I want to become a writer of beginnings. Creative professions: how do writers become? - That's a million books at once

Writers are notorious for their insecurities, whether they are famous writers or newcomers. Becoming a writer takes time, perseverance, and practice. This article will give you some tips on how to become a good writer.

Steps

Part 1

Write, write and write again

Write every day. You can write for both long and short sessions. Write one paragraph or an entire page daily. Write every day!

If you don't have time, get up early or stay up late to set aside at least 15 minutes to write a few lines.

Don't be afraid to write something bad - just write. Don't leave pages blank. If you don't know what to write, then start writing something, for example, about how bored you are, or about some object in the room, and after a while you will have other ideas.
- On the Internet, in bookstores or in libraries, you can find special collections of tips for writers; such collections are designed to fire the writer's imagination.
If you write for a certain period of time, you may become stuck in a particular style, theme, or format. Write daily, but make an effort to diversify your style or format. Effort is an important factor needed to improve any skill. To improve your writing skills, try the following:

Ask some writers to read your work and rate it; you can also offer to read and rate the work of other writers. Welcome constructive criticism of your work that aims to improve it; avoid having your work read by people who are unkind to you (their criticism will not do you any good).
- Look online for writing communities (such as Scribophile or WritersCafe) or communities that are interested in your subject.
- Find information (on the Internet, in the library) about the local pen club.
- Write articles on wiki sites (like Wikihow or Wikipedia). You will help people who need information, and they will tell you how to improve your work.
If you can't motivate yourself to write regularly, make a commitment to write to other people (this would be a kind of "extrinsic motivation"). For example, write letters to family or friends regularly, or start a blog and update it daily, or enter a writing competition.

The first work of a writer always needs improvement. After writing a play (short story, novella, etc.), re-read your work and find in it sentences, paragraphs or whole pages that you are unhappy with. Rewrite the scene from another character's point of view, try to find other plot lines, or change the order of events. If you're not sure why you don't like a particular paragraph (page, action, scene), rewrite it to forget about the original paragraph, and then compare both paragraphs and determine what you like best about each version.

Part 2
Vital Skills
1. Read as much as you can. Read a variety of literature - magazines, books, dissertations (but this does not mean that you should read it all "from cover to cover"). Reading will increase your vocabulary, increase your literacy, inspire you and show you how to deal with words. For an aspiring writer, reading is as important as writing a few lines every day.
  - If you don't know what to read, ask a friend for advice or go to the library and choose a couple of books from each section.
2. Enrich your vocabulary. Get a good explanatory and synonymous dictionaries and keep them always at hand (or write down unfamiliar words to look them up in the dictionary later). Great writers have always debated whether to use simple words or to write in fanciful language. It's up to you (but not before you master some skills).
  - Definitions of words in dictionaries often do not provide an intuitive understanding of how to use words correctly. Find a word online and read it in context to understand how to use it correctly.
3. Learn grammar rules. Of course, there are many famous and wonderful books written with some deviations from the grammatical rules. However, by learning grammar, you will learn how to build sentences and express your thoughts correctly. If you think that grammar is your weak point, read a Russian textbook or work with a tutor.
  - Sometimes writers allow some deviations from grammatical rules.
  - If you have any grammar questions, feel free to check out the relevant book or website.
4. Tailor your work to the interests and preferences of your target audience. Just as you change your clothes according to the season, you should tailor your writing style to the needs of your audience. A figurative description is more suitable for a poem than a financial report. Choose the appropriate format, style and length of sentences. Limit the jargon and provide your readers with enough information to make it easy to understand your intent.
Part 3
Artwork: from start to finish
1. Make a plan for what you want to write. Use whichever method suits you. You can write out your plan in the form of a tree of events or use colored cards on which you will indicate certain scenes. Such a plan can be drawn up in the desired chronological order (actions, scenes, etc.), or you can paint all the actions / scenes in great detail. The plan will motivate you on days when you don't feel like writing.
  - There are many programs for writers to create plans, such as Scrivener or TheSage.
  - You can deviate from the original plan, but if you decide to completely rewrite it, think about the reasons that prompted you to do so. Write a new plan and think about how you intend to implement it.
2. Thoroughly study the topic of your work. Preliminary study requires not only science fiction themes of works, but also fiction. If the protagonist of your piece is a glass blower, read a book on glass making and use the appropriate terminology. If you are writing a book about the time before you were born, talk to people who lived at that time (such as your parents and grandparents).
  - In the case of fiction, you can start writing and then dive into research.
3. Write as quickly as possible without looking at the keyboard or worrying about grammar; just write about what you think. This is very important in order for you to complete the first paragraph, or page, or outline of the entire work.
4. Edit the text. Once you've drafted a piece, read it, think about it, and rewrite it, correcting grammatical and stylistic mistakes. If you don't like some places, rewrite them. Critically reviewing your own work is an important writing skill to learn.
  - Take a break between writing a piece and starting editing. It's best to wait as long as possible, but even a short break can give you the impartiality you need to work on your bugs.

