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Truthful, authentic, honest. All these words mean roughly the same thing, but in this case, I’ve chosen these words to describe writers and the stories they create. I’m sure you’ve all heard phrases such as “find your own authentic voice,” or “write your truth,” or “be true to your craft.” Or even “be honest with your readers.” I realize that these phrases are ambiguous at best and are usually tossed around at writing conferences to make a speaker sound like they know what they are talking about. So…what am I getting at? To be honest in what you are writing, or to be truthful in the story that you create means showing a side of yourself that you may not want to. To be authentically you as a writer means to be vulnerable, to let down your walls just a little bit, or a lot, and let people into your world. It’s a scary reality, but when it’s done well, it shows in your writing and enhances your story significantly. Any character you create, or any setting you envision all have bits and pieces of you, of your imagination, of your ideas, of your creativity. If you aren’t connecting with one of your characters neither will your readers. If you’re painstakingly writing every word just to get the book done, your readers will feel that as well. Stephenie Meyer said that she will not write a sequel to Midnight Sun because she experienced a great deal of anxiety every time she sat down at her computer to write Edward’s story. Guess what? I felt nothing but anxiety every time I picked it up. No joke. This stuff is real. Your emotions, your beliefs, your humor, everything about you ends up on that page and if you’re afraid of judgement, criticism, or “what will my family think?” then you’ll likely become less and less authentic and your story will suffer because of it. Your readers aren’t going to know precisely why they don’t like a scene, or heaven forbid your book altogether, but it will happen nonetheless if you start censoring your writing voice. If you find that you aren’t allowing yourself or your characters to explore certain emotions or situations because it’s uncomfortable for you as the writer then this should be a wakeup call. If you’re fighting this, but keep feeling pulled to write something you don’t particularly want to then it probably means that you need to put on your big girl or big boy underwear and do it. Even if it’s scary. Even if it means putting a little more of you on the page for everyone to see than you are currently comfortable with. In the end, you’ll be glad that you did. In full honesty (no pun intended, or maybe a little), I’m not perfect at this yet either. I’m guilty of taking whole scenes out of manuscripts because I was afraid of what other people would think. In the end, my stories suffered because of it. With all this being said, you certainly don’t have to take my word for it. Instead, take the word of my top picks for the week: #1: Terrified About Writing Your Novel? Excellent! The author of Waisted goes into depth about the fears she had to face in order to write her fictional story about weight obsessed women and the society they lived in. She not only had to face her own weight obsessions and body image issues, but also the criticism after her story was published. #2: What Gandhi Taught Me About Telling Stories that Mean Something Kelsey Allagood encourages writers to not only tell the truth, but also to create stories that push the boundaries of current societal belief. “Of course our readers are going to look at our stories through their own lenses—the ones that stories have helped them shape over the course of their lives. Our role as storytellers is to write stories that help shift those lenses.” #3: How Honest is Too Honest? 6 Books That Straddle That Line While most of these books listed are either memoir or self-help, I still find this article helpful for friction writers in order to see just how much truth previous authors have put on a page and lived. Perhaps this article will give you the courage to explore those ideas or scenes in your story that you’ve been avoiding. #4: Write of Way #15 – Write True to You “I think it’s a lesson all authors learn that, whether we intend them to or not, our books reflect things about ourselves that we might not have even realized.” “If your creativity is flowing through a filter, you risk losing themes and ideas like that. You might not notice you’re losing them, but you will be, all the same.” Spot on, A.Z. Anthony. Spot on. Oh, and the rest of the article is good too. #5: Make it as Honest as You Can - Neil Gaiman This is actually a short video I linked from the Novel Writing Advice Videos section of Author Connect. It’s Neil Gaiman talking about how he found his own style of writing by being honest with himself. It’s definitely worth the 5 minutes it takes to watch it. Happy week and happy writing to you all. Until next time, Kara

