8 Habits to Develop for Successful Writing
8 Habits to Develop for Writing Success By Amanda Sue Creasey
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In
writing, as in life, many different definitions exist for success. This article defines success in two ways: producing quality work and publishing quality work. These eight habits will help lead you to one or both of those definitions of success.
1
Read.
In his book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King famously advises, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” I am a firm believer that the more we read, the better we write. Human beings learn in part by imitating. When we are little children, we imitate the actions and behaviors we see others around us model for us. The same principle applies to reading and writing. If you want to become a successful writer, it just makes sense that you should read the
ISSUE 05
work of successful writers-and learn from them. Through reading the writing of those who have already achieved writing success, we learn new vocabulary, new sentence structures, new story structures, etc. We expose ourselves to new literary devices (or original uses for familiar ones), new dialog patterns, and new narrative perspectives. In addition, our own original ideas may be inspired by something we read; a question or thought or emotion a certain piece induces can lead us to our own masterpiece.
2
Observe.
When you write, you are the ultimate creator, responsible for creating characters, places, and circumstances— responsible for world building. This is a tall order, but we do not have to start from scratch. We can pull from people and places we have actually observed, but we have to be constantly paying attention.
Notice the way people speak, what they wear, the facial expressions they affect. Pay attention to the details of a place, using all five of your senses. What does the park across the street from your flat not only look like, but smell like, taste like (that’s a hard one, I know), sound like, feel like? In a class I attended led by author, editor, and blogger Kris Spisak, she advised us all to look around the room, and then not to write about the very first thing we noticed. Instead, we were to write about the details that were not obvious, that did not stand out to us immediately. In this way, we ensured a close observation of the room, and made sure we did not write a cliched, dull description—but a perceptive, detailed one.
3
Be Original.
We’ve all heard this advice: It’s not what you write about, it’s how you write about it. The reason we’ve all heard this advice is because it’s sound advice. 40
//
According to Sylvia Plath, “...everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise.” I think one of the best illustrations of this it’s-not-what-but-how concept is Tobias Wolff’s short story, “Bullet in the Brain.” The last seven paragraphs, which comprise perhaps a third of the story, detail the shooting death of Anders, an unlikable protagonist, during a bank robbery. It is not the circumstance of the robbery nor the violence of the robbers that makes the last seven paragraphs absolutely delectable; rather, it is the way Wolf writes them— what he chooses to focus on and how he chooses to say it. Take this, for example: “In the end it [the bullet] will do its work and leave the troubled skull behind, dragging its comet’s tail of memory and hope and talent and love into the marble hall of commerce.”
ISSUE 05
What an original, beautiful, magical way to express the idea that the bullet will exit the skull and, when it does, will splatter a little brain matter on the bank wall. Wolff might have simply written: “The bullet will kill Anders, bursting through the other side of his skull, splattering a bit of brain across the bank wall.” Instead, he uses unique figurative language to turn the brain matter into a “comet’s tail of memory and hope and talent and love,” giving us the true flavor of human life, loss, and tragedy. It is not until the bullet careens through his brain that we as readers finally feel a shred of sympathy for Anders, because here, Wolff uses a full seven paragraphs—seven!—to describe the split-second death of Anders.
But really, if you want to be a successful writer, and if your definition of writing success includes (but is not limited to) publication and/or getting paid for your work, then keeping accurate records is an important part of the writing process.
Into a scene that would have taken a millisecond, Wolff crams in decades’ worth of experiences— scenes Anders remembers, scenes he does not; the path of the bullet;
41
//
the bullet’s effects on the skull and brain as it slices through them. He examines the scene in slow motion. Could he have just written: “The robber held the gun below Anders’s chin and pulled the trigger, letting Anders’s limp, lifeless body fall to the cold, marble floor”? Yes. He could have. But so could anyone else have, and it would not have affected nearly the same emotional impact, nor would it have been nearly as original, interesting, or thought-provoking. As you write then, remember Tobias Wolff, and be sure to ask yourself: Am I saying this in the most original way possible? Probably what you are saying has been said, in some fashion, before. Make sure you write about the familiar in an unfamiliar way. 4 Keep Records.
traditional sense of the word, so to pair something as left-brained as record keeping with something as right-brained as creative writing seems counter-intuitive to me.