If you are a creative person and want to find interesting work for yourself, read how to become a writer. It's not as difficult as it seems.

Thanks to the Internet, human capabilities have expanded and anyone who has at least a little time can write a book.

How to become a writer, where to start?

Writing is a profession for which, in essence, no special education is needed. Those. if you are a philologist-linguist or a journalist by profession, then it will certainly be easier for you to write.

But you can write good books without specialized education. Moreover, we do not teach “to be a writer”. Therefore, your level of education and erudition depends only on you.

Before you start, decide what you want to talk about. Literature is different:

Artistic.
Educational.
Technical.

Books on these topics are always sold out. The main thing is that the information in them is truthful and interesting.

The essence of the writer's profession

To be successful in this field, books must be in demand. This will increase the circulation, on which the writer's earnings depend. Find a topic that many people care about and they want to know as much as possible about it. Try to ensure that the work gives maximum answers to all questions.

Sold works will bring fame, and this will help to conclude a contract with a large publishing house, which will generously pay for what is written.

Success can be achieved even easier. Create your own website and print chapters from the novel in it. If they are good, fans will appear, people will talk about the book, and it will become popular. This will allow you to sell your creations electronically to everyone.

What do you need to work

Have a rich imagination and find topics that will capture the reader from the first pages and will not let him tear himself away from the written story to the end.

The profession of a writer requires the ability to clearly express ideas and clearly communicate your thoughts to people.

In order for the book not only to entertain, but also to be useful, you need to thoroughly understand the chosen topic and know the Russian language to a sufficient extent. Literature does not allow inconsistent sentences and clumsy syllables.

And of course, discipline! This is what gets you out of bed in the morning and makes you write - even if "not in the mood."

A stable income is guaranteed by a contract with a publisher. The manuscripts of a novice author are usually printed in 2-3 thousand copies. The creator of the work is given five percent of the sale of each book in stores.

When a printed novel costs 300 rubles, the fee for a 3,000th edition is 45,000 rubles.

But not everything is so simple:

Firstly, you will receive your interest not from the selling price of the book in the store, but from the cost price - the prices of the publisher
Secondly, few people immediately print 3,000 copies. In the beginning, you will have to be content with a circulation of 1000 copies.

If you promote your book yourself and sell it on the Internet, the profit will be greater. When the book is on everyone's lips, you can set the price of 100 rubles for the electronic version and sell up to a thousand copies per month. This will bring quick earnings and encourages you to work further.

Writers' fees depend on their popularity. Famous authors get much more for the books they sell. Reputable publishing houses are fighting for these people and offer them very favorable working conditions.

If you are determined to become a writer

Come up with a brilliant idea and pitch it to a publisher. Your application will be reviewed within a month. If the management is interested in the chosen topic, you will be offered a contract. It will take into account wages, terms of work and much more. Also, the publishing house will take care of all the efforts for the implementation and release of the book.

