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Tuesday, August 23, 2005Honing My Craft After taking a short hiatus to settle our daughter into her first semester at college, we will return to the Menu from our Journey to Publication. Today's feature is: What Specifically Did You Do To Hone Your Craft?Lots of things. The biggest contributor to this was a writers organization I joined called Romance Writers of America. They have chapters all over the country that meet on a monthly basis offering writing contests (many of which are judged by editors), workshops, newsletters, tape cassette libraries and networking. Then once a year all the local chapters meet at a designated spot for the big National Conference. I did it all. I joined; I entered contests; I went to workshops; I read the newsletters; I listened to the tape cassettes; I went to the conferences; and I networked with published authors, aspiring authors and publishing industry professionals. From there, I read lots of how-to books. And I joined a critique group. This critique group was made up of two other aspiring authors. We would meet once a week and come to the meeting with one completed chapter. Then, we would all critique each other's chapters. Lastly, I wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote. Then I would rewrite and rewrite and rewrite. It took me three full years to complete Bride. Now I'm on contract to complete one book per year. So ... prayers appreciated!!
posted by Deeanne at 1:11 PM
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4 Comments:
What are some specific lessons you learned during the 3 years of Bride writing that now enable you to write a similar novel in only 1 year???
7:09 PM
None!! This next novel has been so hard to write. I've now heard it is called the "sophomore slumps" and many writers go through it with their second novel. I guess because before we had all the time in the world to write that first one and now there's like this big finger pointing at you saying, "Be creative. Now!"
Scary stuff. The thing I knew for certain, I guess, was that I wuld need a critique group. And I knew I needed to finish the first draft early so there would be plenty of time to polish her up.
9:07 PM
Any guys in your Sunbonnet critique group?? Or did you just want professional writer-types in this bunch (guys or otherwise)?
7:11 AM
I've nothing against guys at all. I just don't happen to have any in my critique group right now. And, yes, most critique groups are made up of writers--experienced or otherwise. Some groups work out, some don't. I've been in two and have been blessed with excellent partners/group members both times.
9:37 AM
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