I think the best way is to keep on practising and the more u practise the better you will get. If you think you sre ready go and publish those stories
Could I please read one of your stories??? Try joining a website online to share them and hopefully get some contacts….Writers join them and so do publishers looking for new authurs…. Goodluck :)
The Astro-Man changed the tags on this post: they were "science, magazine, Professional, writer, drive, lot, work, Feel, short, stories" 1 year, 6 months ago.
pollyanna_pengui wrote:
Could I please read one of your stories??? Try joining a website online to share them and hopefully get some contacts….Writers join them and so do publishers looking for new authurs…. Goodluck :)
I’ve joined one of those before, but all I got was lousy feedback due to the cliques that tend to develop on tight-nit community forums like those (especially in the darkened corners of the genre sections like horror, SF, and fantasy).
As far as reading my stories, I don’t see why not. Except, of course, the fear of having them stolen and sold as though they were someone else’s (which would simultaneously be very flattering, as someone thought my work good enough to steal, and infuriating, as I’m not getting paid for my own work).
Anyway, you can read my most recent story, ‘Time May Change Me’, here:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcbwf24…
Thank you, Don’t worry I won’t steal anything :P Lol I enjoy writing too and I if you would like I could give you some feedback???
By the way, I left you some comments on your poem, although I am sure you’ve seen them already and now thinking to yourself, ‘Who is he to tell me how to write poetry when he’s not even published?’
The Astro-Man invited 3 users to read this post 1 year, 6 months ago.
The first things you need to do is read the “Magazine Publisher’s Yearbook” or the “Writer’s Yearbook” or something like that. You can either buy one from most bookshops or, if you don’t feel like parting with handfulls of cash, go into your local library. These will tell you pretty much everything you need to know about getting published.
One of the first tips is to read the stories which are in the magazines you are writing for - and try to match your style to the style of the magazine. This may be why you were rejected previously.
If you have enough material to put together into a novel, get yourself an agent. This is easier if you’re already published, but loads of agents will still accept work from unpublished authors.
One of the cardinal rules of writing is revision - you need to be spending at least as much time re-reading and revising your writing as you are putting stuff down on paper in the first place.
An important point to bear in mind is that there are as many different writers and writing styles as there are readers - don’t get too hung up about whether your stuff sounds or reads professionally. As far as I’m concerned (and a large proportion of the publishing industry) then if someone is willing to pay money to read your writing, then you’re a writer.
Also, you’re only twenty two, for christ’s sake - you have your whole life ahead of you! Some of the greatest writers didn’t get started until they were much older. Just keep writing, and try to enjoy yourself.
Finally, if you want a few tips from a very well known and respected (and popular) writer, try the below:
http://www.kabedford.com/archives/000…
No worries, I haven’t checked that post for a while that’s all thnak you :) Okay anyway back to your story…. I found it a little abrupt and their was something creepy or disturbing about it…. Like black magic or something… But I understand that’s to do with the genre and well It’s supposed to be like that! Nice similies, I enjoyed the fact that I actually wanted to keep reading it… I loved the ending it’s so intresting how you could look at it in so many different ways, One thing though I didn’t quite understand what happemeds to Jennifer….
Übermensch wrote:
One of the cardinal rules of writing is revision - you need to be spending at least as much time re-reading and revising your writing as you are putting stuff down on paper in the first place.
This is what I spend most of my time doing, going back and reading old stories I’ve got sitting on my hard-drive and re-working and re-writing them.
Übermensch wrote:
Also, you’re only twenty two, for christ’s sake - you have your whole life ahead of you! Some of the greatest writers didn’t get started until they were much older. Just keep writing, and try to enjoy yourself.
True, but it doesn’t help when I’m reading the likes of Isaac Asimov or Neil Gaiman, both of whom got their start when they were in their twenties. Also, I just heard of this kid in New York who’s got a book published already and he’s still in high school! His name is Isamu Fukui, and the novel is called ‘Truancy.’ He wrote it two years ago when he was fifteen. It’s equally astounding and infuriating.
pollyanna_pengui wrote:
No worries, I haven’t checked that post for a while that’s all thnak you :) Okay anyway back to your story…. I found it a little abrupt and their was something creepy or disturbing about it…. Like black magic or something… But I understand that’s to do with the genre and well It’s supposed to be like that! Nice similies, I enjoyed the fact that I actually wanted to keep reading it… I loved the ending it’s so intresting how you could look at it in so many different ways, One thing though I didn’t quite understand what happemeds to Jennifer….
Well, I guess the story wasn’t supposed to focus so much on Jennifer’s fate as it did her mother’s, but maybe I could fix that. Also, if you mean the story overall is abrupt, then I agree, but I’m afraid of writing too much exposition and boring detail. I should have someone else look at it.
Yeah I know I would have liked to know what happened to Jennifer though, I started to like her and I could feel more in depth with her than Meryl. Maybe you should try and give it a little more detail… But if you are happy writing in this style that’s good!
There are a few self publishing websites that you can check.Google self publishing.
A lot of authors are doing that now because of the costs involved and the ability to find a publishing company that will look at their work.
Good Luck and I hope you get published.
I know there are writing courses designed persifically for those who want to publish their works. if you look inti ur area u shud be able to find some.
Is there a local writers group? The group here knows all the connections and sometimes invite publishers to meetings.
I’m a bit skeptical on the whole self-publishing angle.
bonnie wrote:
Is there a local writers group? The group here knows all the connections and sometimes invite publishers to meetings.
