So you want to be a writer!

Q-Bev, where do you get your ideas?

 

A-All kinds of places! TV, newspapers, blogsites, internet articles, other books (no, I don't plagerize!), everyday conversations (yes, I do eavesdrop!).

 

But the best sources for ideas come straight from my life and my family. The picture book I'm working on comes from a funny incident when I was a kid. My MG novel idea came from stories my husband's tells about his childhood. 

 

Your own history makes for the richest stories because they are yours and you know them! But don't let that limit you--you don't have to have lived the story to write about it! Otherwise we wouldn't have Jurrasic Park, or Monsters, Inc., would we?

 

Q-How hard is it to get published?

 

A-Hard. Very hard. There is a lot of competition out there, and only so much being published. But if you work hard at your craft and never stop writing, learning, and making contacts in the writing world, you'll have a much better chance.

 

Q-What's the best advice you can give a beginning writer?

 

 

A-1) Write! Write! Write! and Send! Send! Send! your work to editors!

 

2) DON'T GIVE UP! It sometimes takes years to get published. Keep plugging away at it!

 

3) Join organizations like SCBWI (see my "Writing Resources" page) to make important contacts and hone your writing skills.

 

4) Go to seminars. Whenever possible, submit your work for a critique through these groups--it's a good way to meet other, more established writers, as well as agents and editors. Listen to their advice--they are there to help you make your story better, so don't take their criticism personally. But remember, your story is your story and you have the right to tell it any way you want.

 

5) Enter writing contests. A "win" or "honorable mention" looks great on a bio or resume!

 

6) Form or join an existing critique group. This is one of the most important things you can do for your writing! You will develop a critical eye and learn to edit your own work, as you edit others'.

I always say, "Good writing is 20% writing; 80% editing!"

 

7) Do your research!--both for the story you are writing (for authenticity and accuracy), and when getting ready to submit to an agent or editor. Go to the agent's or publisher's website and look at their guidelines. Are they accepting your kind of story (i.e. a PB, MG, or Y)? Do they want it submitted electronically or as a hard copy? You'd be surprised how many people skip this important step: one of the reasons manuscripts get rejected right away.

 

 

Q-You say you like writing in verse. I heard most editors don't like it. Why?

 

A-The sad truth is, not many people can rhyme well. It takes a very good ear to be able to get the rhythm right and hear the stress points in words. 

 

If you want to write in rhyme, I suggest you listen to music--a lot of music--especially musical comedy (i.e., Broadway shows, Disney musicals). When I was a kid we had musicals playing in our house all the time. I credit those years to helping me be the poet I am today. And I can still sing most of the words to those shows!

 

I don't suggest you listen to rap, though. Some of it is good, but A LOT of it is very BAD rhyme--and they often butcher how words are stressed.