Butt-In-Chair: A No-Excuses Guide For Writers Who Struggle To Get Started

by Jennifer Blanchard

  But sometimes editing isn’t enough. Sometimes proofreading isn’t enough.

  If you want a more effective way to catch mistakes before you hit the publish button, you have to read your work out loud.

  Why Out Loud?

  Although many writers don’t do it, there are several good reasons to read your writing out loud:

  You’ll discover sentences that are too wordy–If you run out of breath while reading the sentence, it’s too damn long.

  You’ll notice words that are missing or repeated–How many times have you read a blog post that said said something twice?

  You’ll come across sentences that don’t make sense.

  You’ll locate missing punctuation

  You’ll find that your writing gets better and better.

  You’ll be a better editor/proofreader overall.

  I could go on.

  There are a few different options when it comes to reading your work out loud. Here are my suggestions:

  Read it out loud to yourself–If you do nothing else, read it out loud to yourself. Make sure you’re in a quiet place so you can hear what you’re reading.

  Read it out loud into a recorder–If you’re working on a piece of fiction or poetry, it’s a good idea to read the entire thing into a recorder and then play it back. Listen to yourself read it. You’ll notice right away mistakes, parts that move too slowly or scenes that happen too quickly.

  (If you’re brave) Have someone else read your story out loud to you–You’ll hear many things you’d miss if you just read it in your head.

  *How To Get The Most Out Of A Writing Critique

  As a writer, if you’re interested in making your writing better, you will, at some point, have to subject yourself to constructive criticism.

  At first, this can be very difficult. It’s hard to hear someone say critical things about the writing you spent so much time on and put your heart into.

  But this criticism, when used correctly, can make your writing a thousand times better.

  Here is how to make the most of a critique:

  Prepare Yourself–You are doing it. You are finally going to let someone read your writing. This is a huge step, so congratulations. But before you get on with the critique, it’s a good idea to make sure you are 100 percent OK with this. If you go into the critique ready for it, you’ll get a much better result than if you go into it with an attitude or thinking that the person is going to “cut you down.”

  Once you’re ready to fully accept criticism, move on to step two.

  Choose a Constructively Critical Reader–You want to make sure you ask someone to critique your work who will be constructive and give you ideas and suggestions for making your writing better. Criticism of your writing should always be constructive. If the person you asked for a critique is being mean, making fun or just completely rude, you have every right to ignore him/her (and never ask them to critique your work again!).

  Read Through Everything First–Once the person has critiqued your writing, the next thing you’ll want to do is read through all their comments. Don’t judge any of the comments or get defensive and start explaining why you wrote it this way or that way. Just take it all in.

  Be (and Remain) Open-Minded–A constructive critique can easily put you on your defenses if you don’t approach it with an open mind. The person is there to help you. And you asked them to, so you should give them the benefit of the doubt and at least consider what they are telling you.

  Understand that Constructive Criticism Will Make Your Writing Better–After you’ve worked on something for so long, it’s hard to let it go. It’s hard to be open to someone telling you it’s not perfect or that it needs more work. But ultimately, this is the information you need to get to that next step in your writing career. The more you accept criticism and learn how to use it, the better your writing will be.

  Consider that You Don’t Know Everything–It’s your writing, which means you are extremely close to the project. And being this close to the project stops you from having another perspective. That’s why criticism is so important. The people who read and critique your work will be reading it for improvement. They will be reading to help you make it better.

  Remember the Choice is Yours–You asked this person to read and constructively criticize your writing. But that doesn’t mean what this person says goes. Although their advice is appreciated, you are ultimately the decision-maker. You are the one who decides which comments you use and which you ignore.

  To get the best critique possible, you want to ask someone who actually knows what he/she is talking about. So while your mom, sister or significant other might read it and just “love, love, love it!” A critical reader, who has some experience in writing, will make a much better reader.

  I recently asked one of my good friends–a magazine editor who has written three books of her own–to read and critique my first novel. I was a bit nervous as this is a woman I look up to, as well as appreciate advice from.

  She ended up coming back to me and saying that overall the story was solid, interesting and definitely sellable…but my main character needed a major overhaul. She said the main character was immature and she wanted to slap her the entire time.

  Ouch!

  But having her say that to me really made me go back and look at my character through her viewpoint. Turns out, she’s right! So now I’m going back and tweaking some parts of the book so the main character’s immaturity is intentional, as opposed to annoying and lame.

  Having my writer-friend critique my book felt awesome. While there is still a lot of work ahead of me, I at least now know what I need to do to make my book better.

