7 Things I’ve Learned So Far, by Olivia Newport

This is a recurring column called “7 Things I’ve Learned So Far,”where writers (this installment written by Olivia Newport, author of THE PURSUIT OF LUCY BANNING) at any stage of their career can talk about writing advice and instruction as well as how they possibly got their book agent -- by sharing seven things they’ve learned along their writing journey that they wish they knew at the beginning.

1. Take the long way. Shortcuts rarely pay off when it comes to research and preparation. Grabbing a quick fact here and there results in an unpersuasive random sensation in the finished text—which then turns out not to be finished after all. Writing is about more than crafting and reshaping the words that make it to screen or paper. It’s about wisely sifting the possibilities of what to write about in the first place.

2. Be your own nemesis. Writing leaves little time for preening. Criticize yourself. Someone else is going to do it anyway. Being tough on yourself is your best defensive move. Even when you’ve written something to be proud of, outline three ways it could be better.

3. Unpeel the truth. Just because something happened in real life doesn’t mean it belongs in your novel. The catalyzing event is more likely to become the germ of a character’s experience, rather than a verbatim account. The final value may be emotional or spiritual, rather than factual. The truth the novelist seeks goes beyond accurate details.

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4. Play chess well. Think three plays ahead. Or four. Or six. How is your character going to respond to the next event you plan to drop into the plot, and how will you counter that reaction by upping the tension? Anyone can learn the rote rules for moving a bishop or a rook or a knight, but the winner patiently waits for the angles to converge.

5. Sign your work. One valuable reason to write multiple manuscripts before trying to publish is pumping up your novelist muscles. Your own review, or the opinions of a few trusted readers, may reveal signature strengths that you can employ strategically in the manuscript you finally sell. Do you excel at creating tension? Unpredictable plot complications? Sympathetic characters? Suspense? Romance? Historical detail? Rather than rushing toward the exuberance of seeing your name on a book, relish the satisfaction of leaving a particular, distinguishing mark.

6. Wear a consistent hat size. Admire, analyze, and adjust, but don’t compare. Avoid reading the work of other authors and thinking you could do sooo much better. If you like an author’s writing, articulate what you can learn from it for your own work. If you don’t like it, be specific about what disappointed. From every reading experience, find the takeaway that will make your own writing stronger. No matter your degree of success, keep a level head about steady hard work.

7. Stuff cards up your sleeve. Always have something else to move on to. The market is not always ripe for the idea you have, and you can’t expend all your creative energy dragging it around from agent to editor. Or you may get 20,000 words into a project and realize the trajectory is into the dumpster. Move on. When you do sell a project, be ready with six more ideas. Always have something up your sleeve that you’d love to write.

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