Today, we feature another delightful link in the Random Helpful Links for Aspiring Authors series. Published author Ian Irvine's Guide to Success is another great resource that I've collected in my blog/website travels.
What I love about Irvine's site is that he doesn't take it too seriously. So many resources about writing and publishing make me downright depressed, with all of their, "The percent of people who actually get their novel published is .0000000001%," and, "You will have to edit your piece-of-crap manuscript so many times that you won't even recognize it by the time it's 'finished'," nonsense. Irvine gives real advice, but does it in an upbeat way that leaves me saying, "Yeah, I can do 10 rewrites! No problem!"
Probably my favorite tip from him is the very first one: Be original but not TOO original. I feel like so many writers these days complain about things being cliche, while Irvine hits the nail right on the metaphorical head: "what ordinary readers want is more of the same, only a little bit different." Go into your local bookstore and you can find at least twenty different vampire-forbidden-love books, because vampires are the most popular thing since sliced bread. Yes, it's overused, and yes, the non-vampire-obsessed crowd is sick of the genre, but they get published and they sell because vampires are "in" right now. "Cliched" stuff is cliche because it works, and I think it's important for folks to remember that.
Alright. Enough of my ranting for the day.
Hey songchaser,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to reply to your PM on fanfiction, but you've disabled your setting so I (rather awkwardly as well; my apologies) figured this would be the next best thing. Your message made me a) smile b) appreciate serious readers/fellow writers like yourself c) smile some more d) want to encourage you in your own authorial endeavors. Thank you for reading, and thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it. That (as I'm sure you know!) always warms a writer's heart.
Speaking of which, from the snatchet I read below, you seem to have quite an engaging story as well! I like your style...expansive without being verbose, thoughtful without being somber and amusing without cheap humor. Also, an excellent set up for whatever comes next. If/when (and please do say when this is the case!) you get this published, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it at Barnes & Noble.
Anyway, that all being said, please feel free to PM me on fanfiction. I was wondering about where/who to go to with a possible manuscript for (ahh!) publishing, and you seem just the person to ask.
All right, I'm done. Once more, thanks for reading!
Blessings,
SweetSeptemberStorm
Oh, and I very much enjoyed this (^) post. Quite true. (Alas...if only quality literature was in instead of vampires! :o)