  [Note: There is a printable version of the ‘how to make the most of a critique’ checklist in the appendix.]

  *How To Deal With Conflicting Critiques

  After publishing the post, “How To Deal With Conflicting Writing Critiques,” (above) on the blog, Procrastinating Writers reader, CathrynG, asked me what to do when you receive conflicting critiques (meaning one person says, “This character is flat” and another says, “I love this character; I really identified with her.)

  So I’ve decided to address her very important question.

  When you’re showing your writing to a group of people, such as in a creative writing class or a writing roundtable, it’s very likely you’ll receive conflicting criticism. This is because everyone has their own opinion and their own perspective. It’s also because some people will like your writing and others won’t.

  I know that may be difficult to hear, but that is the reality of being a writer. You can’t please everyone. It’s just not possible.

  So what do you do when you find yourself in this situation? Here are some ideas:

  Read through the conflicting critiques and try to understand where each person was coming from. Doing this will help you look at your writing from different perspectives (other than your own).

  Really think about why each person said what they said. Is it because one of the critiquers doesn’t read your genre so maybe she didn’t really understand? Or is it because that section of the story isn’t clear? Or maybe it’s because part of your story still needs work?

  Use whatever advice you want to use (or ignore both people’s critiques if you want).

  The main thing to remember when receiving critiques on your writing is this: A critique is just another person’s opinion. That doesn’t mean he/she is right or wrong.

  On top of that, it’s your story. Which means you are in charge. You have the final say so.

  Also, keep in mind that criticism you receive should be constructive, which means the person provided you with feedback that will help you improve your writing. If you get feedback that is rude, mean or unconstructive (meaning it provides you with no help), feel very free to ignore it.

  While it’s nice to get your writing critiqued so you can find holes in your plot or places where your characters become lame, you have to keep i
n mind that it’s your story.

  So take in all criticism, truly think about each person’s opinion, then decide what (if any) advice you want to use in your story.

  Maybe after you read through and think about the conflicting critiques you realize that both people are totally wrong. Or maybe they’re both right and you can incorporate a little bit of each opinion.

  But in the end, it’s your story. You have to be happy with it. No one else.

  [If Your Next Step Is To Submit To A Contest, Editor Or Agent...]

  *How To Overcome Writing Rejection

  Rejection is a part of life. And one place you’re almost guaranteed to run into rejection is when you’re trying to get your writing published.

  Rejection.

  Yes, I said it.

  And if you’re planning on making a career in writing and publishing, you better plan on facing the facts: Your writing will be rejected (Note: I said your writing would be rejected, not you. You are fabulous!). Every writer experiences rejection. It’s the nature of the business.

  Here’s how to overcome writing rejection:

  1. Retain Absolute Faith–Step one to putting your writing out there is you have to believe in yourself and your writing. (And if you don’t, you shouldn’t be putting your work out there until you do.) Believing is 90 percent of being successful.

  2. Confront the Brutal Facts–You got rejected, that’s it. That doesn’t mean anything. You are still a good writer. Your writing is still worthy of being sent to magazines and publishers. Remember, there is no rejection, only selection. Eventually, if you keep sending out your work, you’ll find an agent/editor/publisher for your writing.

  3. Act!–Keep trying. Keep sending your work out. Keep writing.

  As Thomas Jefferson said: “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

  *Tips for Hiring an Editor

  If you’ve been working on your writing for a while now, it may be time to consider hiring an editor.

  Although it may seem like an unnecessary “purchase,” an editor is actually pretty important.

  Yes, if you get picked up by a publishing company, they will have editors who will edit your writing. But you first need to have a manuscript that will attract the publishing deal, and that takes some professional editing.

  Here are some tips to help you throughout your journey to find an editor (if you so choose):

  Get Something For Nothing—A reputable editor will edit one chapter or up to 10 pages for free, in order to find out if your style matches with the editor’s style. Ask all the editors you’re considering for this. If any of them say no, you may want to reconsider.

  Act Like A Journalist—It’s a good idea to interview all the editors you’re considering. A minimum of three is a good goal. Once you get to know them a little more, you’ll have a better chance of finding one that fits your writing style.

  Put It In Writing—After you choose an editor, your next step is to sign a contractual agreement between the two of you. The contract should include a specific time limit for the first round of edits. Editing time typically ranges from 90 days to six months. If it takes longer than that, it’s not worth your time.

  Per Page, Not Per Hour—Ensure the contract has the editor charging you per page, not per hour. The open-endedness of the hourly charge could bust your budget. A per page charge keeps things simple and straightforward.

