Compass Points: Handy Hints for Writers - Softcover

Lynne Hackles

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1846948452 ISBN 13: 9781846948459

Publisher: Compass Books, 2013

Synopsis

Handy Hints for Writers is a book of tips, advice and encouragement for writers at all levels. Dip into it or read from start to finish and you will find something to inspire you, make you think, give you a kick start or make you smile.

About this title

About the Author

Lynne Hackles is a butterfly writer, flitting from short stories and articles to writing for children and writing about writing. She has regular columns in Writing Magazine. She lives in Malvern, UK.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Compass Points

Handy Hints for Writers

By Lynne Hackles

John Hunt Publishing Ltd.

Copyright © 2012 Lynne Hackles
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-84694-845-9

Contents

1 In the beginning.........................................................
1
2 The clock is ticking.....................................................
11
3 Growing confidence.......................................................
17
4 Good ideas...............................................................
27
5 Working methods..........................................................
39
6 When the going gets tough................................................
49
7 Sound advice.............................................................
57
8 Learning from others.....................................................
67
9 Boomerangs (rejections)..................................................
77
10 Pen to paper............................................................
81
11 Like minds..............................................................
87
12 Set yourself on fire....................................................
93

CHAPTER 1

In the beginning

Need an intro? Here's mine.

'I wish I knew then what I know now.' Have you ever said that?If so I'm here to help.

I'm going to pass on what I've learned over thirty years ofwriting.

Some of these tips and snippets of advice may not work foryou. Or they may work but only some of the time. Manycontradict each other because that's the way writing goes – thereare no hard and fast rules in writing. What works for one personwill do nothing for another. What works one day may not workthe next.

Every time we sit down to write the process may be different.

If there is one Golden Rule it is not to beat yourself up aboutyour work.

A lifetime ago I read an article on how to write a best-seller.The author of this piece gave advice which included alwaysusing green ink, standing on your head in the shower to writeand to be sure to commit suicide a week before their book cameout. (Not advised here.)

Now, fancy me remembering that! It could be proof that mydaftest tips will stick with you. Forever. It may be that the silliestwill work for you. Often. All I can say is that they've all workedfor me, even if it was only the once.

Coming out

At some point you will want or feel the need to tell others whatyou are doing. 'I want to be a writer.' Or 'I am a writer.'

One of my all-time favourite quotes comes from Molière whosaid,

'Writing is like prostitution.
First you do it for the love of it,
Then you do it for a few friends
And finally you do it for money.'

Some people write in secret simply because they love the act ofwriting and they want to put their thoughts and ideas down onpaper or up on screen. That's doing it for love but how long canyou spend locked away on your own before a family memberwants to know what you are up to? At some point, unless you livealone and can keep Big Secrets, you will want to come out andadmit that you are writing. This is when you begin sharing yourwork with a few friends and we all know friends will tell youhow good you are and how you should get published. This is thestage when you might join other writers at a club or group orclass and, when you are good enough, they might encourage youto write for money.

So the stages of writing are:

1. for Love

2. for Friends

3. for Money

We all need to hold on to stage one. Lots are happy with stagetwo. Many dream of stage three. Some reach it and end up happy,earning money by doing something they love.

There's nothing wrong with any of the above as long as youare happy being at whatever stage you've reached.

The best advice ever

Find the market first. Write the product next.

Write about what you know

It's what all new writers are told and it does make life easier. Ifyou know a subject then you don't need to do any/as muchresearch.

Work out what you actually do know. Try making a list. Addhobbies, interests, jobs ... in fact you know such a lot because it'sall down to personal experience and the longer you've lived themore personal experience you've had.

I bet you don't realise how wise and clever you are.

Write about what you don't know

Learn by exploring unfamiliar areas. Check out the non-fictionsection of the local library. Take up a new sport or hobby. Learnand write about it. Use your imagination and invent a whole newworld.

Try to learn something new every day. Visit a new place.Make a new friend. Try out a new word. Have a new experience.(Make it a legal one.)

Not in your head

Many people write books in their heads. Make sure yours iswritten on screen or paper.

Kissing babies

I always did it discreetly. Kissing.

Standing near the post box I would take a good look aroundto make sure no-one was watching. Non-writers wouldn't understandif they saw me plant my lips on the large envelope beforedropping it into the post box. They'd think I was mad. Kissinglottery tickets is okay but members of the non-writingcommunity don't understand about manuscripts.

I often wondered if any eagle-eyed receptionist, whose job itwas to open the post in the mornings, wondered what the PeachCrush smudge on the envelope was. It's not a good way to blotone's lippie. But my babies were always kissed before being sentout into that big wide world. Why? Because that's what I didwith the very first piece I submitted and it was accepted so itstands to reason, doesn't it, that every one after that needed to bekissed to stand any chance of success.

Now, when most work is delivered via email, I still pucker upbefore pressing SEND, and blow a good luck kiss into the ether.

Superstitious? Moi? Probably, but if it works then why not doit? It's a bit like a footballer always putting his left sock on first,or a cyclist eating the same meal before every big race.

