7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Marion Winik
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 Marion Winik.
This is a recurring column called “7 Things I’ve Learned So Far,”where writers (this installment written by Marion Winik, author of HIGHS IN THE LOW FIFTIES: How I Stumbled Through the Joys of Single Living) 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. Never let an idea get away. I have never been the kind of writer who is bubbling over with ideas. The only way I've written nine books and hundreds of articles is by refusing to let one escape. This is a three-step process.
- Write every idea down. Don't assume you won't forget. Always carry paper, and pen, and dictate into your phone if necessary.
- Even if the idea seems less promising later, scribble a couple sentences about what you meant.
- If it doesn't work out now, save the rough start in a folder of unfinished stuff. At some point, you will be very glad to have these.
2. Learn to manage your key employee. It's interesting to learn how other writers manage their time, whether they do or don't write every day, for how many hours, in longhand or laptop. Interesting, sure, but what's more important to study is what works for you. You may not need a rigid schedule, or absolute solitude. You may be more productive late at night, or early in the morning. You may need specific goals and rewards for each session. Really pay attention to what practices are most productive for you, and be a thoughtful boss.
3. Proofread your emails. In our rush toward glory, it is easy to send out messages with typos in them. This is particularly unfortunate when sending queries or submissions - i.e. dealing with people who don't know that you actually do know the difference between "its" and "it's". Realizing you've done this is like finding a big spot on your shirt after you leave a job interview... too late. Lame apology/correction emails almost make it worse.
Order Marion Winik's Highs in the Low Fifties today.
4. Memoirists - don't spring surprises on your friends. If you think you can publish something unpleasant about someone and they'll never see it, you are almost definitely wrong. Show people what you're writing about them before it's published, or make sure they are effectively disguised, or decide you really don't care about this relationship and that you haven't created grounds for a lawsuit. For my new book about dating, High in The Low Fifties, I tracked down each of the guys, some of whom I had seen only once, and had them read their section! This embarrassing procedure generated a whole additional chapter titled "Where Are They Now?"
5. Editors' letters usually make the revision sound like a lot more work than it actually will be. Often the cover letter describing a revision will make you shudder. It sounds like everything is wrong, they hate the piece and you have to rewrite it from scratch. Then, after you've torn out your hair, gnashed your teeth and turned in an overhaul, it turns out they liked the first version pretty well and just wanted a few specific changes. Somehow the prose description of what's wrong with the article always makes it sounds much worse. Push for specifics about what to do and where to do it.
6. Don't put everything online. Except in rare cases, you can't publish a book of material that has already been online. This material has been available for free and probably will be forevermore, reducing or eliminating its commercial value to a print publisher. A little bit of it can be in your blog or on various websites, sure. But if you want to sell a book, you have to have patience with delayed gratification.
7. Start something new before the glow wears off. Not long after you receive word of any success, consider your next project and start making notes about it. If necessary, go back to that file of dribs and drabs I mentioned in #1. Good news is generally followed by bad news, and the ego rollercoaster of the publication process will take you down if you don't have an ongoing relationship with the work itself. Take it as an article of faith that your best work is ahead of you. And make it so.
Marion Winik is the author of six books of creative nonfiction, including the New York Times Notable Book FIRST COMES LOVE, as well as two volumes of poetry. Her most recent book is HIGHS IN THE LOW FIFTIES (skirt! June 2013),which was praised by Newsday, Kirkus and author Jane Smiley. Marion's work has appeared in such publications as The New York Times Magazine, The Baltimore Sun, Salon, More, and Newsday, and her commentaries for All Things Considered are collected at www.npr.org. She is a professor at the University of Baltimore and was named “Best Humorist” in Baltimore Magazine’s annual Best of Baltimore list in 2013. For more information, go to www.marionwinik.com or find her on Twitter.
