been in an academic setting for many years, but if I were a professor and found my students were paying for someone to write their papers, they would be failed for their “theft” of an education.

If you can’t compose an essay for a college class, what are you doing in college in the first place? Let someone who wants to be there, who wants to succeed, take your place. You are only cheating yourself, but then again, that seems to be a pervasive attitude in this country.

Students are routinely shuttled through the public school system, many unable to read and write. These same students apparently are going on to college and still expect a pass. If you don’t want to do the work necessary for an education, why bother?

As a professional writer, it seems to me that any other professional who would take on this type of work is doing a disservice to their profession. If I were crafting the work for a student, then I should be the person, standing on the stage at graduation, accepting that degree - I'm the one who earned it.

The Dreaded Info Dump

New writers, and I admit I struggle with this myself, don’t always recognise how much is enough, when it comes to back story and character description.

I have adopted the attitude that a little is enough. I can always add information at key moments, or introduce information through dialogue.

When I started my first novel, I knew I had way too much information. So I opted to use sparse character description knowing, in a series, I could introduce more in following books, without repeating myself.

With background location, I also try to use sparse description. I will carry a theme through the book, such as the heat or the sun, but the exterior “shots” I like to leave to my readers’ imagination. When writing about ancient Egypt, I think most people have preconceived notions about what it looked like.

In describing a room, I again try to just add enough information for the reader, without losing their interest. I cannot read a novel where a person or place is described in excruciating detail; I lose interest, I want to formulate a picture in my head, and it may not be the same as the author’s. That is part of the fun of reading a book.

Always leave something to the readers’ imagination. A few key elements, a well-placed description or facial expression, can add more depth to a story than twenty pages of well-written detail. It can be demoralising to an author, during the first, second, third, or fourth edit, when whole pages need to be cut, especially the ones you felt were the best you had written. Start small and add to the flavour of the work, piece by piece, rather than page after page.

Research and Technology

Though I willingly admit to be technologically challenged, I find the internet, for me as a researcher, to be the most amazing tool in my writing toolbox. I can literally find almost anything, at the click of a button.

Where I used to write letters of introduction to prospective sources, I can now contact them by email. I don't have to wait weeks for a response, hoping the letter isn't languishing on a secretary's desk, or worse yet, in the trash can.

And, the internet has made me more confident. I would reluctantly approach people, preeminent in their fields, feeling so inferior to them. Now, having a third book to my credit, I fearlessly (well almost) email people in my research. I have reached out to forensic pathologists, archaeologists, religious leaders, state attorneys, and other writers, all in an effort to compile just the right data, the right nugget of information.

But, the internet has made me lazy in other respects. I used to enjoy spending days at my local library, leafing through old books and newspapers; now all I have to do is click a button and print it out. The information is immediate, saving time, but is not as much fun. And, though I still hunt for the obscure texts, with the amount of books in my personal library currently, I find it harder and harder to track down new titles.

Until I turn on my computer, and hit the search button. Then, my journey begins anew, with new frontiers to challenge and excite me, always on the hunt for a new subject of research.

Is Writing Really a Solitary Pursuit?

When I first started writing seriously, I did it out of a sense of need. My words had to find expression, so I put pen to paper; writing for me became therapy. I actually wrote the first draft of my first book longhand, on yellow pads, because I didn't even have a computer. That was 2003!

I have now adapted more to technology, though it still vexes me quite a bit. I just bought my first MP3 player and recently learned how to upload photographs to my Facebook page. As you can tell, I'm not good at asking for help. I'm a solitary animal who loves her solitary pursuits.

But, I am a published author who must, eventually, connect with others. I have done book signings, events, and fairs, all in the effort to spark interest in my books. I am quite comfortable writing alone, and I am quite comfortable meeting people. But, a writer who writes in a vacuum is really missing out.

So, I started connecting with fellow writers on a writer's forum website. It was so gratifying to find others, just like me, struggling with ideas that don't want to cooperate, stacks of rejection letters, and pages of short stories that need a little more tweaking. I suddenly didn't feel alone.

I have made a number of new friends on the site, all with the same passion as me - writing. Maybe, the next time you sit down at your computer and find the words don't seem to flow, try logging on to a writer's forum. Share ideas with your fellow writers; it just might be the spark you need.

Rejection and Writing

Ah, sweet rejection! What other profession can be so daunting, so forbidding, yet so enticing, that the person in it is willing to put themselves, and their egos, on the line each time they send out a query or submission? So, why do it?

When I began writing, I remember one rather harsh letter from an agent; the agent pretty much said to me, give it up, don't quit your day job, you'll never make it in this business. Rejection hurts, but I try to mentally note that it is the work, and not me personally, which is being rejected.

Rejection is subjective. Every agent, editor, or publisher is not going to like every word you struggled to write, every page you bled into, every chapter you put your heart and soul into. Having written non-fiction for my first three books, I have amassed a stack of rejections and treasure each one.

For each one gave me the strength, the determination to continue, to revise, and to create something better the next time. Now, I have turned to fiction and have begun to amass a new stack of rejections. These hurt a bit more, because fiction is personal in many ways.

Non-fiction depends upon research, getting the details right, and presenting a compelling read. Fiction taps into the author's creativity and desire to entertain. My recent rejections sting at the very essence of my being, but they do not deter me. I have already started my revisions, because I am a writer, by profession, and know no other way to express myself than through writing.

Pay for Services Rendered?

Can anyone out there tell me what it means to be a “freelance” writer?

Apparently, when most people hear or read the word “freelance,” they think it means “free.”

I look for freelance jobs on websites and craigslist. It never ceases to amaze me what people think a writer’s time is worth. One posting actually wanted to pay half a cent a word!! Most postings, even for intern positions, are for no compensation. I didn’t know my time and expertise meant nothing, even in this economy.

If you are looking to write your autobiography, a biography, novel, or screenplay, and want a co-writer or ghost writer, be prepared to compensate them. And by compensate, a writer does not want credit, or a commission, once the work is accepted. Credits don't pay the bills.

Every manuscript submitted to an agent or publisher is not guaranteed to be accepted. You are asking a writer to sacrifice hours of productive time, which could be spent on their own works, for no money, and no expectation of money. Writing, as a profession, is still looked upon by many as a hobby, something not worthy of remuneration.

I wonder how many people in the legal profession would be willing to spend ten to thirty hours, working for someone, with no expectation of payment. How many public relations firms would take on a client, without a contract and specified compensation? Yet, a professional writer is treated as one step above slave labour.

So, when you are looking for a writer, expect to pay them for their work.

To Outline or Not to Outline

When I write non-fiction, outlining, for me, is indispensible. It keeps me on track, reminds me of points to highlight, and helps chart my progress. I can use the outline for my Table of Contents, as well as for my proposal.

So, is an outline that important when writing fiction? For me, the answer is "yes." But, the outline I employ for fiction is quite different.

When I start work on a novel, I have the characters and basic idea. I may even have thoughts on a key scene, or several scenes, which is how I begin the outline. I sketch out, with a line or two, each scene in my head. Once I write this down, it is still fluid, not etched in stone.

Usually, having those key scenes make more ideas flow easily. Some I use, some I keep for possible use, some just won't do. I can move scenes, add characters as needed, and start writing. But I never throw any idea away.

And, I don't start on page one. I write one key scene first; once I have that, I can work backward to set it up and forward to its conclusion. That key scene may end up being the opening scene, but I don't think about that when I write it.

So, that's why I start with an outline. If the key scene would fit better at the end of the book, I have an idea of what leads up to it. If it is a scene that should come at the beginning, I have a base upon which to build. My characters will tell me, as I continue to record their story.