When I handed in my first draft my editor tossed it back and said, I don't care how you feel - tell the readers what they need to know. Wow. Writers lesson supreme. I've never forgotten that advice and I've not had any articles thrown back at me since.
I find that when I write about things I love it is a joy to express them. That's not to say that mystery writers enjoy death - what I think they enjoy is creating and solving the puzzle.
Writing about my hometown is special to me. It is where my memories were created and stored. It is where I discovered art, love, music and awesome friends. I love the big Kansas skies and spring storms, the golden wheat and the friendly people.
So enjoy your writing, fellow authors. And if possible, write about what you love. The Readers will be able to tell.
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Bonnie (BD) Tharp is an award-winning author of women's fiction, with novels FEISTY FAMILY VALUES and PATCHWORK FAMILY. Also, the author of Kindle ebook short stories: THE CROSSROADS & EARL DIVINE.
My Young/New Adult manuscript is ready for an agent or publisher, whichever comes first. Wish me luck!
2 comments:
Hi Bonnie,
Great advice and very wise. My own writing is varied because my interests are. I confess to enjoying mystery and romance fiction and like to write both. But recently I wrote some literary short stories out of love and was surprised when magazines wanted to publish them pay me for them. It's been the same when I've written poetry. Most of it is personal in nature, labors of love. Yet several people have written to tell me that my poem "Ella: Of Infinite Possibilities" touched them personally. (It took first place in the READER'S DIGEST poetry contest 2015 and was published in the magazine.)So I guess if we're going to give other beginning writers advice it would be to follow their hearts and not write to what appears to be the latest market trends because they're always changing anyway. You can't go wrong if you're true to yourself.
OH WOW. Congratulations, Jacqui. I think when we write about what we love it shows. That's why you've been so successful.
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