It should be understood that if you are a beginner, by the time you write to the publisher, you should have written part of the book, its detailed plan and a plan for promoting the book. If you are ready to promote and sell the book yourself, the publisher is more likely to meet you halfway.

The publishing house is very interested in what part of the work of promoting and selling your book you will take on. It could be copies you buy for yourself, a group of people who are interested in buying your book, and so on.

If your book is already written and the manuscript is kept at home, send it to the publisher. There is a chance that people will be interested in a good book and contact the author.

People read books, sometimes with interest, and sometimes with delight. Other literary works are quickly forgotten. Sometimes stories and novels remain unread. But in any case, the author, whose name is printed on the cover, seems to be a romantic person. It often seems to an ordinary person who goes to work at nine o'clock that this is an enviable lot - to work whenever he wants, not to listen to the boss's tedious remarks, receive large fees and live in a special world where fantasies reign, fictional characters conflict and mysterious events occur. In order to get there, you need to know how writers become. But the writers themselves are in no hurry to share this secret of theirs, although they seem to be hiding nothing in words.

If you can, don't write

Sitting down at the desk, everyone who has chosen literature as a profession for himself should remember this responsibility. But it is not enough to make this choice yourself, it is necessary that the love for art be mutual.

The writer is the reader

Picking up a fountain pen or sitting down one day at a computer keyboard and trying to express in a literal format the totality of surging feelings is very difficult. It interferes and distracts everything, the words are hard to fit next to each other, thoughts seem beaten and all the time there is a feeling that someone has already written it. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if the new author himself read a lot. Novice writers often want to become Dostoevsky or Chekhov right away, and not everyone succeeds in this. In this sense, it is interesting to observe the metamorphosis of Anton Pavlovich's consciousness, which can be traced in his writings from the first volume to the last. From "Letter to a learned neighbor" to "Bishop" "a huge distance" (in the words of another classic). A more encouraging effect is given by reading modern writers, but not everyone can endure them for a long time.

An embarrassing business question

The great Russian poet spoke about inspiration and a manuscript that can be sold, and it is difficult to disagree with Alexander Sergeevich on this. But in this age of continuous marketing and management, supply far exceeds demand. Not all novice writers listen to the above advice about not taking up the pen without unnecessary need, therefore, without exception, the editorial offices are inundated with manuscripts, most of which are doomed to oblivion. A talented author will need the main personal quality for any person - patience. At the same time, you need to remember that the book should be interesting. Publishing houses are commercial enterprises, their goal is to make a profit, their products must be sold. Before you sit down at the table, you should soberly assess the readership potential of your future work and draw up a psychological portrait of a potential reader. Succeeded? Happened? Then get to work!

What to write about?

What kind of fiction is being read today? It is believed that in every publishing house there is a specialist who knows the answer to this question. His job title is Publisher. Theoretically, he can predict the speed of circulation sales, its volume, in other words, what determines the "commercial potential of the product." Probably, publishers are often mistaken, but it is very difficult to check this.

Children's writers are rare in our time, and it is not for nothing that the books of Suteev, Nosov, Prishvin and many other classics of the genre withstand numerous circulations, and the demand for them does not fall. The most popular genres are melodrama, detective story, mysticism, fantasy and some others that fall under the definition of youth culture. Read today housewives (not all, of course), students and intellectuals of the Soviet conscription, not yet finished with perestroika-shootouts of the last two decades. Modern writers, if they want to become famous, simply have to take this fact into account when choosing the stylistic direction of their works. They must create for their readers. There will be no others, and these are becoming less and less ...

