Great advice. I particularly like the part about whether you have a talent worth pursuing. I'd like to add that there are so many different types of fiction writers with so many different voices and styles. For years I was a creative nonfiction mag journalist so I wrote long form pieces. Even so I had to adhere to the voice of the publication. In magazine articles I didn't write long, beautiful and elaborate sentences, so I assumed I couldn't write fiction. But in my thirties, I revisited the works of Hemingway and Joan Didion (for creative memoir style) and I began to see that good writing often was clear, precise and evocative, just like the best journalism. Good fiction writers wrote in scene; they had to show, not tell. In my dream to write fiction, I had to first break out of my mindset of what I thought "good novels" looked like. If I try to compare myself to an author I admire that leans flowery or even literary, I'll lose every time. But I learned to accept that my style is different and yet my voice is still worthwhile and (very readable). That's when I was able to finally transition from journalism to full-time fiction. Thanks, Rebecca!
Thank you, such great advice and THAT POEM! I started as a screenwriter (currently picketer), played around with memoir which lead me to personal essays which lead me to short and long fiction. Putting myself out there--workshops, classes, submitting, contests, publishing on Medium--has been the best confidence booster, lead to more work and an audience. At some point, you just have to jump in. And that poem, wow, yes. Keep going and ignore the noise.
This question was mine-thank you so much for answering! And for the poem.
I’ve had essays and short pieces published and received encouraging advice about my novel from people I trust. So I’ll continue writing and see. I’m not young but I want to.
Really helpful, thank you. I'm doing exactly as you said, 1-2-3, and pausing my early-stages novel to work on the multitude of half-finished short stories. And I just joined the Authors Guild. Onward.
Hi Rebecca. I'm a recent paid subscriber, but longtime reader of this substack and your books. (Side note: I tell people I think The Great Believers is the best novel published so far this century and I stand by it!)
But on to my question. I wonder if in the future, revising your work is something you could touch on. I just completed a first draft of a novel (yay!), but now have to edit and revise (oh no!). I'm sure there are lots of different ways writers go about doing this, but I just wondered if you might have some good advice on revising. I tore through my first draft, and don't want to let anyone else read anything until I have a second, cleaner draft. But getting to that point actually feels much more daunting than writing the first draft in the first place! It's a mess right now, but I think there's a great (or at least very good) novel in there somewhere.
Anyway, I know you're busy, but I'm hoping this is a topic you might address in the future. Thank you for these posts on writing, I have found them helpful and interesting.
I just signed up! I've been wanting to do one of those StoryStudio classes for awhile but was kind of overwhelmed at the plethora of options, so thank you for recommending a specific one for my needs. Looking forward to it!
Great advice. I particularly like the part about whether you have a talent worth pursuing. I'd like to add that there are so many different types of fiction writers with so many different voices and styles. For years I was a creative nonfiction mag journalist so I wrote long form pieces. Even so I had to adhere to the voice of the publication. In magazine articles I didn't write long, beautiful and elaborate sentences, so I assumed I couldn't write fiction. But in my thirties, I revisited the works of Hemingway and Joan Didion (for creative memoir style) and I began to see that good writing often was clear, precise and evocative, just like the best journalism. Good fiction writers wrote in scene; they had to show, not tell. In my dream to write fiction, I had to first break out of my mindset of what I thought "good novels" looked like. If I try to compare myself to an author I admire that leans flowery or even literary, I'll lose every time. But I learned to accept that my style is different and yet my voice is still worthwhile and (very readable). That's when I was able to finally transition from journalism to full-time fiction. Thanks, Rebecca!
Thank you, such great advice and THAT POEM! I started as a screenwriter (currently picketer), played around with memoir which lead me to personal essays which lead me to short and long fiction. Putting myself out there--workshops, classes, submitting, contests, publishing on Medium--has been the best confidence booster, lead to more work and an audience. At some point, you just have to jump in. And that poem, wow, yes. Keep going and ignore the noise.
Can I just say I love everything about your newsletter... The sound advice of course - and the humor. Always makes me smile
"The real writer is one
who really writes."
Okay sure, but some days, could I also maybe just be a real writer for subscribing to your newsletter?
This question was mine-thank you so much for answering! And for the poem.
I’ve had essays and short pieces published and received encouraging advice about my novel from people I trust. So I’ll continue writing and see. I’m not young but I want to.
Really helpful, thank you. I'm doing exactly as you said, 1-2-3, and pausing my early-stages novel to work on the multitude of half-finished short stories. And I just joined the Authors Guild. Onward.
Hi Rebecca. I'm a recent paid subscriber, but longtime reader of this substack and your books. (Side note: I tell people I think The Great Believers is the best novel published so far this century and I stand by it!)
But on to my question. I wonder if in the future, revising your work is something you could touch on. I just completed a first draft of a novel (yay!), but now have to edit and revise (oh no!). I'm sure there are lots of different ways writers go about doing this, but I just wondered if you might have some good advice on revising. I tore through my first draft, and don't want to let anyone else read anything until I have a second, cleaner draft. But getting to that point actually feels much more daunting than writing the first draft in the first place! It's a mess right now, but I think there's a great (or at least very good) novel in there somewhere.
Anyway, I know you're busy, but I'm hoping this is a topic you might address in the future. Thank you for these posts on writing, I have found them helpful and interesting.
Definitely definitely! And meanwhile, the online class I'm teaching later this fall will focus a lot on revision, if you're interested... https://www.storystudiochicago.org/classes/classes/the-novelists-toolkit-six-lessons-on-craft-structure-and-tenacity-with-rebecca-makkai/
I just signed up! I've been wanting to do one of those StoryStudio classes for awhile but was kind of overwhelmed at the plethora of options, so thank you for recommending a specific one for my needs. Looking forward to it!
Awesome, thank you so much! I will look into it