Ally on writing: lesson #1

I spent a long time last night answering email (so if you have written—but not heard back from—me please let me know!)

And, as always, after reading your emails I’m struck with how cool you all are!

But—and this is a big but—why do you say things like “I want to be a writer, but I know I never can”?

Fiddlesticks! That’s right. I said fiddlesticks (a very cool word that I’m personally trying to bring back into fashion).

You guys can totally be writers if that’s what you want to do, if that’s what you’re willing to work to become.

Simple as that. Easy as pie.

You don’t need to know someone (a subject I ranted about a few months ago), and saying you can’t write a book because you can never be published is like saying you can’t go jogging because you’ll never make the Olympic team.

Writers write. Period. And the ones who write long enough, and well enough, will eventually get published if that’s what they want.

No one in publishing—and I mean no one—is saying ‘gee, there are too many great books. I wish people would stop writing them.’

In fact, I was talking to a very cool person yesterday who is a new editor, and she’s dying—absolutely dying—to read some great, unknown stuff so that she can buy it.

But does that mean she’ll buy just anything? Of course not. It has to be good just like Olympic track stars have to be fast.

But no one ever got fast by lounging on the couch talking about the medals they’d like to win someday.

So I’m going to break it down for you—demystify the process.

I’ve already ranted about how a book gets published, so now I’m going to spend a few days on the important stuff: how a book gets written.

Are you ready? It’s a biggie.

Okay. Here goes….

Lesson #1. Don't get it right, get it written.

That’s it—lesson the first.

First drafts are ugly. They’re terrible. They usually don’t make sense and aren’t funny and have all kinds of weirdly-phrased sentences and terrible dialogue. And you know what? That’s what they’re supposed to have.

More detailed stuff is going to come, but that’s the first—and in many ways the biggest—thing you need to know.

Writers write.

Tomorrow’s lesson: it's all about character.

--Ally