Writers know how important that envelope, or emailattachment, is to them. If they could cast spells then theyprobably would. If you had a magic wand wouldn't you wave itover each and every piece of work you sent out? But these thingsare best performed in the privacy of one's own home so kiss yourbaby before leaving the house.

Don't expect to sell the film rights

It's what new writers think will happen. And it may, so do keepthe intention firmly in mind.

Letting go

Many writers never send their work out and I can sympathise.Many years ago my knees would knock at the thought of sendinga story, article or whatever out into the world.

Letting go (posting or emailing) means that your work isfinally on its way to be judged. Will it be good enough for publication?Or is it not up to scratch? Dropping it through that slotmeans that sooner or later you will find out. It's not an easy thingto do and I have known a few good writers who sadly neverreached that stage. Threats to break into their houses at night,steal their work and send it out on their behalf didn't work either.

When my first piece of work was submitted I consoled myselfwith the fact that my chosen editor would not know me fromAdam, or Eve. He wouldn't see my name and picture me as heread my work. Yet why shouldn't he see me? Realisation dawnedthat I could see him.

He was stout and balding. I saw him going home from theoffice, letting himself into his house. He sat down to dinner withhis wife and made a grab for the Merlot. Pouring himself a largeglass he took a swig and, over the sausage and chips said, 'Am Iglad to be home, dear. You'd never believe the rubbish I've readtoday. An illiterate housewife sent me pages and pages of ****.(Sorry dear. I'll put a pound in the swear box.) It was so ****boring. (Sorry, sweetie, two pounds.) I should write and tell herto sell the computer and buy a knitting machine.'

But the more I sent out the more my confidence grew, and sowill yours. That editor might love your offering. It could be,'Wow, darling, have I got news for you. Give the sausages to thedog. We're going out to celebrate. Today I discovered a genius.'

Hang on to that thought.

Who to trust

When you show your work to someone and ask them what theythink, make sure that particular someone can be trusted.

Would you show a broken tooth to a hairdresser? No. Wouldyou take your ingrowing toe-nail to a television repair man? No.So why would you ask for an opinion on your work from yourfavourite aunt who's won prizes for cake-making, or a neighbourwhose gift is growing the largest carrots in the county? Instead,hand it over to someone who knows about writing, who knowsabout the business, and who can give you some unbiased advice.You may have to pay for an expert's opinion but it will be worthit.

Rich and famous

Non-writers believe writers are rich. This is because they readnewspaper reports about yet another waitress who has penned amasterpiece and had more zeros on the end of their advance thanhot dinners they've delivered to tables.

The truth is that these stories make the headline simplybecause they are so unusual.

Worse is the fact that many would-be writers believe the samething, that all you need to do is write one half-decent novel andyou'll never need to work again.

Real writers know all this is complete nonsense and thatwriting is a job and can actually be hard work. Those who stillhave big dreams know that it's not impossible to get those hugeadvances; nevertheless most of us have to learn our craft andwork hard for years in order to become an overnight success.

What do you do?

A non-writer will ask what you do for a profession and, on beingtold you write, will immediately ask if they should have heard ofyou. Non-writers (and even non-readers) think they should knowyour name if you are a halfway decent author.

Don't let them put you down. What you need to remember isthat these non-writers, when asked to name ten authors, willstruggle and, if they do manage it, half the list will be deceased.If you don't believe me, try it next time you're asked that dreadedquestion.

I'm a writer

I must be. Look at me. I'm wearing a hat with a veil and mycigarette is in a long holder.

That's a true description of a writer from the 1950s.

What does a writer look like anyway? We can wear silly hatsand ridiculous waistcoats – it's expected of us (especially poets).The public expect us to be a little on the eccentric side. You canhave a trade-mark, like Jane Wenham-Jones's multi-coloured hair.But don't overdo it. Dressing like the public's conception of awriter is probably not a good look.

Invent an aunt

I don't understand what genetic engineers or astrophysicists do.The jobs sound very grand and these people are undoubtedly leftalone to carry on their work in peace. As are dustmen, secretariesand bus-drivers. Have you ever suggested to your bin-man thathe might like to leave the rubbish and go out for lunch with you?Of course not. Do you ever phone a friend and suggest sheforgets the invoices she's supposed to be sending out and accompaniesyou on a day's shopping instead? Rarely.

So, why do non-writers expect us to dump our work and jointhem for an afternoon matinee or a jaunt into town? Isn't ourwork important? The answer is yes, it is to us, but non-writerscannot get their heads around us not being able to go out becausewe have a story/article/chapter to finish.

'I'm sorry I can't come for coffee because my heroine's sittingon an upturned tombstone and I can't possibly leave her there,'will mean nothing to them.

'My deadline for this article is tomorrow,' will get a responsesuch as, 'You can do it tonight then, can't you?'

How do you escape this dilemma without losing friends?

Invent an aunt. Make her an aged, non-driving invalid. Giveher a chronic illness, something which requires regular hospitalappointments. She could also have unexpected ailments at timesto suit you.

Doesn't this sound better? 'I'd love to come with you butunfortunately Great-Auntie Mabel's got to see the bunionspecialist and needs me to take her.'

To non-writing friends, a sick aunt is a valid excuse. Writingisn't.

