Young Adult Writer Turns Forty!

In her book Writing & Selling the YA Novel, K. L. Going lays the terminology out: "Psychologist Erik Erikson, known for his research into the development of identity, defined a young adult as a person who is between the ages of nineteen and forty  (Childhood and Society, 1950), but in literature we use this term to define books written for those between the ages of twelve and eighteen."

Ouch - I turn forty tomorrow!

I've been reading many books on writing as this benchmark approaches but this is the first to point out the cusp that I'm on. I've heard life begins at forty. Obviously it's because one is a mature adult at this point.

A total lunar eclipse, the winter solstice and the New Year are all localized around my 40th and all represent astronomical events - perhaps renewal or even rebirth. Thus I've decide to focus on a YA novel as I enter this new phase of life.  In this way, at least, I will stay a YA writer.

Yea - I turn forty tomorrow!

I was told a few days ago that forty is a novelty; forty-one is rough. The reality sets in. I resolve today, before my birthday and before the New Year, to be a published fiction writer by my 41st birthday. The publishing world is slow so it won't be my novel, but I'm submitting my short fiction.

I've laid down the gauntlet. Stay tuned.

Writers: You've Got To Start Somewhere... Research Your Market, Enjoy Your Craft, Submit Your Work

It's hard to start isn't it? I'm writing this as much for myself as for any writer out there. Writing is solitary, therefore you should write for yourself.  Do some research, not just on your subject matter, which you already love, but your market. Market research is fun too! Find out what's getting published, then write something you can enjoy spending time with - that you think an agent can sell.

Merging commercial, with artistic goals should be your goal, because writing is hard: it's hard to start and it's really hard to finish.  It's hard to finish something you don't feel passionate about, especially with no deadline. Many people call themselves writers because they started writing - I say that I can call myself a writer because:

1. I'm obsessed.
2. I've finished several short stories.
3. I've submitted those stories I've finished.

If starting is hard, I'd have to say finishing is brutal.  We're perfectionists, yes?  That's good, but you ultimately need to finish.  Orson Scott Card says it best in The Writer's Digest Guide to Science Fiction & Fantasy: get a 'wise reader' to review your work, then revise it. Then submit it! Rejection is incentive to get better. Constantly revising is incentive to never submit.

Giving Thanks for Honorable Mention & Writer's Workshop at Windycon

When is a piece ready for publication? When is my blog, for that matter, ready for its first blog post? I'm thankful for a recent step forward in my writing career, so why not blog about it - why not today, on Thanksgiving? 

I entered two short stories in the 2010 I.S.F.i.C. Writer's Contest this year. My piece, "Waiting for The Future" won an Honorable Mention! You can check out the details of the award at Science Fiction Awards Watch (my Zen Googler wife found it.) Judges' comments included "the world of 'Waiting for the Future' revealed over time was a fascinating one with a significant theme." So perhaps this is a salable piece?  In Chapter 9 of "Techniques of the Selling Writer", Dwight V. Swain states "A story is merchandise that goes hunting for a buyer." It's a very short chapter with this advice for selling stories:

1. Study your markets.
2. Get manuscripts in the mail.
3. Keep them there.

There's eight great chapters before this one and, as the title suggests, they delve into the technique of writing. I've had one flash fiction piece submitted all over the marketplace this year so I get the whole perseverance thing. Since October 2009, I've come back to writing fiction after a twenty year hiatus. In this now digital age, in which literary and publishing information is readily available to me, I've devoured some great books on writing -  and I've felt equally devoured by the writing bug. It's as if an old addiction has friended me on Facebook and is barraging my feed with status updates.

My other submission to the contest was deemed "the best of the worst." Perhaps not a salable piece? I submitted this to the Windycon Writers Workshop to get some insight into what that critique might mean.

I got some great insight, some of it conflicting, as multiple professionals gave me feedback on my work. Certain aspects of the experimental piece were ripped apart, but I think in revision it will become a salable piece.

"Techniques of the Selling Writer" was suggested by Bill Fawcett at the Windycon Workshop. It's a great resource, not just because it guides me through what I need to master, but because it illuminates what I'm already doing well. Back cover: "This is a book for writers who want to turn rejection slips into cashable checks." I couldn't agree more. Read some books on your craft. Get into a workshop.

My thanks to Bill Fawcett, Betty Anne Hull, E. E. Knight, Chris Gerrib, Trey Thoelcke and Richard Chwedyk for taking the time out of their busy professional literary careers to spend some time with my work.

P.S. If you want to cut some calories this (or any) Thanksgiving make your favorite  Double Decker Pumpkin Pie recipe while thinking really hard about your first blog post for your writing blog. If you do a fine job mixing the  pie filling but forget to lay down the crust like I did... Let's just say you can enjoy a delicious pumpkin custard topped with pumpkin chiffon without all those unwanted pastry carbs! Happy Thanksgiving.