I can expect to hear back, the date I heard back or the time that elapsed before I heard back, whether the piece was accepted or rejected, the date of publication, and the amount I was paid. I also color code my spreadsheet, highlighting in light blue pieces that were accepted for publication.
When I say successful writers write, what I am really saying is that successful writers make writing a priority.
I am not a naturally organized person, in the
ISSUE 05
But really, if you want to be a successful writer, and if your definition of writing success includes (but is not limited to) publication and/or getting paid for your work, then keeping accurate records is an important part of the writing process. For me, this consists of a submission spreadsheet that includes a row for each piece I submit for publication. Columns exist for the title, the genre, the publication to which I submitted the piece, the date I submitted the piece, the time frame in which
5
Attend conferences, classes, and workshops. There are so many reasons to participate in conferences, classes, and workshops. First, it allows you to network. I have met people who can help me edit my work; people who have invited me to join critique groups; agents I can query when the time comes; and people who simply encourage me when all I really need is someone to say: “Keep going.”
42
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Second, third, and fourth reasons to attend these types of events are pretty self-explanatory: You’ll learn a lot, improve your craft, and be inspired. I began writing my first novel, currently in the market for a publication home, in one of those black and white composition books English teachers across the country include on their school supplies lists. I wrote for weeks, and then got busy and stopped. Eventually, I realized I no longer even knew where the composition book was, and I figured my story was lost, at least so far as it stood in the misplaced book. Then, in 2014, I attended my first James River Writers Annual Conference. In one of
the master’s classes, we were instructed to write a synopsis for a novel we had in the works. I didn’t exactly have anything “in the works” at the time, much less a novel, but I decided to conjure up what I could recollect from my lost endeavor. After a while, the instructor asked for volunteers to read their synopses aloud, for the rest of the class to critique. After listening to a few of my peers’ synopses (I wanted to make sure I was on the right track first), I raised my hand, and was selected. I read what I had written, and the response from the group was overwhelmingly positive. I left the conference so inspired, that I ransacked my house looking for the missing composition book.
I found it, and set about typing and saving and backing up what I had up to that point handwritten, and continued writing from there. Now, I am in the process of querying agents for representation. I shiver to think of what would (not!) have happened had I not attended that workshop. That 110,000-word novelto-be would probably still be buried beneath boxes under our staircase, silverfish and whatever other paper-eating bugs that hide in the dark, molesting its handwritten pages.
6
Write.
This one seems a little obvious, but let me elaborate. When I say successful writers write, what I
"Whatever platforms you settle on, however, be sure that you remain consistent to your brand—make sure the tone of your social media matches the tone of your writing."
ISSUE 05
43
//
am really saying is that successful writers make writing a priority. I am an obsessive-compulsive planner and live by my daily to-do list. Writing has to go on that list. Studies have proven that we are more likely to do something if we write it down, so on my daily todo list, I actually write the word “write.” In my more organized moments, I might even specify the kind of writing I plan to accomplish that day: “write in diary,” “write—work on novel,” “write blog post.” But more often than not, the word “write” will suffice in making sure I make time to write, be it a journal entry, a blog post, a chapter, or a poem.
I am not saying you have to write every single day (though—how lovely!), but I am saying that you should write regularly. Even when you’re busy. Even when you’re tired. Even when it means getting up a little earlier or staying up a little later. Write.
7
Develop a Relevant Online Presence. The Internet has become our main means of learning about anything. When we want to know the hours of a store, we immediately consult our smart phones. When we want to read a menu of a restaurant, we look it up online. When we want to learn more about a product, we Google it.
