7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Sara Sue Hoklotubbe
Outside of personal experience, the best way to learn is to get advice from people who’ve been there and done that. Discover the seven things learned so far by author Sara Sue Hoklotubbe.
This is a recurring column called “7 Things I’ve Learned So Far,”where writers (this installment written by Sara Sue Hoklotubbe, author of THE AMERICAN CAFE) at any stage of their career can talk about writing advice and instruction as well as how they possibly got their book agent -- by sharing seven things they’ve learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning.
1. The first step is the hardest. When I started writing, I had no idea what I was doing. Finding myself in a new state with few job opportunities, my husband encouraged me to do something I’d always wanted to do—write. I took his advice and at the age of 44, I bravely enrolled in a six-week writing class at a local community college. The instructor changed my life the first night of class when, unable to pronounce my name, he held the roster in the air and said, “That’s a great name for the front of a book.” The subliminal message stuck. I was on my way to being a writer.
2. Prepare. I followed that short writing course with two more, soaking up every ounce of instruction like a sponge. I read everything I could get my hands on about writing. I subscribed to Writers Digest and every other writing magazine I could find. I joined a writing group and found a critique partner. We met regularly to read and discuss our work. With every step, I grew as a writer.
3. Practice. It sounds like a tired slogan, but the old adage about repetition proved to be true. The more I wrote, the better my writing became. I learned to use active instead of passive verbs. Choosing random words from a dictionary, the leader of our writing group challenged us to produce a coherent story in three to five minutes. I learned the importance of revision, continually stretching myself as a writer. Finally, I decided I wanted to do more. I wanted to write a book.
Order The American Cafe by Sara Sue Hoklotubbe.
4. Write what you know. One of the first things a writing student hears is to write about the familiar. After spending twenty-one years in the banking business, one would hardly be surprised to learn that my first book, Deception on All Accounts, begins with a bank robbery. Being a Cherokee tribal citizen, my protagonist became a Cherokee woman named Sadie Walela. The setting became the unforgettable place of my childhood; the characters took on the idiosyncrasies of people I had known or met.
5. Take a note. I started carrying a journal with me everywhere, recording anything and everything I thought I might be able to use later. Eavesdropping on conversations in restaurants gave me insight for realistic scenes in The American Café. Reading current events in small-town newspapers gave me additional ideas for the rural setting I was using in my mysteries.
6. Be persistent. After polishing the manuscript until it sparkled, I delved back into my writing resources to figure out what to do next. Writer's Market taught me how to write a query letter, and then how to search for a publisher. I submitted everywhere. I learned that rejection doesn’t necessarily mean the work is bad, it means that writers and publishers are like two parts of a puzzle, each seeking the other unique interlocking piece with which to create a masterpiece.
7. Be inspired. I credit much of my success as a writer to divine intervention, a supportive husband, a positive outlook, and a lot of hard work. I am inspired by a quote by Seminole artist, sculptor, state and tribal leader, Enoch Kelly Haney. When speaking about the art of sculpting, he said: “Since I have no training ... I have no limits.” This marvelous concept spoke to me when I first heard it and still resonates with me today. I didn’t know the rules of becoming an author, but with a lot of encouragement I truly discovered there are no limits. A piece of artwork hangs next to my desk that depicts a bear swiping at a hummingbird with his huge paw while the tiny bird hovers near the bear’s face. The title is Face of Adversity. On those days when I don’t think I can write another word, I look at that little bird defying that giant bear and know that I can.
The road to becoming a published author has not always been smooth. I’ve experienced a lot of bumps, a lot of rejection, and there have been many days when I questioned why fifteen years ago I chose such a hard profession. But when I recently received my first author copy of The American Café, touched my name on the cover, and saw my words printed on the pages inside, I forgot how hard the journey had been. Then there it was—a blurb from Carolyn Hart on the front cover. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Sara Sue Hoklotubbe is the author of the Sadie Walela Mystery Series. Her new release, The American Café (April 2011, University of Arizona Press), has been described by Library Journal as “a good pick for Tony Hillerman fans.” Sara is a Cherokee tribal citizen who grew up in northeastern Oklahoma, and uses that location as the setting for her mystery novels. See her website here.
