how do i get started with my writing career?

Answer 1

Hi there. I'm a published fantasy author. My latest hard cover book is THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY. It's a medieval fantasy epic with lots of mysticism, magic and mayhem.

This book took about 3 years to write and another 2 years to get published. It has been reviewed very highly in the mainstream media and is being considered for a movie production.

As for your own writing, my advice is to read samples of as many of the top titles as you can get your hands on in your genre. The library is good for this--no cost. Now, you don't have to read every page of every book. Just scan them for characters and descriptive material, then put YOURSELF into a storyline. For example, if you were writing fantasy, what would you do if you were trapped in a cave with a giant 'whatever' blocking the entrance? What have some other writers come up with? Was their solution believable?

In most of my books, the characters do all the writing--I just sit back and type the words onto the computer screen. In other words, let your mind wander over ideas of how YOU would handle a situation and then allow your characters to react.

As long as you stay away from the central storyline of the other major published books, you should be fine. Always try to think out of the box. For example, what would happen if you had a dragon that kept falling asleep as it flew over the countryside? Messy, huh?

And last but not least, write every day, whether you want to or not. That's how you become a true writer. Study your grammar and spelling! Most computer spell-checkers will NOT catch mistakes like using "affect" instead of "effect" or "you're" instead of "your".

Publishers these days DEMAND perfect manuscripts. If your work is full of errors, you can forget it. It's tough enough to make a buck with books and that's why publishers are so picky. And yes, it takes time. Figure on 5 years from when you first start your book 'til you see it in print (assuming it's good and you can find an agent to rep it.) But hey, what's five years? You spent 12 getting through school, right? Trust me, it's WORTH it when you hear, "Your book is like Braveheart meets the Lord of the Rings," which a Hollywood producer just said to me a few days ago.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your writing.

Jon F. Baxley
[e-mail]

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Answer 2

1) Pick a style of writing you'd like to pursue (novels, short stories, screenplays)
2) Pick a genre you know well (sci-fi, horror, fantasy, drama, romance)
3) Set up a dedicated writing space at your home.
4) Budget time to write every day and force yourself to stick to it
5) Buy some books on your type of writing and read them
6) Join an online writing group so others can help you stay motivated.
7) Buy a copy of "The Writer's Market" so you know where you can sell your stuff
8) Write, write, write!

I'd also suggest you read "Stephen King's: On Writing." He's got some great advice in there. It's a really, really good read.

Answer 3

Start writing, a lot. Write all kinds of things. If you are looking to get published, you can't do that unless you have written something. Or if you already have stories that you wrote, you could submit them to magazines.

Answer 4

By writing.