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Useful
Websites writing-world.com - dedicated to online creative writing classes and workshops absolutewrite.com - for writers interested in freelance writing, screenwriting, playwriting, writing novels, nonfiction, comic book writing, greeting cards, poetry and songwriting noveladvice.com - a research website with message boards author-network.com - information for writers in all genres and in all mediums writers-free-reference.com - a list of useful, random information for writers. Links include dictionaries, zip codes, censuses and bestsellers ideas4writers.co.uk - a compilation of fiction ideas that writers can use when stuck aspire2write.com - provides a supportive online community for all types of writers writersdigest.com - "The online guide to the writing life" • • • • • Bowling, Anne. 2004 Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market. Writers Digest Books, 2003 - an essential library addition if you are planning on freelancing Brogan, Kathryn. 2004 Writer’s Market. Writers Digest Books, 2003 - lists more than 8,000 editors who want to buy what you write. Current information about market Bunin, Brad. Peter Beren. The Writer’s Legal Companion: The Complete Handbook for the Working Writer. Harper Collins, 1998 - great information about issues concerning contracts, agents, defamation and copyright Curtis, Richard. How to be your Own Literary Agent: An Insiders Guide to Getting your Book Published. Houghton Mifflin, 2003 - a top literary agent provides an overview of the process as well as trade secrets and candid advice Pope, Alice. Mona Michael. 2004 Children’s Writer’ and Illustrator’s Market 2004. Writers Digest 2003 - specifically caters to the children and young-adult markets. Kirsch, Jonathan. Kirsh’s Guide to Book Contracts. Acrobat, 1998 - has both practical and legal definitions Levin, Mark. Negotiating a Book Contract: A Guide for Authors, Agents and Lawyers. Moyer Bell, 1998 - a great book for really getting a fair deal when negotiating a contract
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"From
Journalism to Fiction: Introduction The world of journalism can often times be a world of excitement; The mixture of deadlines, breaking news, interviews and pressure is a concoction that many reporters quickly become addicted to. However, the job lifespan of a reporter can be limited. The pressure becomes too much. Deadlines take over lives. Family time can be limited. The natural progression of a journalism career may be to go from writing for a newspaper to writing books. The purpose of this independent study project was to a) satisfy my own curiosity about journalists who have made the switch to novel writing, and b) provide journalism majors and those contemplating the major with information about another career path they might take with their journalism diploma: writing fiction. In Columbia Journalism Review, Susan Rabiner, a longtime book editor recently turned literary agent, explains that "lots of journalists think the process is relatively simple. Take an already-published newspaper article, then make it longer. It [a book] is a different animal with different markings and a different role to play." A journalist, even for a small daily newspaper, will see a lot of interesting things throughout a career span. Depending on whether you want to write fiction or non-fiction, you surely will be able to incorporate some of your experiences into your book. But Betsy Lerner, author of The Forest for the Trees: An Editor’s Advice for Writers (Riverhead 2000), warns that journalists should avoid the trap of retelling all their career experiences. "Every writer who proposes a book of oral reportage swears that he’s the next Studs Terkel. Those who want to describe a year in the life assure you that they are the next Tracy Kidder. Be yourself. After all, Terkel and Kidder were all unpublished authors at one point." Terkel, a self-dubbed "guerrilla journalist with a tape recorder," toured America and interviewed hundreds of people, while Kidder, a Pulitzer Prize winner, wrote about his hometown after driving around in a police cruiser for two years. In a recent interview conducted by Mina Varsani, literary agent Peter Tallack explains that "a lot of journalists think they can write a book, but have never written anything longer than 3,000 words, whereas a book is probably at least 80,000 words long. "The timescale for a book is often long and arduous, with final copies reaching the bookshelves two to three years after it’s commissioned. Yet if you take into account the time it takes to put together a book proposal, and the time taken post-writing to edit and re-draft and proof the book, you are left with a year to write the book -- that works out at an average of one chapter a month, including any research you may have to do. It is hardly surprising then, that a year is often not enough and schedules get pushed further and further back. It is a mammoth task." There are many lifestyle transitions that occur with switching from journalism to novel writing. No matter what type of writing you did for a newspaper -- from obituaries to local council meetings -- there is a different sort of pressure. A newspaper is a team. It is a group of individuals with a common goal-- the paper must be ready to be delivered every morning. "Most journalists who call me have little sense about how different book writing is from newsroom work," Lerner explains. "In book writing, there is little if any tangible daily gratification. There is no workplace camaraderie. There is also no place to hide mediocrity or failure. "Not-so-talented journalists can skate by in newsrooms, where reporter and editor colleagues pick up the slack. No skating is allowed in book writing; the author is all alone until delivering a book manuscript to an editor." Chip Scanlan, a Poynter columnist, says the hardest part of switching writing tracks is convincing yourself that it is acceptable to not report the facts like you’ve been trained to do for your whole career. "I’ve come to believe that the central difference is that fiction writers render facts-- employing the dialogue and scene, the twin devices of dramatic narrative-- rather than simply reporting them as journalists usually do. Given a choice between show and tell, fiction writers prefer the former. Their narrative style is dramatic while journalism relies on summary." It is generally agreed, however, that fact generates fiction. In a Book Reporter interview, Wendy Holden, one-time London journalist and internationally acclaimed author of five books, agrees that you can always take what you’ve experienced and use it to your advantage when writing books. "Most of my jobs have been quite useful for providing bits of color for my novels. In addition to providing me endless inspiration for my plots, my journalistic background taught me the importance of editing. That proved to be brilliant training for writing novels because I learned where to cut, and that’s as important as knowing what to leave in. Also, I know how to work on a deadline." As with any trade, the craft of journalism must constantly be honed. A good author realizes that something can always be changed, sentences can be shortened and words can be cut. Nothing is ever perfect. When making the transition from the two writing genres, it may be necessary for you to take a class to learn different styles, voices and tones. Along with actual classes at a local college, there are many more options available today than ever before. Available are many online tutorial websites. Although often pricey, generally $400 to $500, these sites offer as much information and instruction as a college course. As with anything done over the internet, however, make sure you research extensively before you pay. There are also many books specifically designed to guide new writers in all different areas of their writing experience. It is important to research contract information as well as knowing the different laws that may be applicable to you. Many of the books are similar. Sit in a book store, flip through books and ask someone who works there to help you find which will be most helpful to you and your writing career. Every journalist/author that I read about when researching this project agreed that making the career change was one of the best decisions of their lives. Scanlan loves the idea of mixing fact with fiction; Holden enjoys being self-employed; Best-selling author Jon Katz relishes the ability to talk about whatever subject he wants. Writing a novel gives you a freedom, in a way. You are in complete control when it comes to what you decide to write about. "Some of the most striking and successful books…were clearly born of a writers obsession and complete disregard for what, supposedly, sells," Lerner explains. After completing this project, I realized that writing a novel one day is something that I am very interested in. Using my journalism degree and working as a reporter first, however, will help me to develop book ideas and plots that can only make my book more interesting. Lauren Purpura graduated in May 2004 with journalism major. A resident of Framingham, Mass., she wants to live in Boston and is taking the summer off to live on the Cape. "Writing this bio is fairly depressing," she said in late May. |