It’s not any different for writers. Your audience, potential agents, and potential publishers all want to be able to find you online. You can develop an online presence in a multitude of ways—Twitter, a blog, a website, Instagram, Facebook, or any combination of these. I personally use Instagram and my blog, but what you develop is up to you. Whatever platforms you settle on, however, be sure that you remain consistent to your brand— make sure the tone of your social media matches the tone of your writing. Ideally, in developing and maintaining your online presence, you are also building an audience, and building a relationship with them. We live in an
"To increase the chances that you will feel the thrill of acceptance often enough to balance out the sorrow of rejection, submit often." ISSUE 05
44
//
interactive world, and your readers are going to want a little more from you than your book. Sure, they want to pick up your book and read it—but they also want to know what you’re reading and what you think about it; they also want to know about your writing process and books you might have in the works; they also want to visit your website and read your blog entries and scroll through your Tweets; they want to be able to reach out to you by commenting on your most recent blog post or your latest Instagram post.
8
Submit your Work.
This habit matters only if your definition of success includes publication. Mine does. If yours does, too, then make sure you are constantly sending your work off. If you’re like me, you will receive far more rejections than acceptances. But in
ISSUE 05
my experience, the joy, thrill, vindication, and pride I feel at just one acceptance far exceeds the disappointment of even multiple rejections. In fact, I hardly feel the rejections for more than a minute or two anymore—they’re simply too frequent. If I allowed myself to dwell on them for more than a moment or two, I’d never crawl out of that abyss. To increase the chances that you will feel the thrill of acceptance often enough to balance out the sorrow of rejection, submit often. For almost a year, I submitted next to no work. Anywhere. At all. Then, this March, I put on my big-girl-writer pants and thick skin, and sent out multiple submissions to multiple publications. In the matter of a week, I had four acceptances. I had a piece published in June, and will have one published in July, August, and September. As you can imagine, this relative
success (I’ll refrain from telling you how many submissions were rejected) fuels the fire, and I am now in the habit of submitting work on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, to a multitude of publications and contests.
// Amanda Sue Creasey
is a high school English teacher who loves walking her dogs and running. She holds a Bachelor's degree in German from Michigan State University and a Master's degree in creative writing from University of Denver. Find her online at amandasuecreasey.com.
45
39
//
In
writing, as in life, many different definitions exist for success. This article defines success in two ways: producing quality work and publishing quality work. These eight habits will help lead you to one or both of those definitions of success.
1
Read.
In his book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King famously advises, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” I am a firm believer that the more we read, the better we write. Human beings learn in part by imitating. When we are little children, we imitate the actions and behaviors we see others around us model for us. The same principle applies to reading and writing. If you want to become a successful writer, it just makes sense that you should read the
ISSUE 05
work of successful writers-and learn from them. Through reading the writing of those who have already achieved writing success, we learn new vocabulary, new sentence structures, new story structures, etc. We expose ourselves to new literary devices (or original uses for familiar ones), new dialog patterns, and new narrative perspectives. In addition, our own original ideas may be inspired by something we read; a question or thought or emotion a certain piece induces can lead us to our own masterpiece.
2
Observe.
When you write, you are the ultimate creator, responsible for creating characters, places, and circumstances— responsible for world building. This is a tall order, but we do not have to start from scratch. We can pull from people and places we have actually observed, but we have to be constantly paying attention.
Notice the way people speak, what they wear, the facial expressions they affect. Pay attention to the details of a place, using all five of your senses. What does the park across the street from your flat not only look like, but smell like, taste like (that’s a hard one, I know), sound like, feel like? In a class I attended led by author, editor, and blogger Kris Spisak, she advised us all to look around the room, and then not to write about the very first thing we noticed. Instead, we were to write about the details that were not obvious, that did not stand out to us immediately. In this way, we ensured a close observation of the room, and made sure we did not write a cliched, dull description—but a perceptive, detailed one.
3
Be Original.
