Established Writers Give Advice to Newbies

Oct 20, 2011
Toby Welch

Writers Can Learn From Others - Janpha Thadphoothon

If you could send a letter to the writer you were when you first began writing, what would you say? Five established writers share their their thoughts.

Here's what some experienced writers would tell their beginning writing selves if they could go back in time:

Shenaaz Nanji

Shenaaz Nanji holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College. She has written seven books for children that have won several awards. Her novel, Child of Dandelions, was nominated for Governor General Award in Children’s Literature. Here is a copy of the letter she would write to her starting-out writer self:

My Dear Girl:

You don’t have to begin at the beginning. Begin writing any scene you are excited about then write scene two then scene three. When you finish ten great scenes, presto you will know how to begin.
Try to write a few articles for free. You will gain credibility and confidence.
Write about what you care. Write for the people you care about and the words will flow. Don’t do it for money. You will never get your money’s worth. Do it only for the love of it.
Share your writing, shut up, and listen. Suck up the criticism. The best part is you can rewrite.
Rethink, revise, rewrite. Great writers did not sit down and write one brilliant word after another all at once.

Alison Neuman

Alison Neuman has a Bachelor of Applied Communications from MacEwan, has contributed writing to numerous publications, and has released her Young Adult novel Ice Rose (2010): “Keep reading. Keep writing. Keep believing. Be persistent. You are a writer. You will get published. You will reach your dreams and goals if you stay focused and keep positive.”

Jock Mackenzie

Jock Mackenzie, the President of Red Deer Writers' Ink, has published a teacher reference book on essay writing and not published a crime novel, Dealing with Dymans:

“Dear Jock,

Hang on! You are about to embark on a satisfying, challenging, humbling, frustrating, edifying, interesting, and endless journey. If you're looking for pay, go another way. The paying that's important on this voyage is paying attention. Pay attention to all of the details of life. Keep a pen and notepad (or higher tech device) with you at all times to note the quirky and the poignant, the minute and pervasive. Look and listen and feel and smell and touch, knowing you will have the chance to put sensations into words. Watch for what's good and uplifting to share with your readers. Watch too for the dark because we also learn by observing what not to do, but don't dwell there. Read as widely as possible and, once again, pay attention to what moves you and why it moves you. Strive to be the best you can be - and have as much fun along the way as you can - and celebrate any and all successes.”

John Warner

John Warner, workaholic, retirement failure, author of Emperor of the East Slope and the award- winning Golden Quest, has a list of advice he would tell his newbie writer self:

To complete a book is a cherished milestone few achieve. To hold the printed copy in your hand rarefies your standing. OK, so well done! (Hope you never know how hard it is to market the damned thing!) Know that the urge that started this will never go away. You will always be an addict and frequent mind prods will urge you back to the keyboard when you are fallow. You may never be the addict that Nora Roberts is…but you may try.
The Internet is wonderful for quick and accurate research. Better than newspaper archives and libraries where I started out, pre-computers. Enjoy your technical advantage!
Should editors equate you alongside or above popular authors, be proud, but not prideful. Remember, they have agents, publishers, reputations, fans, sales, and experience.
Read more. Suck in knowledge. Keep a notebook at your bedside for those three a.m. revelations.
Stick with your method. Just because you have no idea where a story is going does not mean it is not in motion and actually has an ending.
When friends stay up all hours enthralled and forget you are the author, you have achieved…something. When even critics have to read to the end, there is a victory.
Make contacts with other writers, associations, and like-minded groups who will encourage you and suggest means. Writing is an insular endeavour but marketing is not.
Edit, edit, edit. Then edit again and get others to help. Subsequent editing will then be desirable.
Keep faith. Nothing will get done if you do not get started.

Vance Nevada

Vance Nevada lives in Blackfalds, Alberta, and is the author of Wrestling in the Canadian West and 2010 winner of the James C.Melby Historian award. He would tell his beginning writer self three things:

Never underestimate the usefulness of an editor. Even if you are a subject matter expert, by the time that you have written, re-written, and reviewed your own material over and over, there is a great value in having an unrelated pair of eyes look over your stuff. Even if your work is solid from a technical sense, these folks can help to steer greater development of certain areas of your work. Related to an editor though, this service can get very pricy very fast ... and in the end you may have a significant cash outlay and still need to edit for grammar/spelling etc. So make sure you know what you're getting and the end cost.
If your work relies on input or interviews with anybody, even if they are really into your project, expect that without some gentle nudging, you may never get what you need in time. Some people you may never hear back from at all. Inevitably, it is the folks that you extended invitations for an interview on multiple occasions that will be the first to criticize the finished product anyway.
If you're writing your first book, recognize that the book industry is different from probably most out there. Unless you're starting from some point which readily gives you a platform to promote, there is a lot of self-promotion involved to get your title moving. Just putting it out there on book shelves isn't a guarantee that anyone will be interested enough to buy. Explore every opportunity possible to promote yourself and your title, any potential forum where your target audience may already be planning to attend.

Hopefully you can take away some thoughts on your own writing journey!

To read more from veteran writers, check out Writing Advice From Established Writers.