How to write

All our fellow citizens went to school. So everyone can read. And write too. But this does not mean that the profession of a writer is public. It needs to be learned, it's an art. And like any art, it consists of two main parts - talent and craft. There is also a third ingredient - labor, but more on that later. It is possible to dream of being creative from childhood, especially if you have the ability. But where to study as a writer? The answer to this question seems obvious: of course, at the philological faculty! There certainly teachers know how to express thoughts! Yes, they know, but most often about how it is impossible. Graduates of literary faculties are fluent in theory, they know how to correctly compose phrases, they are familiar with the rules of linguistics, punctuation and, of course, spelling. That is why, apparently, they themselves most often do not write anything.

non-professionals

Both writers of the past and modern writers, as a rule, come to art from completely different professions. Detectives are composed by former law enforcement officers, melodramas are created by teachers or engineers. Chekhov was a zemstvo doctor, and Tolstoy an officer. Does this mean that they did not learn the craft? Far from it. They simply comprehended its subtleties, not sitting at a student desk, but in completely different places. Self-education is the best kind of education. How writers become today is a special topic. Literature has become a business, not everyone is allowed into it, and the artistic merits of works are not always the criteria. But Ivan Shmelev told about the old days. "How I Became a Writer" is a story filled with humor, but it also has very serious moments. It truthfully describes the first semi-childish “creepy” story, the received fee of 80 rubles (quite a decent amount at that time) and one’s own surname on the treasured page of the Russian Review, which seems alien. It is clear to the reader that since the events described, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, and there have been many changes in the author's worldview.

About words, living and dead

As a rule, work on a literary work begins with an idea. In the life of every person there are moments that deserve to be told about them. Not everyone has a need for such a presentation, but if there is one, it is worth thinking about the technical side of its implementation. How writers become can be judged by what they must be able to do. First, there is such a thing as a good syllable. It involves the observance of certain rules, among which we can mention various rather formal points and the most common mistakes made by novice authors (for example, in the case of a hat that fell off while “passing by station N”). As a textbook, you can use the good book "The Word of the Living and the Dead", written by Nora Gal.

There is also such a thing as identity. It is manifested in the features of the speech of the characters, their recognition. A woman speaks in life differently than a man, the dialect of a rural dweller differs from the speech of a city dweller. However, there must be a measure in this, otherwise it will be difficult for the reader to be given the text. Good taste and captivating narration will give the book undoubted merits, and in this case it will become loved by many.

Descriptions of some professional moments sometimes require deep knowledge. For example, the actions of a pilot at the controls cannot be described by an author if he himself has never flown an aircraft. Unprofessionalism is immediately visible, so it is advisable to avoid such moments so as not to become a target for fair criticism. However, it is also not worth distracting the reader to acutely specific questions, unless, of course, a work of art is being written, and not a textbook.

preliminary criticism

It seems to every author that he made humanity happy with his work, and this is completely normal. After all, otherwise it was not worth taking up the pen. Another question is to what extent the opinion of a young (not necessarily in terms of age) writer corresponds to objective reality. Not everyone has the talent of a writer, but you can determine its presence by letting different people read your own opus. It should be borne in mind that good acquaintances, friends and true friends are rarely able to say cruel words, such as “you, brother, are mediocre,” or “old man, you wrote a story that is boring to the point of yawning.” Therefore, it is best to opt for those readers who are more free to express their opinions. A great option is a school teacher of literature (and an excellent reason to visit a teacher, especially on Teacher's Day or another holiday). The problem is that she does not always have time, but if the author showed success in her subject at one time, she will certainly read it, and even with a red pencil in her hand, and this is an invaluable help. There are also colleagues at work (if they are not subordinates, of course). In general, here the author has the cards in hand, he knows better who can be a preliminary censor and who is not. And you also need to be a psychologist in order to understand whether the reader liked the work or not. Our people are cultured, even too ...

About volumes

Writing a couple of stories is not all. You could say it's nothing at all. Before you become a famous writer, you have to work hard. This means that only the writer who can offer the publishing house a full-fledged book, or rather several, has a chance for publication. And this is a dozen and a half printed sheets (each of about 40 thousand characters with spaces), up to half a million characters in total (different publishers have different requirements). Two or three short stories can be published in an almanac, but in this case there can be no question of publishing an independent book. Therefore, you need to be patient and work, and without a 100% guarantee of success. Another reason to think about whether it is necessary to make such sacrifices ...

