March 28 – While I was learning how to do historical research for a novel, Rachel attended the What I Wish I Had Known When I Started panel. The panelists were Nadine Nettman (moderator), C.J. Box, Blake Crouch, Robyn Harding, and John McMahon. I have listed highlights and suggestions, but any errors or inconsistencies are entirely my fault.
C.J.
- When he first began writing, he did not read other author’s books while working on his own book, now he does
- Writes as an entrepreneur, not as an artist
- You are a one-person business
- Authors are excited when first published, but they do not know the business
- Manage expectations, finish early but submit at the deadline (relax a little), process begins at submission
- Journalists go out and talk to people, authors must figure out a point-of-view which journalists sometimes find difficult to do
- It’s normal to want to stop, took 20 years from idea to publication
- If you are a writer, write
Blake
- Uses a basic outline to focus
- One good, right idea is better than 15 okay ideas
- Reading books about screenwriting helps tighten character development for your book
- Recommended reading: On Writing by Stephen King, Screenwriting from the Soul: Letters to an Aspiring Screenwriter by Richard Krevolin, and Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder
Robyn
- Does not write after 11:00 a.m.
- New writers want to please, do not be afraid to stand up for yourself
- There is no clear trajectory to being a writer, more like a rollercoaster
John
- Needed to be more organized
- Deadlines are real
The panel addressed the worst advice they received…write what you know, stay in your lane, and follow the rules. All agreed it was better to write what you learn, challenge yourself to go outside your lane, write the book you want to read by writing for yourself rather than for a particular audience, and leave out the parts the reader will skip.
Thanks for the help, honey!