Comments on: Writing Rules to Make you Shine, not Whine

By: 🖋 Writing Links Round Up 5/1 – B. Shaun Smith

🖋 Writing Links Round Up 5/1 – B. Shaun Smith — Mon, 01 May 2023 19:44:26 +0000

[…] Writing Rules to Make you Shine, not Whine […]

By: Margie Lawson

Margie Lawson — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 04:08:59 +0000

In reply to Mary Tate Engels.

Hello Again, Mary Tate Engels --

YOU WROTE: How many more stories do you have in you?

Trillios. Right?

By: Margie Lawson

Margie Lawson — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 04:03:09 +0000

In reply to Ani.

Hello Ani --

I love that Jack London quote about going after inspiration with a club too!

Kudos to you for writing every day for writing five days in a row. Impressive!

Thanks so much for chiming in!

By: Margie Lawson

Margie Lawson — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 03:55:56 +0000

In reply to Andrea Grigg.

Hello Andrea --

I agree!

Writers need writers. Writers help writers. Writers champion writers!

Thanks so much for sharing you!

By: Margie Lawson

Margie Lawson — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 03:52:51 +0000

In reply to Mary Tate Engels.

Hello Mary Tate Engels --

YOU WROTE: Never too late, never too old.

So true!

By: Margie Lawson

Margie Lawson — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 03:50:48 +0000

In reply to Susan J Bruce.

Hello Susan --

I agree. Writing to market is different than hopping on the writing-to-trend wagon. Trends shift, trends change, sometimes trends practically reverse.

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your ideas!

By: Ani

Ani — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 05:55:53 +0000

In reply to johnrsermon. I attended a Purim celebration in Manchester, and had a great time.

By: Ani

Ani — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 01:37:49 +0000

Love the club comment. Writing everdaynisbhard but I am on day 5.

By: Susan J Bruce

Susan J Bruce — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 22:58:10 +0000

Hey Margie, the not writing to market in the first set of rules is an interesting one because all the famous authors you mention here write to market. When you pick up a Stephen King book or a Jodi Picoult novel you know what kind of story you are going to get. They know what their market wants and they give them that each time they write a book. Every author who is successful in the long term writes to market. It doesn’t matter if it’s a literary market, a sci-fi, fantasy or horror market or women’s fiction market. These authors know their readers and give them the kinds of stories they like to read.
Stephen King’s idea of writing for yourself first is a much better way of looking at things. He’s still writing for his market but all these authors are successful because they have found the sweet spot between what they like to write and what readers like to read. That’s still writing to market. King’s advice is also good because it means you write the story that speaks to you first. I think it’s fair to say that if market constraints are taking away your voice, you’re writing for the wrong market. However it’s also possible to write the book of your heart that fits the market, with just a bit of tweaking. That’s what King is talking about here, I think.
I think people mix up writing to market with writing to trend, which is hopping on the latest bandwagon, whether or not it’s the kind of book you want to write. There are lots of people who make a lot of money writing to trend, but IMHO it’s rare that such books are memorable.

By: J R Tomlin

J R Tomlin — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 17:56:08 +0000

In reply to J R Tomlin. If you cannot bother to do research for historical fiction, then there is a simple solution. DO NOT WRITE HISTORICAL FICTION. It is not a 'smash and grab'. That was about the most disrespectful comment I have ever seen about a genre as bad as 'romance is just for girls.'