A Writing Craft Q&A.

Recently, a Luthiel's Song reader asked me to answer a few questions for her gifted program school project. For my part, I was delighted to pitch in. As I was working on the answers, I began to think that they might also be helpful to other writers or just useful to those interested in the craft. In my opinion, there are probably as many ways to become an author as there are authors. Regardless, I'll be sharing some of my experiences in the following paragraphs. I hope they help you!

1. Why are you an author?

Simple love of the thing has replaced talent for me. In other words, I don't believe I was born with all the necessary attributes to make me a great writer. Instead, I have replaced all such things with a dogged determination. Further, I feel I have been called to write a particular story. My experience has left me with a great love and admiration for the female heroes, great and small, in my life and it is my goal to do them as much honor as possible with these tales. I do not answer this question lightly as I spent ten years working on the first novel in my series and underwent much hardship to complete and publish it. In all, I've spent fourteen years seriously working in the craft and never intend to stop.

2. What is a typical day in your career like?

In short, there are no typical days. One day I may be visiting a school in Georgia. Another, I may be attending a book-signing at a Barnes and Noble in Virginia Beach. Yet another, I may be holed up at my computer feverishly writing the next chapter in the Luthiel's Song series. There is very little that is typical about being a writer. If you crave stability, go elsewhere.

3. What are some benefits of being a writer?

Well, for one, you don't have a boss lording over you - unless you count readers who can be equally difficult to please. A second and related benefit is that writing affords a certain amount of freedom not enjoyed in other professions. But with this freedom also comes a huge responsibility. You can't just play video games all day and hope to be a successful writer. Because the craft is so free, you need to be a disciplined self-starter - someone willing to motivate and set goals for oneself. Another benefit is that you do receive a measure of recognition for your work. Even having a few readers love your stories can be very satisfying, especially when the tales are of personal value. And the final, most important, benefit of all is inspiring others to think, to dream, to imagine and, yes, to read.

4. What are some disadvantages of being an author?

Lack of health care. Lack of a steady paycheck. Having to deal with literary agents - OK, that was a little joke. I guess if you boil it all down, the prime disadvantage for being a writer is extreme risk and uncertainty. Ray Bradbury said that writing was akin to jumping off a cliff and hoping you can build wings before you hit the ground. Or a less known author, Dani Literas, summed it up nicely by saying 'each book is a miracle.' In short, if you don't like taking risks, don't be a writer.

5. What kind of education do you need to be successful?

The reading kind. That is to say, you must be very well educated but don't necessarily need a degree. And the best education you can find for writing is in reading as many books as possible. Many writers have never received a formal higher education. Christopher Paolini is one example. He got an excellent start while home-schooled, finished High School at age 15, and decided he wanted to write fantasy stories instead of going off to college. This is not to say that he wasn't educated. Quite to the contrary, he was highly educated due to his mass consumption of books of all kinds. And, sometimes, academic education itself can get in the way. Often what they teach in master's degree programs is terrible - that you should be afraid to write because everything must be perfect. Or, even worse - that you must be incomprehensible to sound intelligent. A genius is someone who takes a complex thing and makes it look simple. An academic does the reverse. If you want to be a writer, learn to do the first.

6. How much education is needed to be a successful writer?

As I mentioned before, formal education is not necessary, but reading education is essential. The more of the latter the better. I would also like to add that many fine writers also are college professors (Tolkien, Frank Herbert, Patrick Rothfuss). But it is my experience that academic writing does not lend itself to novel writing.

7. Is writing ever a dangerous career?

Not dangerous in the same way that being a soldier or a police officer is dangerous. For my part, I have the benefit of having been both so I think I'm qualified to speak on what is and isn't dangerous. The danger that comes from writing is more a danger to your stability. As with any artistic career there is quite a lot of uncertainty and you have to be willing to take that on. Perhaps coincidentally, I'm working on an autobiographical comedic book called "I am Dangerous." It's more about my propensity to take risks than anything else. And I do think that writers can't be too risk averse. It is a pretty risky career.

8. How long have you been an author?

Well this is an odd question and one that strikes to the root of the craft. In my opinion, there are three stages of writer - apprentice, journeyman, and master. But this has to do with level of mastery in the writing craft. In fact, there are many master writers who have never published a book! So if the criteria for authorship is publication, then I have been an author since 2003 when I co-wrote a very boring book called "The Citizen's Safety Guide" which I don't recommend you read. My first novel self-published in 2005 and we have now sold over 15,000 copies independently. My second novel just published this year and I hope the third won't take too long. Since some think self-published authors aren't real authors at all, then I further complicate the definition. But as my book has sold more copies than many professionally published books, I think I qualify, if strangely.

But, going back to the beginning, if you define authorship as the act of producing work that is read by others, then I have been an author since the 5th grade when I began writing silly stories for my friends.

9. What is your favorite part of writing?

When the words disappear and you are suddenly transported into the world you're creating. When you experience, as an invisible eye, this odd and amazing place you've created. And when you fall in love with the characters so much that when they are threatened your skin pricks and you fear for their safety.

Sometimes, when you write, you can transcend your life and circumstance. Each time you do it, there's a chance that, like Peter Pan, you might even take a few people with you. This mind-opening experience, to me, is the beauty and glory of writing.

10. How long does it take for you to write and publish a story? How long for writers in general?

The perfect book is the one never finished. That said, I gave up trying after ten years. The second only took three and one half. I hope the third takes two or less. Since I self-publish and must do much of the work producing the book, it can take a little more time. But even publishers spend six months to a year or more producing a book - even after it is written. As for other writers, some put out a book every few months, others can take years to produce a published work. The average is probably a year or two.

