Writing and Publishing Made Smarter, NOT Harder

By Terrie Leigh Relf

Remember that college motto:  “Study smarter, NOT harder”?  Well, you don’t need to be in college to continue chanting this mantra!  In the proverbial long run, one of the purposes of school is to learn how to learn, right? 

How does this apply to writing? 

Well, here are a few “lessons” that may apply to your writing and publishing practices:

1. Be brave and get your work out there. As I’ve said over and over and over again, it’s nice to stockpile for the future, but consider the possibility that the future is NOW; 

2. Remember that if you make mistakes, so long as you learn from them, they’re lessons;

3. Visit the WOL archives to read, “Some Thoughts as to Whether or Not Sim-Subbing is a Good Idea” and “Psst! Wanna know the Secret of Getting Published?”  and “The Poetry Scam.” Studying your markets, following editorial guidelines, being forewarned about real and imagined scams, as well as checking out the proverbial “rumor mill” of dastardly deeds and unethical practices is certainly putting you ahead of the game;

4. Still in the archives?  Good.  Read EVERYTHING there…Archives are an incredible treasure trove of vast resources.  Besides, everything at WOL is good…;

5. Did I mention that it’s important to “toot your own horn?”  While considered to be “shameless self-promotion” in some circles, it’s actually termed “public relations” and shows that you believe in your self.  It’s also important to know how to hawk your wares;

6. Another strategy that I often employ is called “transfusion.”  I call it this because of the reference to blood (and you all know I’m also a horror writer, right?), the vital essence of life.  Our ideas, thoughts, words, etc., are our vital essence as well.  If a poem’s not working, transfuse it into a piece of flash fiction or a longer story.  If a short story isn’t working because it’s heavy on dialogue (I recently had a short story rejected for this very reason.  The editor asked me if I was a scriptwriter!), then why not transfuse it into a feature-length script (NOTE:  Be sure to read Christina Hamlett’s articles in archives…). 

7. Read, read, read, and read some more.  Read books and magazines and newspapers and online zines—and WOL regularly. Read what you write.  Read what you want to write.  Read about writing and reading…Repeat as necessary.  What am I reading right now?  Let’s see…I just finished reading the The Tower At Moorkai:  Book Three of The Thran Chronicles  by H. David Blalock (available through http://www.booklocker.com.  I’m rereading The 2005 Rhysling Anthology:  The Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Horror Poetry of 2004 (available through The Science Fiction Poetry Association, http://www.sfpoetry.com), and I’m about to dive into The Code Book:  How To MakeIit, Break It, HackIit, Crack It by Simon Singh (available through Delacorte Press);

8. Set long-term, short-term and immediate writing and publishing goals.  For example, one of my long-term goals is to have consecutive seven-figure book deals. One of my short-term goals is to “finish” Blood Journey, the novel I’m co-authoring with Henry Lewis Sanders, and to get it published (okay, that’s two short-term goals, but they’re definitely connected.)  One of my immediate goals is to complete this article by deadline.

9. Join with other writers to workshop, network, and otherwise provide a support system for your writing and publishing process.  As a college English instructor, I stress group work (much to most of my students’ chagrin).  One of the reasons I encourage—and require this—is due to the collaborative nature of the writing process. 

10. Get out of your comfort zone!  In order to develop as a writer (insert whatever that means to you), I think it’s vital to push ourselves to the limit—and then push ourselves some more.  Sometimes, this means trying on a new writing hat (i.e., you want to be a famous poet, but hey, people like your articles, so focus on those, too…), while other times it may mean increasing your writing practice time from three hours per day to five.  Another method is to take a class (i.e., check out the WOL offerings) so that you’re working with others who are also interested in expanding their writing experiences.  This way, you have several people nudging you—including the course facilitator!

I hope that these suggestions are helpful.  Remember to enjoy the process!

Until next time…

Terrie Leigh Relf, M.A., is a poet, fiction writer, columnist, writing coach, and educator who lives in South Park, an arty community nestled within San Diego, CA.  She teaches English at San Diego City College—and at WOL!  She is the editor of FireWeed, a monthly literary arts newsletter (http://www.mindfirerenew.com/fireweedmarch/front.html), the poetry editor for Tales from the Moonlit Path (http://www.moonlit-path.com), and the editor of Hungur, a bi-annual anthology of ancient and alien vampire fiction (Guidelines are available at: http://www.samsdotpublishing.com).  Her poem, “a poet on board,” was recently nominated for a Rhysling Award.