We’ve all heard this advice: It’s not what you write about, it’s how you write about it. The reason we’ve all heard this advice is because it’s sound advice. 40
//
According to Sylvia Plath, “...everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise.” I think one of the best illustrations of this it’s-not-what-but-how concept is Tobias Wolff’s short story, “Bullet in the Brain.” The last seven paragraphs, which comprise perhaps a third of the story, detail the shooting death of Anders, an unlikable protagonist, during a bank robbery. It is not the circumstance of the robbery nor the violence of the robbers that makes the last seven paragraphs absolutely delectable; rather, it is the way Wolf writes them— what he chooses to focus on and how he chooses to say it. Take this, for example: “In the end it [the bullet] will do its work and leave the troubled skull behind, dragging its comet’s tail of memory and hope and talent and love into the marble hall of commerce.”
ISSUE 05
What an original, beautiful, magical way to express the idea that the bullet will exit the skull and, when it does, will splatter a little brain matter on the bank wall. Wolff might have simply written: “The bullet will kill Anders, bursting through the other side of his skull, splattering a bit of brain across the bank wall.” Instead, he uses unique figurative language to turn the brain matter into a “comet’s tail of memory and hope and talent and love,” giving us the true flavor of human life, loss, and tragedy. It is not until the bullet careens through his brain that we as readers finally feel a shred of sympathy for Anders, because here, Wolff uses a full seven paragraphs—seven!—to describe the split-second death of Anders.
But really, if you want to be a successful writer, and if your definition of writing success includes (but is not limited to) publication and/or getting paid for your work, then keeping accurate records is an important part of the writing process.
Into a scene that would have taken a millisecond, Wolff crams in decades’ worth of experiences— scenes Anders remembers, scenes he does not; the path of the bullet;
41
//
the bullet’s effects on the skull and brain as it slices through them. He examines the scene in slow motion. Could he have just written: “The robber held the gun below Anders’s chin and pulled the trigger, letting Anders’s limp, lifeless body fall to the cold, marble floor”? Yes. He could have. But so could anyone else have, and it would not have affected nearly the same emotional impact, nor would it have been nearly as original, interesting, or thought-provoking. As you write then, remember Tobias Wolff, and be sure to ask yourself: Am I saying this in the most original way possible? Probably what you are saying has been said, in some fashion, before. Make sure you write about the familiar in an unfamiliar way. 4 Keep Records.
traditional sense of the word, so to pair something as left-brained as record keeping with something as right-brained as creative writing seems counter-intuitive to me.
I can expect to hear back, the date I heard back or the time that elapsed before I heard back, whether the piece was accepted or rejected, the date of publication, and the amount I was paid. I also color code my spreadsheet, highlighting in light blue pieces that were accepted for publication.
When I say successful writers write, what I am really saying is that successful writers make writing a priority.
I am not a naturally organized person, in the
ISSUE 05
But really, if you want to be a successful writer, and if your definition of writing success includes (but is not limited to) publication and/or getting paid for your work, then keeping accurate records is an important part of the writing process. For me, this consists of a submission spreadsheet that includes a row for each piece I submit for publication. Columns exist for the title, the genre, the publication to which I submitted the piece, the date I submitted the piece, the time frame in which
5
Attend conferences, classes, and workshops. There are so many reasons to participate in conferences, classes, and workshops. First, it allows you to network. I have met people who can help me edit my work; people who have invited me to join critique groups; agents I can query when the time comes; and people who simply encourage me when all I really need is someone to say: “Keep going.”
42
//
Second, third, and fourth reasons to attend these types of events are pretty self-explanatory: You’ll learn a lot, improve your craft, and be inspired. I began writing my first novel, currently in the market for a publication home, in one of those black and white composition books English teachers across the country include on their school supplies lists. I wrote for weeks, and then got busy and stopped. Eventually, I realized I no longer even knew where the composition book was, and I figured my story was lost, at least so far as it stood in the misplaced book. Then, in 2014, I attended my first James River Writers Annual Conference. In one of
the master’s classes, we were instructed to write a synopsis for a novel we had in the works. I didn’t exactly have anything “in the works” at the time, much less a novel, but I decided to conjure up what I could recollect from my lost endeavor. After a while, the instructor asked for volunteers to read their synopses aloud, for the rest of the class to critique. After listening to a few of my peers’ synopses (I wanted to make sure I was on the right track first), I raised my hand, and was selected. I read what I had written, and the response from the group was overwhelmingly positive. I left the conference so inspired, that I ransacked my house looking for the missing composition book.
