In the writing webverse I have heard lots of advice on what to do, or not to do, to increase your chances of being published. Now, I must point out that I do not write to get published. I write for me. And I would like to believe that to some extent, all writers write for themselves in some way.
If you are writing a specific piece with a mind toward publication there may be some standards you should hold yourself to. But remember these two points:
- The publishing world is always shifting and changing. So what is standard now may be a big mistake in the future.
- Many authors (and their work) have broken the rules and become very successful. It may be hard, but it is possible.
But even someone writing for publication should take time to write something, however small, that feels right to them. No matter what the publishing industry is looking for.
If you love to write the type of thing that breaks some convention or other - write it. Don't worry about what others think. Don't shape yourself or your writing just to please others. If you betray yourself, you betray your writing and your story.
Now, I should point out that if you have a flaw in your writing. Like you use the same sentence structure over, and over, and over (like I do), this is something you should change. But changing your voice just because someone else does not like it - bad!
So if it feels natural for you to write in third person omniscient - but the publishing world has put out a ban on that point of view - do it anyway. You may not be published but you will remain true to yourself.
*Sigh* Okay, I got that off my chest and I feel much better. I am very interested in hearing your thoughts on this subject.
I totally agree. It never makes sense to write based on trend, because by the time you start querying, agents are sick of the topic you've written. The books that are big now like Harry Potter and Twilight didn't have the big publishing trend of fantasy or paranormal when they were released, the authors just wrote what they liked and interested them, and that's what helped them become big, because the authors loved them.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully said. I'm off to work on the 'just for me' wip :)
ReplyDelete@Jenna - I believe that the authors love for a story is the difference between a good story and a great story!
ReplyDelete@Cassie - Good for you! Enjoy!
This is a great post! A good friend and I have a go-around about this very topic pretty much weekly. While it's important to remain true to the self it is equally important to remember that our stories invite readers into our thoughts and our opinions and our view of the world, through our writing. That story might be set in high-fantasy world, a low-fantasy world, might even have history as its backdrop, but in the end, what we write and how we write it is a reflection of who we are and the values we maintain.
ReplyDelete@Ken - That is so true!
ReplyDeleteAGREE with you Krista... My husband published his first Children's Book about 3 and a half years ago. He got so much "advice" and "input" from so many people- but stood his ground, and got published :)
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