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I have always been a writer. In high school, I served as yearbook
editor. In college, I sequenced in a series of English classes. Early in my
business career, I took creative writing after work. In recent years, I've
worked for several magazines as a freelance writer. So, writing a novel should
have been easy. Right? Hmmm. Not so much. Actually, writing the novel was not
the hard part. Writing a good novel was.
Don't Get Upset. Listen
When I wrote my first manuscript, I was very excited. I sent
out query letters. I attended writing conferences. I got some interest. Hooray!
But then I came down to earth. How do I know the book wasn't very good? Well, the
rejection slips were one way but more importantly, an agent was kind enough to write
me a long letter and tell me specifically what was wrong with it. First, she
said, the book was too long. In fact, that manuscript was twice the length of
what most debut novels should be. Second, she said the story was interesting
but the pacing was slow and the action took too long to happen. Finally, the
chapters were overly wordy and (surprise!) too long. But, she also said there
was potential in my writing. I had just buried it in too many words. Thankfully, I listened.
To learn to use words economically, I entered short story
contests and, happily, earned some awards. I truly believe this is a great
practice for writers who are developing their writing style. Not only will you
challenge yourself, you will get honest feedback from the judges. Choose
contests with varying lengths. Can you tell your story in 2500 words? 1500? How
about 500? I also took on freelance writing assignments that were often limited
to 1000 words. Essays, too. Today, I find word limits easy but only because I listened to constructive criticism
from someone who was in a position to give it.
My new novel, A GuiltyMind, is built on short chapters to create suspense. This aspect of my
writing style is the direct result of the work I put in on contests and
freelance assignments. And how do I know it works? Well, I have been fortunate
to speak with several book clubs that have chosen A Guilty Mind and one recurring comment is how they enjoyed the
short chapters. As a writer, I love when someone says, "Well, I was super tired
but the chapters were short so I thought I'd stay up and read just one
more…"
Don't Be Intimidated
and Test Your Work
Sometimes, it's easy to be in awe of another writer's ability
and lose faith in yourself. I once took a creative writing class where one of
the students was so good, such an intuitive writer, that the rest of us hung
our heads. Our work probably wasn't all that bad but when she read her stories
out loud, she took us all to another place and time. Yet, in spite of her
skill, I've never heard of her again and don't know if she is still writing
today.
Don't be intimidated by rejections either. Try to learn where
you can improve your style. While your friends and family are wonderful, they
may not be qualified to tell you where your style needs work. Test your style on your writing group, beta
readers, or even your book club if they are willing. My own book club read
the first draft of A Guilty Mind and
their feedback, questions, and criticism helped shape the final manuscript.
Don't Be Afraid to
Start Over
Starting over can be anything from a rewrite to starting an
entirely new novel. This is what I did. While I haven't permanently abandoned that
first manuscript, a new story was buzzing in my brain and I couldn't wait to
write it - especially with all that I had learned. That story, A Guilty Mind, was born. Still, it
wasn't a cakewalk. I wrote several drafts. I chopped chapters. I added an
entirely new character in one of the later drafts. The point is, don't be wedded to the words. Starting
over, whether it's just a paragraph or several chapters allows you to tell the
story in the best way possible, always honing and developing your style over
time.
Your Style Will be
Your Own
While finding the time to work on my next novel is sometimes
a challenge, finding my style isn't. Writing this book in a voice that fits the
genre and me is easier than ever. All it took was listening, practicing, and
not giving up.
Kellie Larsen Murphy is a
freelance writer for several regional and southern magazines. An avid reader
and book club enthusiast, she'd enjoy meeting you on her
blog where
she posts about her publishing journey. A Guilty Mind, the first in a series
of psychological suspense novels featuring Detective Michael Cancini, was
published in September. You can follower her on twitter @aguiltymind.