There is a creative writing society here at university, but that will be finished once the term is over. And there isn’t any group that I know of back home. I have been meaning to start one up, though; I guess this summer will be just as good a time as any to start.
The Astro-Man wrote:
Übermensch wrote:
One of the cardinal rules of writing is revision - you need to be spending at least as much time re-reading and revising your writing as you are putting stuff down on paper in the first place.
This is what I spend most of my time doing, going back and reading old stories I’ve got sitting on my hard-drive and re-working and re-writing them.
Übermensch wrote:
Also, you’re only twenty two, for christ’s sake - you have your whole life ahead of you! Some of the greatest writers didn’t get started until they were much older. Just keep writing, and try to enjoy yourself.
True, but it doesn’t help when I’m reading the likes of Isaac Asimov or Neil Gaiman, both of whom got their start when they were in their twenties. Also, I just heard of this kid in New York who’s got a book published already and he’s still in high school! His name is Isamu Fukui, and the novel is called ‘Truancy.’ He wrote it two years ago when he was fifteen. It’s equally astounding and infuriating.
pollyanna_pengui wrote:
No worries, I haven’t checked that post for a while that’s all thnak you :) Okay anyway back to your story…. I found it a little abrupt and their was something creepy or disturbing about it…. Like black magic or something… But I understand that’s to do with the genre and well It’s supposed to be like that! Nice similies, I enjoyed the fact that I actually wanted to keep reading it… I loved the ending it’s so intresting how you could look at it in so many different ways, One thing though I didn’t quite understand what happemeds to Jennifer….
Well, I guess the story wasn’t supposed to focus so much on Jennifer’s fate as it did her mother’s, but maybe I could fix that. Also, if you mean the story overall is abrupt, then I agree, but I’m afraid of writing too much exposition and boring detail. I should have someone else look at it.
o to be young and impatient!
The Astro-Man wrote:
I’m a bit skeptical on the whole self-publishing angle.
bonnie wrote:
Is there a local writers group? The group here knows all the connections and sometimes invite publishers to meetings.
There is a creative writing society here at university, but that will be finished once the term is over. And there isn’t any group that I know of back home. I have been meaning to start one up, though; I guess this summer will be just as good a time as any to start.
have you heard of POD technology? this is print on demand, and basically means a copy of your book is printed when someone orders it - which means you can never be out of print! amazon use it in their US site - hasn’t really hit over here but worth looking into as an alternative to self publishing
although i refer back to my original point - if you have stuff to sell…get an agent!
The only thing about POD is marketing, as the author needs to do it all by himself. POD is also harder to get reviewed since the author would need to pay for a copy of his own book to give to reviewers. Granted, I wouldn’t mind paying a bit of extra money to have people read and review my book and pay for a bit of marketing to get the name out, but without the marketing power of an actual publisher, I’d hardly get any sales.
I have a friend with two books of poetry via POD but her only means of marketing was through her MySpace and Facebook pages, and the only people who have bought it has probably been her family and friends.
Anyway, I’m definitely going to get my novel to an agent once it is finished. Until then, I’m submitting my short stories to magazines and other publishers and see where that gets me.
Hey Astro. I was reading an article recently about writing and according to it the estimated time it took to breakthrough as an author/playwrite/screenwriter (eg to become consistently published via agent) was 8 years. Don’t take this as disheartening. Between building up contacts, submissions after submissions, and constant refining of craft (I know you are a fan of King’s On Writing, I am too) you will get there.
Keep churning it and know that all the stories and novels that you are writing now will get published (or optioned, or made into a computer game) down the road after you broke through. The effort isn’t wasted, the reward for it is only delayed. Every author of note has a pile of rejected manuscripts better than the one that got published. I’ll bet those rejects will come in very handy for you when you need to fill out your first three book deal!
The walls that come between you and your dream aren’t there to stop you. They are there to determine how badly you want it. As long as you are still writing and reading everyday and submitting every month the dream is alive and kicking, regardless of whatever else you have to put on the resume to keep food on the table.
Remember Astro, talent is always second to desire.
By the way, on the self publishing option, a self-published novel that skewers federal politics has won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour in Canada recently. The Best Laid Plans, by Terry Fallis won the $10,000 award. I have no doubt that a publisher will scoop him up now, but respect that he shopped that manuscript around for years without getting a bite.
tictactomm wrote:
The walls that come between you and your dream aren’t there to stop you. They are there to determine how badly you want it.
Okay, this is probably the best thing I’ve ever read here on Help. Seriously man, that was incredibly encouraging. This needs to be shared, though I don’t know how. Maybe I’ll throw it into a bit of dialogue or a speech in a book. Thanks man.
Oh, and another, weird question: Do Canadian publishers print stuff using Canadian English? Just a bit of curiosity, really, but I spell using Canadian English and also wouldn’t mind submitting a few things to some Canadian publishers.
Canadian english is defined by Canadian colloquialisms, but other than that we are another colony that follows the queen’s english good sir.
The walls analogy resonated with me when I read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, and its been top of my mind ever since. Check out this lecture:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=R9ya9BX…
Well, there are differences between British spelling and Canadian spelling. For example, British would spell ‘realise’ instead of ‘realize’ as it is in Canada. Or ‘tyres’ instead of ‘tires.’ However, they are the same in that we both spell ‘colour’, ‘centre’ and the last letter of our alphabet is ‘zed’ instead of ‘zee.’ The story posted here (via the Google Docs link) uses Canadian spelling for everything, which I’m sure will annoy my editor when she notices the words ‘realize’ and ‘colour’ at the same time.
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