“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up
and go to work.”―Stephen King On Writing: A
Memoir of the Craft
Beetles, bees, butterflies and fleas share something with writers – they
all have to emerge if they are to be successful.
Sarah Vincent, membership officer at Writers Victoria, suggests that making
this leap from emerging to published writer requires hard work and a
preparedness to engage with the writing community. Mary Cunnane echoes this
sentiment, believing it requires both talent and commitment.
This engagement can take many forms.
According to Vincent, a committed emerging writer will go to literary events, volunteer
to help at writing festivals or to support their local writing organisations. Many
undertake short courses or study writing at a tertiary level. Belonging to a writing
group is another way to seek constructive critiques of your work while making
connections.
The important thing though, argues Cunnane, is
to just keep writing and submitting. It takes effort to do this, needing both time
for the creative process and attention to the various submission guidelines.
When asked for advice at a writing workshop, Kate Llewellyn once replied: ‘Put
things in envelopes!’ Although many submissions are now accepted online, the
message is still the same – no-one will be able to read your work unless you submit
it.
Even if you live in a regional area, or have
other family or personal circumstances that make it difficult to attend literary
festivals and workshops, you can submit online. Many writers centres and blogs
provide lists of competitions as well as journals calling for submissions. If you
are in any doubt about whether publishers read Australian literary journals,
they do. Vincent recommends
Kill Your Darlings,
The Lifted Brow,
Overland, and
Meanjin as places to aim for.
Of course, not
everyone can be published in these major literary journals, so building a
credible writing biography can be a challenge. It comes back to commitment and
professionalism. For Vincent it is about creating signposts that can indicate
your literary journey. Being a member of your local Writers Centre is easy,
essential and should form part of any writing biography. You could also consider
applying for manuscript development programs such as at Varuna, or professional
development programs like
HARDCOPY, run by the ACT Writers Centre.
Seeking out a mentor is another option as an
emerging writer. Cunnane acknowledges that mentoring can be valuable in any
field, although she suggests that finding the right ‘fit’ and ‘chemistry’ is
important. Vincent agrees, noting that having an independent person to provide
honest, informed advice is a wonderful aid to an emerging writer. A mentor can
help you hone your potential as you prepare your project for presentation to
agents and publishers.
Friends and
relatives generally do not make good mentors. Better options are a writing tutor
or workshop leader. Alternately, an established writer may be willing to take
you under their wing. Writers, at all stages, are
very generous towards other writers, according to Vincent, but if you have not
come across a ‘natural’ mentor, consider hiring one through your local Writers
Centre.
Vincent once heard a commissioning publisher say,
‘If you work hard, have a great voice and an interesting story to tell, you
will get published. No doubt.’ Cunnane points to her favourite motto:
persistence pays. The common denominator here is that you have to work hard and
be prepared to be in it for the long haul.
Remember, it’s not the pupa you leave behind that matters, it’s what you
become.
This piece first appeared on Capital Letters, the blog of the ACT Writers Centre, as part of my Blogger in Residence.
Thank you to Mary Cunnane and Sarah Vincent who generously answered my questions.
