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Write it Right...or Larissa's Rants and Raves
on writing
Write it Right was a monthly
column I wrote for my online ezine during 2006 & 2007.
Ever since I became serious
about my writing, I find that so many of my previous
favorite authors simply don't cut it. I pick up their books,
only to put them down before even completing the first
chapter, never to try that book again. I can no longer enjoy
their work because all I see is what's wrong with their
writing from a technical standpoint, when all I want to do
is enjoy a good story.
Why do I do this? I'm guessing it has to do with the...uh,
anal-retentive tendencies my sister has accused me of over
the years. I prefer to think of it as perfectionism. Either
way, I bust my ass to write good quality fiction and it
pisses me off when authors get published and make a career
out of sloppy prose. I've seen it in print publishing and
also in e-publishing. My guess is that many "editors" are no
longer truly editors; instead, they're book-buyers. I'm
shocked at how fast authors are expected to churn out books.
Take Laura Kinsale. Fabulous writer. Hugely successful,
award-winning...and she hasn't had a new release in years.
Why? Self-admitted on her website: she burnt out. Writing
too much, for too long, under deadlines, to the point she
had to stop, take a break and quit writing. I think that's
sad. Even worse, after some needed and deserved time off,
she returned to writing for pleasure and now has a completed
manuscript, one she'd like to sell, but the major houses
won't take her on unless she agrees to a multi-book
contract, something she's not comfortable doing.
Why in the heck can't the system allow an author to publish
a great book, without penalizing them over the future? I
know the answer, even though I don't like it: Money,
honey. The name of the game. You've got to build a name,
nurture it, grow it, write more, write faster, write hotter.
Quick. Now. Hurry! Hurry!
Whew! I get tired just thinking about it.
It's all about fast, fast, fast. So, here I sit, wanting to
write for NY...having the dream since the age of
twelve...wanting to see my name embossed on
the cover of a single title, historical novel—no matter
that's it's a name I've chosen, not the one I was born with!
:) Will it ever happen? I don't know. I'm not a fast writer.
Health crap keeps my writing to about 1 1/2 hours a day, if
that. I'm down to spending 16 minutes at a time on the
computer, with 40-75 minute-breaks in between. Kind of hard
to crank out single titles in the timeframe expected on that
type of schedule.
But guess what? There's e-publishing now!!! And, so many of
the pressurized expectations that come with NY don't apply.
Unfortunately, I've also read some downright shitty
e-published books, from some reputable e-pubbers. I think
the whole e-pub arena has exploded with growth, and
therefore, we have a lot of unqualified people parading as
editors and proofreaders. I also think there's some
undiscovered goldmines when it comes to erotic romance
fiction—and that's my goal with this column. I want my
writing to shine like gold, and every month, I'm going to
talk about the process of getting it there, of how we can
all improve our writing. I look at the I stuff I wrote just
last fall and I cringe, seeing things I should have done
better. The learning never stops.
Over the coming months, I'll be sharing some of the tips
I've learned that improved my own writing from mediocre to
award-winning. I'll point out fantastic books and authors
when I come across them, and also the not-so-fantastic, and
why I think that. I'm not an English major (much less
teacher!) but I do stop and look up words and the rules of
grammar daily. I think it's an author's responsibility to
ensure that their writing is as smooth and technically
perfect as they can make it, so that all a reader has to do
is sit back and enjoy the story. And when they're finished
with your book, hopefully, they can't wait for the next one!
Comments? Opinons?
I want to hear from you! If you agree or disagree, write and
let me know. If there's an area you'd like addressed, on any
facet of writing or reading, send it in! You can contact me
at
larissa_lyons@yahoo.com.
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