Kim Harrison: Becoming a Writer

"I love reading. Do you have any advice on how to become a writer?"

I can't tell you the number of times I've been asked this question, and though every author's path to publication is different, I do have a few tips for the young (or new) writer that can help.

Writing is just about the only job I can think of that is still pretty much self-taught. To help, there are lots of classes available both at the high school level and higher, and I always suggest taking as many creative writing classes you can. I didn't, and when I sat down to write, I had a lot of catch-up to do. Which goes to prove that even if you miss those early opportunities, you can make up the difference. When it comes right down to it, it's you and the keyboard and lots of practice.

Write every day. You don't have to write for a long time--just twenty minutes or so--but make them good twenty minutes. You might ask, why write every day and not for an hour once a week? Writing every day teaches you how to flick on your creative process fast and make it work for you. If you want to write for a job, treat it like one and write whether you're in the mood or not. This is hard work, or everyone would be doing it. Or should I say, everyone would be finishing their manuscript.

Which brings me to the next suggestion. Finish what you start even if you've lost interest in it. Find a way to rekindle the spark, and then do it. A lot of people confuse true writer's block with a lack of planning. There are many people who write by the seat of their pants. (Called pantsers) That's what works for them and it is a perfectly acceptable way to write--if you finish your manuscript. If you have six stories started and haven't finished one, then you're not a pantser, you're a plotter who hasn't plotted enough. I'm a plotter with a pantser's need to follow my instincts. I have to have an outline when I work, but I'm always changing it. If you have a hard time finishing a story, you might want to consider spending some time outlining to the end--and then finish writing it, even if it is painful. The confidence you will get from that will astound you. If you can finish one, you can finish them all.

Another piece of advice I love to give out is to do lots of research, but by that I mean reading your favorite books, not once or twice, but several times over the course of a couple of years. Pick your favorite author's work apart to see how he or she handles character growth or plot development. See how she hid clues in the prose so that you missed its significance until the end when you hit your head and say, "Oh! That makes perfect sense now!" Watch how she built the world and drew you into it. Was it the love the main character had for her pet that first drew you to understand her? Or her friends? Or maybe the trouble or success she had at school?

Okay, so what if you have the pattern of writing every day and you've finished something? Now you're ready to start sharing your work. Sharing your writing with others is one of the best ways to get over your love affair with your own words. Loving your work is a positive thing, but it can stand in the way if you love it so much that you think it can't be improved upon. Try to join a writer's group that meets face to face. Not only will you make great strides in polishing your voice and developing that thick skin needed, but there's usually a published author in the group who can open doors and make introductions to help get that first publishing credit.

One of the best things about wanting to be a writer is that if you write, you are one. It's that simple. The only sure way to fail to find publication, is to stop trying. Success is simply a matter of time, effort, and maybe a good whack of luck to get it all going.

--Kim Harrison

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