Five Lessons on Writing

I’m one of those writers whose bio could start out like this: “Robin Ingle has been writing since she could hold a pencil.” I’ve put in the necessary learning to satisfy the recently-debunked ten-thousand-hour rule. Now that I’ve nearly completed a novel, I’d like to share a few things that I’ve absorbed with others who might be just starting out. These, then, are five lessons on writing that I’ve learned through experience:

1. Finish.

This is perhaps the most difficult part. I know writers who continually revise their manuscript, without ever getting a professional’s opinion. I can vouch for the fact that it is very hard to be happy with calling your work “done.” Similarly, I also have a string of half-finished short stories and novellas that sustained my interest long enough to get to the halfway mark, only for me to abandon them for other “more interesting” writing projects. So I’ve stuck to my current project—a novel—even when it hasn’t been fun. It’s not done yet, but I am committed to it until it is.

Stephen King offers this advice: Finish that first draft in three months. Yowza! Now that’s a tall order.

2. Care about your readers.

I once knew a writer who told me, “Oh, I could never consider the reader when I write. Writing is my art. To write for commercial ends would corrupt it.” Wha…?

Science fiction author Hugh Howey is well known among self-publishers for the mantra, “It’s the reader, stupid,” and I’ve taken that to heart. While Howey applies it to traditional publishers, it has resonance for writers as well. What is the point of writing, of editing, of publishing or book selling if not the reader? Art for art’s sake? I don’t get it. The way I see it, my art lies in telling a story that has an effect on a reader, not just putting words on paper. There are plenty of writers who would disagree with me. I’d venture a guess that these writers aren’t selling many books.

3. Start small.

Howey started out by publishing short stories on Amazon. His best-known work, Wool, started life as a short. When readers started asking for more in their reviews on Amazon, he continued the story and turned it into a bestselling novel. I view this chain of events as a question-and-answer session between author and reader. The author puts something out there and asks, “Do you like this?” The reader says, “Nah.” The author replies, “Then how about this?” with a different short. This gets repeated, until the reader says, “Yes!” – and then the author writes more in that vein, and the readers love it.

In traditional publishing, however, the author says, “Do you like this novel?” When the reader says “Nah,” by not buying it, the traditional publisher says, “Okay, we won’t publish any more by that author.” End of story. The author, the reader, and the publisher (not to mention the book seller) ultimately lose with this philosophy.

Self-publishing authors have the freedom to use the market as a testing ground by publishing a number of shorts before deciding what among their creations resonates most with their readers. I published two short stories in 2012 (Tyrker’s Tale and The Hunt) that were well enough received that I am now nearly finished with a novel using the same main character. I’m not sure I would have had the motivation to finish the novel were it not for the reception the shorts received. Obviously the feedback loop this method generates is another benefit.

4. Dream big.

Everyone wants to write a best-selling book. I am no exception. But it’s not about the money. Sure, like most of you, I’d like to rake it in. However, I don’t count on it. My big dream is to see people stay up way past their bedtimes to read my book. I want you to keep turning the page. Heck, I want thousands of people to keep turning the page.

Perhaps this comes from living with a voracious reader, or the fact that my mother frequently tells me, “I love a good story.” Or perhaps its origin lies in the pleasure I derived as a kid devouring books like the Lord of the Rings and Harriet the Spy novels. I want to give that kind of pleasure to other people.

5. Compelling characters are more important than plot.

I’ve heard this one many times before, but it’s worth some discussion. When you’re starting out, it’s fairly easy to master the elements of good grammar, an interesting setting, a compelling plot, high conflict, point of view, theme, and the like. Even writers of non-fiction need to know these basics to construct a narrative that readers will feel drawn to. Beginning writers might be good at any one of the elements, or maybe even all of them. But the most important component of the craft you can learn is undoubtedly how to make your characters both fascinating and larger than life.

For writers of fiction, biography, and memoir, characterization is what makes readers care about your story. As a reader, I pick up a book (fiction or non-fiction) to learn more about the human condition. Books that don’t address that don’t hold my interest.

I’ve learned these lessons over the course of many years of writing and taking writing classes. As I’ve worked to apply them, they’ve helped me to produce better pages. What things have you learned that you might share with other writers? Tell us in the comments below.