So You Think You
Want to Write Fiction
By Susan Spann
What do pushing a
boulder up a hill,
running a marathon,
and climbing Mount
Everest have in
common?
seven drafts before giving the work to
peer editors for review, and several more
before sending the manuscript to an
agent or publisher. Good writing involves
rewriting, and editing is a skill that takes
time and practice to develop. Love your
first draft or you’ll never reach the end,
but learn to reread with a critical eye.
Writers draft in isolation, but seldom
review and edit without help. A writer
needs strong support in the form of
honest peer editors and trustworthy beta
readers. This usually doesn’t mean your
mom, your spouse, or your best-forever-
a
h
writers must do the same. Find someone
who knows fiction, an avid reader with a
strong understanding of grammar, voice,
and style, and ask him or her (or them, if
you find more than one) to peer-edit your
work when you’ve reached an acceptable
draft. Explain that you’re looking for
honesty, and prepare yourself to receive
it. React with grace when you get the
truth you’ve asked for. If you behave
badly or refuse to accept critique, no one
will read your work honestly thereafter,
and you might as well put writing away
for good.
A writer who wants to transition from
hobbyist to published author needs
sterling skills and skin like a rhino,
impervious to attack.
friend. Those people are important for the
emotional support they provide, but they
often love you too much to tell you that
your work stinks. And in the beginning, it
always stinks. No marathon runner starts
out running two-minute miles, and no
writer makes the bestseller list in a day.
Runners train with honest coaches, and
Learning to accept critique has two
equally important benefits. It helps you
improve your prose, and it teaches you
to react professionally to criticism and
rejection—two unpleasant cousins that
all writers must experience and accept.
A writer who wants to transition from
hobbyist to published author needs