I found it, and set about typing and saving and backing up what I had up to that point handwritten, and continued writing from there. Now, I am in the process of querying agents for representation. I shiver to think of what would (not!) have happened had I not attended that workshop. That 110,000-word novelto-be would probably still be buried beneath boxes under our staircase, silverfish and whatever other paper-eating bugs that hide in the dark, molesting its handwritten pages.
6
Write.
This one seems a little obvious, but let me elaborate. When I say successful writers write, what I
"Whatever platforms you settle on, however, be sure that you remain consistent to your brand—make sure the tone of your social media matches the tone of your writing."
ISSUE 05
43
//
am really saying is that successful writers make writing a priority. I am an obsessive-compulsive planner and live by my daily to-do list. Writing has to go on that list. Studies have proven that we are more likely to do something if we write it down, so on my daily todo list, I actually write the word “write.” In my more organized moments, I might even specify the kind of writing I plan to accomplish that day: “write in diary,” “write—work on novel,” “write blog post.” But more often than not, the word “write” will suffice in making sure I make time to write, be it a journal entry, a blog post, a chapter, or a poem.
I am not saying you have to write every single day (though—how lovely!), but I am saying that you should write regularly. Even when you’re busy. Even when you’re tired. Even when it means getting up a little earlier or staying up a little later. Write.
7
Develop a Relevant Online Presence. The Internet has become our main means of learning about anything. When we want to know the hours of a store, we immediately consult our smart phones. When we want to read a menu of a restaurant, we look it up online. When we want to learn more about a product, we Google it.
It’s not any different for writers. Your audience, potential agents, and potential publishers all want to be able to find you online. You can develop an online presence in a multitude of ways—Twitter, a blog, a website, Instagram, Facebook, or any combination of these. I personally use Instagram and my blog, but what you develop is up to you. Whatever platforms you settle on, however, be sure that you remain consistent to your brand— make sure the tone of your social media matches the tone of your writing. Ideally, in developing and maintaining your online presence, you are also building an audience, and building a relationship with them. We live in an
"To increase the chances that you will feel the thrill of acceptance often enough to balance out the sorrow of rejection, submit often." ISSUE 05
44
//
interactive world, and your readers are going to want a little more from you than your book. Sure, they want to pick up your book and read it—but they also want to know what you’re reading and what you think about it; they also want to know about your writing process and books you might have in the works; they also want to visit your website and read your blog entries and scroll through your Tweets; they want to be able to reach out to you by commenting on your most recent blog post or your latest Instagram post.
8
Submit your Work.
This habit matters only if your definition of success includes publication. Mine does. If yours does, too, then make sure you are constantly sending your work off. If you’re like me, you will receive far more rejections than acceptances. But in
ISSUE 05
my experience, the joy, thrill, vindication, and pride I feel at just one acceptance far exceeds the disappointment of even multiple rejections. In fact, I hardly feel the rejections for more than a minute or two anymore—they’re simply too frequent. If I allowed myself to dwell on them for more than a moment or two, I’d never crawl out of that abyss. To increase the chances that you will feel the thrill of acceptance often enough to balance out the sorrow of rejection, submit often. For almost a year, I submitted next to no work. Anywhere. At all. Then, this March, I put on my big-girl-writer pants and thick skin, and sent out multiple submissions to multiple publications. In the matter of a week, I had four acceptances. I had a piece published in June, and will have one published in July, August, and September. As you can imagine, this relative
success (I’ll refrain from telling you how many submissions were rejected) fuels the fire, and I am now in the habit of submitting work on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, to a multitude of publications and contests.
// Amanda Sue Creasey
is a high school English teacher who loves walking her dogs and running. She holds a Bachelor's degree in German from Michigan State University and a Master's degree in creative writing from University of Denver. Find her online at amandasuecreasey.com.
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