MARCH 30, 2023

FANTASY WRITER!!!

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The first question that I get asked is:

How long did it take you to write your first book?

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I wrote the first draft of The Mage Scrolls: Book 1, Gift of Healer in 8 months. Being a first-time author and very naive about the craft of writing (as a matter of fact, coming from an entirely different profession I didn't know there was a 'craft of writing!') I thought I was done. Bring on the beta readers!

 

The first beta reader who read my book was someone I consider my sister-in-law and close friend. She loved the book, "couldn't put it down!" and she become my biggest fan. Whenever I need moral support or have a wave of self-doubt, she is there for me, encouraging me along this journey. Family and friends as beta readers are very subjective. They love you, and they support your efforts, but they're not going to give you the dagger-like, objective critique that you need to publish a polished manuscript that is as perfect for the reader.  

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Then I hired a beta reader through a reputable author site. I loved this beta reader, I will use her again for my second book. Here were her exact words:

          "Thank you again for letting me read your work. Before I start my report, I want to stress that I LOVED this book. Not liked, truly loved. I’m known for being a harsher beta reader, and I don’t say that often. This is a book I absolutely would have read for pleasure, so I get the added bonus of giving my opinion as a member of your target audience. There are a few minor things that I do recommend ironing out before you proceed with publication, but if you do, I can see this book being very attractive to literary agents and publishers.

            I like to start my reports by going over grammatical and technical aspects of the writing. .....this novel is a bit of a mess."

You can see why I loved her.  

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My next beta reader wasn't as kind. After her dagger-like, objective report (we communicated throughout the process and many times I was left in tears) I stopped writing for months. Abandoned the process, and almost quit. With that addressed, I have to admit this person taught me so much about the craft of writing that she is the main reason that I have a great book—and I promise I will thank her... someday...when I'm ready. (insert smiley face) 

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What did she teach me?

     1. The first draft (or rough draft) is for the writer. Whether you are a Pantser or Plotter (Pantsers are writers who 'fly by the seat of their pants,' while Plotters have planned organization to their writing style) the first words put to paper are mostly for the author. It puts creative ideas to paper, builds an outline of the plot, tries out the characters, and sets the world. Then comes the revisions...

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Oh my gosh! The revisions are where the real work begins! That's where the book is taken from the author's on-paper words to a real, live story that a reader can fall in love with.

 

For example, it is said that Earnest Hemingway revised the ending to 'A Farewell to Arms' 39 times before he was satisfied enough to type "The End." Google it. There are many very successful writers who have gone through multiple revisions (and many years) before publishing their books.

 

The Hemmingway story is what kept me plugging along with my revisions. Even if I only sell 1 book, it's going to be the best I can make. For the majority of writers, there's not much money to be made in self-publishing, so most authors find joy in simply writing the book. That we may have readers is an exciting bonus!

 

So, for me, the revisions were the true craft of writing. It took me over 2 years to revise my manuscript to the point where I thought I might have something good enough to publish. 

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     2. If and when you publish written work and put your book and yourself out there for public scrutiny, you have to have a thick skin. You know the saying that you have to be like a duck and let the water (bad reviews) repel off you? You have to be like that duck in a rainstorm. Not everyone is going to like your work, and some of these people are going to be vocal about it. Yes, we all want the perfect 5-star rating on Amazon and Goodreads, but be ready for the critics. That's why they're called critics. But you do have to listen and grow from the critics too. (It's times like that where I keep Taylor Swift's song 'Mean' running through my thoughts.) 

 

This leads me to reviews. Please, please, please, if I can encourage anything, please let your authors know that you enjoyed their book by writing a review on Amazon and Goodreads. It's a simple way to show your appreciation of our work and it encourages other readers to buy our book.

 

     3. You need to learn the craft of writing. The craft of writing is an art form. An age-old process of story-telling, creating poems or communicating important information. Having a grasp of the basics of writing is essential to writing a solid book for readers. How do you plot a story? Who are the characters involved and how do you bring them to life? What are they look like? What are they like? Where are they from and what world do they live in? Do they have an important message to convey or a life experience that they must learn? Is there a quest? What obstacles are in the way of that quest? What is their voice, their point of view; what is the scene, and how do they feel? Can you explain this all by showing the reader and not just telling the story?

 

That is what that beta reader taught me. That I had to learn the craft of writing, and when an author masters that, well, there is no stopping them.  

 

Thank you so much for reading a little about my journey and supporting my website.  Thank you for reading my book. 

        ~Marcia 

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