How to achieve mastery

Any skill is achieved by practice. Variety performers believe that singing in restaurants is an excellent vocal school. For a novice writer, journalism or copywriting can become such a crucible of skill and professionalism. The ability to coherently express one's thoughts in the form of text is a habit that borders on automatism. An experienced writer of articles will never use the same words in adjacent sentences (except as a special device), pay attention to style, maintain the rhythm of the story and at the same time develop his own style, characteristic of every original writer. These skills are very important, they will come in handy when creating works of art, regardless of the genre.

How to publish a book?

And so the book is written. The last doubts have passed, I want to publish it. The author already knows in general terms how others become writers, and he wants to try it himself. The desire to send the manuscript to some publishing house seems quite natural, and the hope for a positive decision of the editors regarding publication is equally justified. Novikov-Priboy, Jack London and many other Russian and foreign writers did just that. They received fees, at first very modest, and then quite serious. O. Henry, for example, published his first stories while in prison.

But the experience of past centuries is not yet a reason for excessive optimism. The manuscript is considered for a long time, and very often the answer contains the standard text that it is "not of commercial interest." Should I be upset about this? Of course, it's a shame, but you should not fall into despair. In the end, the publishing house can be understood. Printing books is a business, and all business people are unwilling to invest in projects that have dubious financial prospects. Printing is not cheap these days.

The path to fame is winding and difficult, but there are still chances to overcome it. Firstly, there is more than one publishing house in our country. And secondly, success can be achieved in another way (in the case of one's own confidence that the book will be a reader's success). The advantage of our time is that, having spent your money, you can print everything by choosing your own cover, format, and illustrations. If you need the services of an editor, then you will also have to pay for them. By the way, many Russian writers published for the first time at their own expense in the past. There is nothing shameful in such an approach. In addition, if you're lucky, you can find a sponsor who will pay for the services of the printing house. In case of success, it would be useful to return the spent funds to him, and even with interest, because, laying out "hard-earned money", a person (or organization) takes a risk. At the very least, it is worthwhile to stipulate the terms of sponsorship in advance.

It is best to choose a publishing house that has its own chain of bookstores, otherwise a situation may arise that plunges many aspiring authors into awe. The writer receives a large mountain of packages of his own works and does not know what to do with them. In this case, you have to deal with the marketing of literature on your own, negotiating with trading organizations about the sale. Experience may not be enough, moreover, many stores are used to working with their own suppliers and sometimes refuse to cooperate, just to “not confuse accounting”. In general, there are many difficulties, and most importantly, you have to overcome them on your own.

New opportunities

Modern writers have access to means to achieve fame that the great writers of the past did not have. Every day, in any weather and almost around the clock, hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions, of people sit in their homes and apartments and look on the Internet for something interesting to read. On specialized sites, any person who considers his work talented can submit it to the general public. A novice writer should not immediately think about a high (and generally some) fee, so there is an easy way to evaluate the success of your own work by publishing your opuses on some popular page for free, based on reviews. After making sure that the reader is interested in the work, you can try to sell the manuscript on paid sites.

politicsslashletters.live

Never use a metaphor, comparison, or other form of speech that you often see on paper.
Never use a long one where you can get by with a short one.
If you can throw away a word, always get rid of it.
Never use the passive when you can use the active.
Never use borrowed words, scientific or professional terms if they can be replaced by vocabulary from everyday language.
It is better to break any of these rules than to write something outright barbaric.

devorbacutine.eu

Use the time of a complete stranger so that it does not seem to him wasted in vain.
Give the reader at least one hero for whom you want to cheer with your soul.
Every character has to desire something, even if it's just a glass of water.
Each sentence should serve one of two purposes: to reveal a character or move events forward.
Start as close to the end as possible.
Be sadistic. No matter how sweet and innocent your main characters are, treat them horribly: the reader must see what they are made of.
Write to please only one person. If you open the window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will catch pneumonia.