Passion

You need passion in this job. Be passionate about your writingwhether it's a 25-word letter to the local paper or a 500,000-wordnovel.

Will they steal my idea?

It's a new writer's fear. Ideas have no copyright. Just because youhave a brilliant idea it doesn't mean that no-one else has thoughtof it.

Keep that wonderful idea for a story/poem/article to yourself.If you're afraid that someone will steal it do write it sooner ratherthan later. Ideas often come from what is happening in the worldaround us so you won't be the only one concentrating on a planecrash or a child abduction. Get writing and hope you'll be thefirst to get your idea out there.

I'd like to think that writers' moral standards were highenough that no-one stole ideas from others but I'm not that naïve.It may happen sometimes.

Will they steal my story?

One of my early stories was called Sunday Tea – a girl taking herboyfriend home for the first time was worried how he might reactto her zany mother. Two months after publication I saw my storyin another teen magazine. This time it was set at Bonfire Night.My immediate reaction was to shout, 'She's stolen my idea.' AndI did. I also allowed this 'crime' to play on my mind for ages untilI finally realised that the gap between the stories appearingwasn't long enough for my idea to have been stolen. Two writershad chosen the same subject. Let's face it, how many mothers areout there with teenage daughters? Any one of them could havewritten it or recounted the experience to a friend who wrote.

Silence and solitude?

If you love silence and solitude then you are in the right businesswhen it comes to writing. Most writers need both. Some workbest when the house is silent and empty. Others can put up withnoise and interruptions but they are either parents of youngchildren or they have worked in a noisy newspaper office.

Party animal?

If you like noise, music, drink and partying then you're in theright business when it comes to selling your books. You'll needto get out there and socialise, chat and sell, sell, sell.

Train yourself

Train yourself to look for ideas and to ask what if?

See the baby in the buggy? What's he going to do over thenext eighty years?

See the old lady getting on the bus? What's she been doing forthe past eighty years?

See the couple holding hands? See the couple arguing? Whoare they? What's going to happen to them?

Witnessed an accident? Note the details in case you ever needto write about one, or need to write about witnessing one.

Every person you meet is a potential character. Every placeyou visit is a potential location. Every problem you hear is apotential plot.

EXERCISE – New words

Every morning pick up a dictionary and leaf through it untilyou find a new word. Use that word several times during theday.

Instead of a dictionary try a Thesaurus or Foyle's Philavery,a treasury of unusual words. (Philavery – an idiosyncraticcollection of uncommon and pleasing words.)

Words are the tools of a writer so we need to keep adding toour collection though we do not need to show off by using longand complicated words that our readers won't understand.

A leg up

When I began writing I was so grateful for any little tip, anyscrap of praise or the slightest bit of encouragement from otherwriters who were further along the writing path than I was.Thank you R. T. Plumb. Roy told me I had a passion for wordsand encouraged me. We all need encouragement.

Remember what it felt like when you first started out on thewriting path? You probably felt lost and needed that guidance,wherever or whoever it came from. Now, perhaps you have somepublished work to your name, a few competition successes, or abook contract in your hand. Don't forget what those early dayswere like and remember to always help someone who is behindyou on the writing path.

Starving in a garret

Don't give up the day job. It will sustain you until you can live byyour writing. Starving in a garret isn't really romantic, and evengarrets cost a small fortune in rent these days.

The other books

When you begin to make money, keep receipts for absolutelyeverything. You'll be able to claim them as expenses against yourtax bill.

CHAPTER 2

The clock is ticking

I don't have time

How many times have you said this? So many wannabe writerscomplain about lack of time but we can all glean a few minuteshere and there.

I'm not good at waiting for things – people, appointments,buses, taxis ... Find the waiting time in your life and fill it withwriting. Doctors and dentists' waiting rooms offer ancientmagazines with which to pass the time. You could write instead.Get out a pen and paper and make notes. Add a few sentences toyour work in progress. Grab those waiting minutes that seemlike hours when you are leaning against a bus stop or perched ona bench on a railway station. Once you're writing the time willappear to pass more quickly. In fact you may become unaware oftime passing altogether.

Use that waiting time wisely. I knew an elderly lady who hadbeautiful upper arms. When asked how she managed to keep herarms like that she told me that every time she switched on thekettle she would do arm-tightening exercises while she waitedfor the water to boil. If waiting for a kettle to boil can do that forher imagine what it could do for your output.

In future, whenever you are waiting, whatever it is for, pickup a pen and get writing instead.

Write, right now

When I tell anyone that I am a writer they inevitably say theywant to write/are going to write one day and then the excuses fornot having written get rolled out.

Too busy

Never think you are too busy to write. Learn to delegate jobs,gardening, shopping and housework. Or forget houseworkcompletely. I am assured that four days and four weeks of dustlooks exactly the same. If it bothers you pay someone to dust foryou. Delegate any work you don't want to do. If you really wantto write you'll make the time. Real writers do.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Compass Points by Lynne Hackles. Copyright © 2012 Lynne Hackles. Excerpted by permission of John Hunt Publishing Ltd..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: Compass Books
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1846948452
• ISBN 13: 9781846948459
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 103