11. What is the average salary range for writers in general?

Everyone thinks writers are rich. This is a bit annoying. If you're a writer, you're lucky to make a living on your work. Ninety percent do not. That said there are a decent number of writers who do rather well - making as much money each year as a lawyer, for example. A few are very wealthy. And these are the writers everyone thinks about when the word 'writer' is mentioned. If I had to pick an average, it's probably somewhere around $5,000 to $10,000 dollars per year. But this average comes from a very wide range of nearly nothing to tens or even hundreds of millions.

12. Is your career ever challenging? If yes, how so?

Absolutely! I face challenges every day. From the writing itself, to the publication process, to fighting for visibility, to dealing with reader's opinions, there isn't a single aspect of writing that doesn't include its obstacles.

First, the craft of writing is very, very challenging. As mentioned above, it can take many, many years to master. And all this work with little hope or guarantee of success. All this work writing while you could have been going out to movies with friends, or spending time with family. All the lonely hours in front of your computer without a dime being paid to you. And then the submissions and rejections, the process of jumping through a hundred hoops with each publisher, the let-down with each letter sent containing the words that amount to 'no.'

Even after you've beat the slim odds and produced a published work, you still have to cast it out to the world. This takes a huge effort! What few people realize is a big part of the writing job is trying to get people to read your work. Even if you've written the best book in the world, if no-one knows about it then it will never be glanced at, much less read. So unless you are one of the fortunate folk who have a $200,000+ marketing budget, then you must do much of the work yourself.

And even if you manage to gain visibility, you will inevitably face a very stormy sea of opinions. Some will love your work, some will hate it, others will damn you with faint praise - and all of this after you've written a fantastic story. Look at the readers who howl about how they couldn't get into Tolkien or accuse Christopher Paolini of plagiarism. Look at those who called Stephen King a hack or who denigrated J. K. Rowling. And, oddly, you would hope to receive such recognition that those who dislike you end up screaming with frustration and envy! It's a strange dichotomy. But it is what it is.

All of this may seem insurmountable. But people do break through. And what most of them had was a very deep love of the work itself. If you don't, you probably won't make it.

13. What is your least favorite part of writing?

Despite all of what I said above, there is no least favorite part for me. I am captivated by writing and all its challenges. There are parts I enjoy more than others. And then there are parts I sweat through. But I do enjoy it all.

14. Do you get to travel a lot because of your career?

I travel quite a bit - visiting schools, libraries, and book stores in many states.

15. What was one of your funniest experiences in writing?

Well, I've had many quite funny experiences. Perhaps the best was the day I was writing poetry in Algebra II class. I was writing a poem about a girl I had a crush on... Well, needless to say, my Algebra teacher caught me and she said - "Since what you're writing is so important, why don't you share it with the rest of us?" And the girl I was writing the poem about? She did happen to be in my Algebra class! She sat a few seats up from me. So fully expecting to be publicly embarrassed in front of this girl and all my friends, I shuffled my way to the front of class and I read my poem aloud. Then a pretty strange thing happened - everyone gave me a round of applause. Except the Algebra teacher, who gave me detention. But the girl met me after class and asked me to see a movie with her. So poetry does work, sometimes.

(If you want to read the poem I wrote, it's posted here: http://www.luthielssong.com/blog/2009/04/25/poem-written-to-the-girl-in-algebra-class-as-requested-by-the-students-of-lanier-middle-school/ . I kinda laugh at it now. It's pretty cheesy and would make a great Hallmark card.)

16. How long have you wanted to be an author?

I've entertained the idea of being a writer ever since I read "The Hobbit." It all seemed so impressive and out of reach at the age of nine. I couldn't imagine what it would take. But I never really gave up on the idea.

17. How difficult was it for you to publish your first book?

Getting it right took ten years. Then, I was rejected by over a hundred publishers and agents. Finally, I was inspired by Mark Twain, and decided to 'publish the darn thing myself.' Quite honestly, I'm happy I did!

18. What is your favorite age group to write for?

Middle schoolers. They're taking the first steps of self-determination and yet it's not all so deadly serious. In High School, it seems everyone must already know where they're going in life and have their path all planned out. But in middle school, there's still a lot of possibility. I think this open frontier of the mind lends itself to a lot of creativity. I'm not surprised that so many middle schoolers enjoy fantasy tales so much.

19. What is it like to be an author?

At the same time it is thrilling, terrifying, and wonderful. It is the most amazing thing for people to contribute their thoughts and imaginations to your stories. In my opinion, once a reader picks up a book, it becomes theirs - a part of their own imagination. A book cannot live without a reader and it is still a wonder to me that my books live on in the imaginations of thousands.

20. What was one of your favorite experiences in writing?

It may sound a little silly, but after ten years, when I first laid hands on my finished book, no mother beholding her newborn child for the first time could have been prouder or more filled with joy. I think I'll always remember that moment with fondness. It took quite a lot of struggle to get there and there was much more to come after. But the moment itself was pristine and I'm pretty certain it's one most authors share.

So here ends the questions sent me by a very gifted student! If you have any more questions you'd like me to answer, please post them at my official blog site here: http://www.luthielssong.com/blog/2009/04/30/who-wants-to-be-an-author-qa/ and I will do my best to answer them! Warmest regards to you all!

( originally published on www.luthielssong.com )