It Takes Hard Work

I just read a letter from Jack London to an aspiring writer, thanks to Mr. Bransford's posting yesterday that had a link to it.

Basically, it was London expressing his opinion to a young man of twenty, who had written a short story and, I suppose, expected it to be published. The letter didn't reveal this writer's connection to London or how he got London to read his manuscript, but it did reveal London's feelings about the art of writing.

He likened it unto the career of a Blacksmith. He said that it takes a Blacksmith five years to practice the craft before he gets good enough to actually do it for a living. Basically, he made the point that writing, also, took five years of committed practice, and that this young man hadn't done that. And as a result, he shouldn't expect to be a good enough writer to become professional, and his first manuscript certainly wasn't.

It made me feel good. Because I spent five years writing and revising KILLER OF KILLERS. And that corresponds perfectly with what London was saying. But that doesn't mean I've only been practicing writing for just this last five years. I did a lot of writing for my college degrees. Almost all of my Teaching Credential classes required essays and reports of various kinds. My Master's Degree required tons of writing, too, during classes and essays and reports outside of class.

But when I sat down and wrote the first draft of KILLER OF KILLERS, it sure was a rough draft. I did send it to some agents, and there was one guy who was thoughtful enough to comment on it. His comments were straightforward, honest, and at the same time critical and encouraging. He said the storyline was "terrific." That was the word he used. But he also said the writing wasn't "strong enough." And that was how he worded it.

And when I thought about it, I knew he was right. But I didn't just quit. I knew I had a story that was indeed terrific. So I got busy improving the writing and improving it even more. And then still more. I researched every writing site that I could find. Yes, Bransford's site was a great source for writing advice, but there were so many others, and I absorbed them. I read books on how to write a great novel. Donald Maass's book was one of them, but there were others. I incorporated all or most of their advice and points into my book.

And the result? Five years later, a great book is going to be published! Look for KILLER OF KILLERS this coming August from Melange Books. They loved it. And if you are someone who likes adventure, action, intense situations, romance, and themes that run deep... you will, too.