What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us . . . Ralph Waldo Emerson

pi

(the sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet)

I could never profess to have the formula or the knowledge of what it is exactly that makes a great writer.  I’m not certain that anyone could put to paper the formula for a best seller, or for that matter, that any agent, publisher or author can state unequivocally what it takes to write a novel that will sell over a million copies.  Many people have asked me “How do you write a novel and what does it take?”  In trying to simplify it, at least for me, I arrived at pi, and broke it down into three words that begin with p, and three that begin with i.  Here they are:

Perseverance: You may not sell the first novel you write, chances are,  you won’t.  You may receive many rejections, chances are you will.  But, keep writing, keep honing your craft, and keep submitting.  Read everything you can in your genre, and never underestimate the writing skills of others who write in your genre. Don’t get hung up on the negative comments people so willingly offer.  Write from your heart, write for yourself, and persevere.

Professionalism:  Even in the face of rejections from agents and publishers (oh yeah, you‘ll get them), harsh critiques from a writing group, and a list of contest winners, and your name isn’t on it, let your professionalism shine through.  Be courteous, follow the submission guideline rules, be upfront and truthful about your writing experience (everyone started with a first novel), and above all, remember to thank whomever you are dealing with for their time.

Pride:  Take pride in yourself, pride in your writing.  Believe in yourself. Confidence shows!  The mere fact that you finished a manuscript is something to be proud of.  Take time to congratulate yourself.  In the words of Mary Pickford, “This thing we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down.”  Pick yourself up and stand proud!

Intuition:  Everyone has it.  You do, too.  Use it.  Ask yourself when your characters are speaking, would they really say that?  You love your story, but is it believable?  Does it work?  Use your intuition, and be brave enough to admit when it isn’t working, and strong enough to move on to the next story.

Industriousness: Set aside time for writing.  Stick to a schedule as much as you can (barring emergencies and life’s little sidesteps).  Set goals and applaud when you’ve reached them (even if they’re small ones.  Get organized. Set up files for your writing, your receipts, your record-keeping.  A clean, organized work area does much to keep you motivated to write each day. 

Interesting Plot and Characters:  So, you’ve got this great idea!  But once you put it to paper, the characters seem dull and inactive.  The plot isn’t moving along like it should, in fact, as you read it, you wonder who’s going to find this interesting---interesting enough to pay $10.00 for it and then turn around and buy your next book.  Your characters must come to life, and your story must captivate, thrill and bring out a gamut of emotions in readers.  This kind of goes along with your intuition above.  If it’s not working, change it.  Give your characters oddities, something that readers will remember.  Perhaps it’s a man who always shows up in a plaid shirt that’s three sizes to big for his small frame, or maybe it’s a woman who’s always mumbling to some unknown entity near her.  Sounds goofy, huh?  But your readers will remember them, and that’s what we, as writers, always strive for.  We want our readers to remember our books long after they’ve put them down.

Theodore Vail once said, “Real difficulties can be overcome, it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable.”

If you want to write, listen to his words.  There is nothing you can’t do if you set your mind to it.  Good luck, good writing, and good reading!