Contemporary British writer, very popular among fantasy fans. Moorcock's key work is the multi-volume cycle about Elric of Melnibone.

I borrowed my first rule from Terence Hanbury White, author of The Sword in the Stone and other Arthurian works. It was like this: read. Read everything that comes to hand. I always advise people who want to write fantasy or non-fiction or romance to stop reading those genres and go for everything else, from John Bunyan to Antonia Byatt.
Find an author you admire (Konrad was mine) and copy his stories and characters for your own story. Be an artist who imitates the master to learn how to draw.
If you are writing story-driven prose, introduce the main characters and main themes in the first third. You can call it an introduction.
Develop themes and characters in the second third - the development of the work.
Complete topics, reveal secrets and more in the final third - the denouement.
Whenever possible, accompany the introductions to the characters and their philosophizing with activities. This helps maintain dramatic tension.
Carrot and stick: heroes must be pursued (by obsession or villain) and pursued (ideas, objects, personalities, mysteries).

flavorwire.com

American writer of the 20th century. He became famous for such scandalous works for his time as Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn and Black Spring.

Work on one thing until you're done.
Do not be nervous. Work calmly and with joy, whatever you do.
Act according to the plan, not according to the mood. Stop at the appointed time.
When work.
Cement a little each day instead of adding new fertilizer.
Stay human! Meet people, visit different places, have a drink if you want.
Don't turn into a draft horse! Work only with pleasure.
Deviate from the plan if you need to, but come back to it the next day. Focus. Be specific. Exclude.
Forget about the books you want to write. Think only about what you write.
Write fast and always. Drawing, music, friends, movies - all this after work.

www.paperbackparis.com

One of the most famous science fiction writers of our time. From his pen came such works as "American Gods" and "Stardust". However, they filmed it.

Write.
Add word by word. Find the right word, write it down.
Finish what you write. Whatever it takes, finish what you started.
Set your notes aside. Read them as if you were doing it for the first time. Show the work to friends who love something similar and whose opinion you respect.
Remember, when people say something is wrong or not working, they are almost always right. When they explain what exactly is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.
Correct the mistakes. Remember, you'll have to let go of work before it's perfect and start the next one. is the pursuit of the horizon. Move on.
Laugh at your own jokes.
The main rule of writing: if you create with enough self-confidence, you can do anything. It can also be the rule of all life. But it's the best for writing.

moiarussia.ru

A master of short prose and a classic of Russian literature who hardly needs an introduction.

It is assumed that the writer, in addition to ordinary mental abilities, must have experience behind him. The highest fee is received by people who have gone through fire, water and copper pipes, while the lowest is received by nature untouched and unspoiled.
Becoming a writer is very easy. There is no freak who would not find a mate for himself, and there is no nonsense that would not find a suitable reader for himself. And therefore, do not be shy ... Put paper in front of you, pick up a pen and, irritating the captive thought, scribble.
Becoming a writer who gets published and read is very difficult. For this: be and have a talent the size of at least a lentil grain. In the absence of great talents, the roads are also small.
If you want to write, then do so. Choose a topic first. Here you have complete freedom. You can use arbitrariness and even arbitrariness. But, in order not to discover America a second time and not to reinvent gunpowder, avoid topics that have long been hackneyed.
Let your imagination run wild, hold your hand. Don't let her chase the number of lines. The shorter and less often you write, the more and more often you are printed. Brevity does not spoil things at all. A stretched rubber erases a pencil no better than an unstretched one.

www.reduxpictures.com

If you are still a child, make sure that . Spend more time on this than anything else.
If you are an adult, try to read your work the way a stranger would. Or even better - as your enemy would read them.
Don't exalt your "calling". You can either write good sentences or you can't. There is no "writer's way of life". What matters is what you leave on the page.
Take significant breaks between writing and editing.
Write on a computer that is not connected to the Internet.
Protect working time and space. Even from the people who are most important to you.
Do not confuse honors and achievements.