 Composition, A Fiction Writer's Guide for the 21st Century, welcomes you into the new tech world of the independent writer. Writing, publishing, marketing tips abound to encourage and educate. The time is now. Take the plunge and turn your creative work into a book that sells.
reviews: "Composition: A Fiction Writer's Guide for the 21st Century is a brief but illuminating read about how to write a book from concept to creation, and then get it out there. It’s super easy to read, and for a non-fiction book, fast paced and fun..." The Compulsive Reader "Composition clears my bar for a to-do book... " BoggerNews. "a priceless gem of a book..." Armchairinterviews Review. "a helpful guide for new writers..." ReserveBooks. "A nice little book for any potential writers who just do not know how to get started." Curled up with a Good Book. "Composition is a wonderful read. Down to earth, easily understood and very relevant for the independent writer of today. Simply great." - Helene Lee. "With sparse prose and a scalpel's precision, Linda Lavid cuts right to the bone on composition. We ride the blade with wondering eyes, learning more and more about the anatomy of writing with each layer we pass." - Gary Earl Ross. More reader reviews here.
Book can be previewed at Amazon Google.
You'd like Composition if you want to: improve your creative writing skills, learn about publishing with a subsidy publisher, increase your understanding of contracts, utilize technological tools to write, publish, market and sell your book, gain knowledge on what it takes to write and publish your work successfully. (for more reading suggestions: Rented Rooms, Paloma, Thirst)
Excerpt:
Before you I stand, a decidedly middle-aged woman, round, doughy and blinking through smudged glasses. It’s six p.m. We’re in a VFW Post drinking bitter coffee from Styrofoam cups. I’m worried. It’s my turn to disclose. All eyes, expectant, are on me. I clear my throat, swallow, then say, “My name is Linda — ” I stop cold. What will you think? That I’m a fool, a loser? I want to run, but I’ve come this far. My confession tumbles out. “And I’m self-published." A palling silence fills the room. I recoil waiting for the jeers, the scoffs, the room to empty out. Remarkably however, from the last row of seats, a voice calls out (maybe it’s yours), “Good evening, Linda.” Relief sweeps through me. I am among friends . . . or at least one.
Backstory . . .
Seventeen years ago, I embarked on writing the great American novel. It was an inexpensive undertaking for a single parent with young children and a full time job. Certainly I could steal moments in the early morning hours or during lunch. There was only one problem – I never demonstrated any particular talent for writing. In fact, my worst subjects in high school were English and typing. Hardly portentous. But I was a reader with an interest in the stories and foibles of human nature. So, with a sharpened pencil and a nice, fresh pad, I took the plunge and began to write. In record time, however, I discovered that the subterranean world of creativity twisted darkly. I also learned I knew nothing, nada, zippo, about writing fiction. But I was up for the challenge – in the beginning.
I read books on writing and took copious notes. I deconstructed to make the process understandable to myself. I struggled with tense and point of view and story . . . Well, um, it’s about two sisters and they have a friend who committed suicide. But it’s a mystery. And they want to find out why it happened. I haven’t quite worked out the details, or the beginning, but I know the end and that’s a start. I think . . .
Over the years flashes of inspiration sparked then burned in roiling, despairing seas. I puzzled, avoided, and gave up too many times to remember. What kept me going? Certainly not accolades or desperate bidding wars for print rights. What kept me going is what Composition is about. It’s about craft, technology, and getting from point A to point B. It’s about how to stay the course and not get lost. It’s about what I’ve learned from both writing fiction and publishing my work.
So where am I today? This is my fourth book sent into the wild blue. Before Composition, I published two collections of short fiction and a novel. All were well received and garnered wonderful reviews. My fiction has been used in college courses and published in award-winning journals. I have taught both short story and novel writing classes as well as moderated writing groups. I’ve learned and grown but most of all I’ve taken charge, not only of my writing, but of the publishing and marketing of my work. Thanks to the technology of the 21st century, a golden era for writers approaches, which is a clear departure from the situation of a short seven years ago.
The publishing world of the late 20th century was grim. Due to a couple of decades of diminishing returns and the buyout of many publishing houses, conglomerates heavily invested in an increasingly small pool of writers, who they tagged as “best selling,” a self-fulfilling prophecy of their advertising dollars. One only has to look at the New York Times bestseller list to see this recurring truth. But such is the way of the American free market, where products are branded, pumped, then sold to the masses. Not necessarily a bad thing. After all, John Grisham is very entertaining. The problem was, it left many voices out of the mix.
Enter the equalizer – technology – and suddenly the world, along with publishing, shifts.
Computer technology, software, and the Internet have converged and dramatically changed the landscape for the independent writer. Every step, from writing to rewriting, from book design to publishing, from marketing to selling has changed the publishing paradigm. Manuscripts no longer need to languish on shelves, or be sent dog-eared through the mail for another go-round with an agent or publisher. The waiting is over. A writer can now publish his work quickly and at a reasonable cost. Marketing outlets are infinite given the virtual nature of the Internet, and never before in history has the relationship between writer and reader been so intimate. It’s exciting. But with this freedom comes a huge responsibility to your readers, to yourself. The task is daunting but hardly impossible. I somehow managed, taking one step at a time.
First and foremost, you must write the darn thing. This involves writing, rewriting, editing, head-bashing, then more of the same. Producing a book-length manuscript is hard work. In my case it took years. There were several false starts – inching upwards, then sliding back – a very steep learning curve. I began from the precarious position of having no training, formal or otherwise. I didn’t have a clue. But I suspect most writers feel the same. How one writes or learns to write is tricky.
There are several aspects to writing fiction. Rendering what John Gardner in The Art of Fiction describes as a ‘vivid and continuous dream’ is a complicated affair. Story is created from the imagination of a writer, who in turn must translate it onto a page of symbols so that another person can read, absorb, and experience the story in a similar fashion. It’s a remarkable process when you think about it. So, are you up for the challenge or is the writer’s quintessential question nipping away inside: Do I have the talent?
We imagine talent as some huge reservoir of subconscious knowledge that some lucky people are born with. We think of Shakespeare and Mozart and Einstein. But the truth is we all have talents of many kinds and measures. Think of your family and friends, and assuredly you can name many of their strengths unique to them. Talent is nothing more, or less, than an individual ability. And while there are gifted writers, I do not believe that having an innate talent is imperative to become an author.
Fiction demands a working knowledge of many points of craft. And while mastering craft can be daunting, each one of us has skills to meet the challenge. If you have an analytical mind, cause and effect will be solid. If you are intuitive, your story will take imaginative twists. If you are emotional, you will have a true internal compass to tell a riveting story. If you are a global thinker, you will see the whole. If you are a detail person, your story will be tight. If you are a visual, auditory, or tactile person, your story will be vivid. If you are curious, writing will never bore you. If you are empathic, your characters will be believable. If you’re old, you’ll bring a wide array of experience into the process. If you’re young, your story will be fresh. If you’re stubborn and relentless, your story, at last, will be finished. So what’s your talent? Most likely you have many, some not even touched upon.
Before going further, I propose that writing can be both taught and learned. I also submit that the quality you need most is neither talent nor knowledge but the mad, unrelenting desire to tell a story.
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