  Three Edits Built In—Your editing contract should include three edits. If the editor wants to charge you for additional edits, choose another editor. After three edits, editors will typically charge another fee.

  Do What Works For You—Remember, all your editor’s comments and changes are just suggestions. You do not have to make any or all of the changes. Ultimately, it’s your book, so you have to decide what changes to make and what changes not to make.

  Hiring an editor is a big step. It’s telling yourself and the world that you think your book is good enough. That you think your book is worthy of money and someone else’s time.

  That in itself is a huge accomplishment.

  [Note: There is a printable version of the ‘tips for finding an editor’ checklist in the appendix.]

  *Protect Your Work

  Writers everywhere have the same question–how do I protect my work? A lot of times writers worry about someone stealing their work, but don’t have the money to officially copyright it.

  Good news…according to Brian A. Klems, the Writer’s Digest Newsletter Editor:

  “Whenever you put something in a tangible format—written on paper, typed on computer, chiseled on stone tablets—it’s copyrighted and protected under U.S. copyright law. No tricks. No magic. It’s as simple as that.”

  Klems added a post to his Questions and Quandaries blog that gives more information about copyrighting your work (in an official capacity).

  Also–keeping in mind what Klems said in his post—since the burden of proof falls on you if someone steals your writing and tries to use it as their own, it’s a good idea to take some kind of copyright-protection measure.

  Here are a couple options:

  Print out the most recent copy of all your novels and short stories (The ones that are in final form or have been sent out for publication), put them all in separate envelopes and send them by certified mail to yourself.

  Once you get them in the mail, don’t open them. I repeat: DO NOT OPEN THEM. Set them aside and don’t worry about them again unless you get involved in a copyright claim/lawsuit.

  Since stuff you send through the mail has a “sent date” on it, you will now have the proof you need to win your copyright claim/lawsuit.

  The poor-man’s copyright: Many libraries offer free notary service. Seal your work in an envelope in front of the notary. Write something on the outside saying, “I certify that, your name, sealed the contents of this envelope on this date” and have the notary sign and stamp it.

  This also works for CD recordings of original music or musical scores, plans for inventions or any other original material.

  You can’t copyright recipes—remember all those designer cologne knockoffs at the gas station?

  So keep mom’s chili a secret.

  [Note: There is a printable version of the steps for creating an unofficial copyright for your writing in the appendix.]

  [If Your Next Step Is To Put Your Writing Out There For The Public To Read...]

  *Why Every Writer Needs A Web Site

  If you ever plan to turn your written talent into dollars, you need to market yourself. With the wide-spread availability of the Internet everywhere from computers to cell phones to gaming systems, writers need to be accessible to their readers (and potential readers) at a moment’s notice.

  One way to do this is to have a Web site.

  A Web site:

  Makes a writer look professional—If you’re ever going to make any money from your writing, you need to appear as professional as possible to the public.

  Is a simple marketing tool—Anyone can create a basic Web site. Especially these days when you can use templates and click-to-publish Web programs.

  Can serve as a writer’s portfolio—Imagine your writing being available to prospective customers/readers 24/7/365.

  When it comes to creating your author Web site, you have a couple of options: a blog—where you use a site such as Blogger.com or Wordpress.com to create a blog that spotlights your writing—or buying a domain name and building a Web site using pre-made templates. You could also hire a designer to give your blog a more professional look and feel.

  Also, it’s important to remember, if you are writing under a pen name/writing alias, you should create the Web site for your alias, not for yourself.

  At a minimum, your Web site should have the following pages:

  Home page—Use this page to welcome and introduce people to your site.

  Samples of your writing—Include at least 2 to 3 pieces as sam
ples. Create separate pages for your writing in different categories, such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry.

  About the Author—Include your full bio and a professional photo of yourself.

  Contact the Author—Include your E-mail address. Don’t include your address and phone number. You can exchange additional information with the person who contacts you later if necessary.

  Here are some examples of writer’s Web sites:

  * Jane Green

  * Sophie Kinsella

  * Seth Harwood

  * James Patterson

  [a final word]

  The Three Words Of Successful Writing: Give, Live, Love

  A while back, I bought a pack of Coca-Cola. I was mixing a drink (vanilla vodka and coke, in case you were wondering) when I noticed three words written on the side of the can: Give, Live, Love.

  Those words really struck me, because they make up the three things that all writers must do to be successful.

  Give

  When you’re just starting out in your writing career, it’s easy to get disillusioned or become obsessed with getting published. It’s easy to focus on things that aren’t important, such as creating an author persona or researching self-publishing.

  A newbie writer needs to do one thing and one thing only: Write.