Conflict should be at the very heart of every story you write. Its presence throughout your manuscript, or lack thereof, can literally make our break your ability to get published. Your main characters need internal conflict, they need conflict between themselves and other characters (more than just the conflict raised by the antagonist). There should also be conflict within the setting of your novel like a picturesque countryside that isn’t entirely what it seems, etc. etc. etc. Without conflict, or tension or raised stakes for the main characters, beginning with the first scene and ending with the resolution, stories meander, they are quiet and your readers get bored. Conflict helps readers care about the fate of both protagonist and antagonist (if your antagonist has sympathetic qualities) and it gets readers hooked. So hooked, in fact, that they will read your entire book just to find out how the story ends to get their much-needed resolution from all the said conflict you’ve created. Since this is such an important topic for all fiction writers and even some nonfiction categories, I’ve chosen seven picks for the week. Feel free to read them all, or choose which ones speak to you. #1: Confessions of a Conflict-Avoidant Writer #2: Create Conflict in Your Characters #3: 6 Tips for Creating Good Bridging Conflict #4: What Dungeons and Dragons Taught Me About Story Conflict #5: Levels of Conflict #6: The Science Behind Conflicts in Literature #7: Conflict, Plot Lines, And The Devil Wears Prada

Literary and Genre Novel Writing Learned From the Masters Below you will find the program syllabus. In our quest to get you as close to the brass ring as possible, we've developed this series of multi-genre commercial writing courses that will enable you to develop and write your novel from the very beginning, or else rewrite your extant work-in-progress while simultaneously reality-checking all core and peripheral elements. In all cases, initial focus is on story premise and market position, major antagonist and protagonist arcs and elements, primary plot conflict(s), as well as overall set decisions. The next set of crucial elements are addressed in turn (see syllabus below) and again, as appropriate, by Algonkian editorial faculty (in private consultations with you) prior to the final query letter stage. NOTE: THE FOLLOWING NOVELS NOTED IN THE SYLLABUS ARE REFERENCED IN CONTEXT DURING THE COURSE OF THE PROGRAM. THE EMPHASIS IS ON UTILIZING CLASSIC AND MID-CLASSIC NOVELS AS MODELS FOR CONCEIVING AND CREATING SUCCESSFUL PLOT, CHARACTERS, THEME, AND PROSE NARRATIVE. WHY? BECAUSE THE ART OF FICTION MUST FIRST AND FOREMOST BE LEARNED FROM THE BEST AUTHORS WHO SET THE STANDARD FOR ALL WHO CAME LATER, INCLUDING THE WRITERS OF TODAY, AND THAT INCLUDES YOU. Part I Program Sample The Program Syllabus Art of Novel Writing - Part I - Eight Course Modules Module I The Act of Story Statement and Protagonist's Goal; Conjuring Your Breakout Title; Market Positioning and Vital Comparables; Utilizing the Short Synopsis Pitch to Create and Define Novel Basics Including Rising Plot Action, Exposition, Backstory, Climax, Denouement, and Theme. Works studied or referenced: ISSAC'S STORM, ANTIGONE, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, COLD MOUNTAIN, HISS OF DEATH, SUMMER'S SISTERS, THE BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY, THE HAND OF FATIMA, THE GREAT GATSBY. Multiple Assignments and Readings Focusing on All Critical Elements Related to Developing Competitive Commercial Novel Structure and Premise, and Applying Lessons Learned to Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress - Module II Choosing the Antagonist; Antagonist Role in Energizing Plot Lines and Defining Dramatic Tension; Social Reaction and Psyche Profile of Antagonists; Traits and Physical Nature of the Antagonist; Anecdotes Featuring Your Antagonist; Antagonist Relation to Three-Level Conflict Dynamic. Works studied or referenced: THE KITE RUNNER, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, THE GREAT GATSBY, LES MISERABLES, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Multiple Assignments and Readings Focusing on All Critical Elements Related to Developing a Competitive Commercial Novel Structure and Premise, and Applying Lessons Learned to Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress - Module III Using the Hook Line to Bait and Test Your Commercial High Concept; Hook Elements; the Coming of the "Agon" and Creating the Three-Level Conflict Dynamic; Writing Conflict Lines; Using the Right Setting to Maximize Opportunities for Unique Circumstance, Complications, Character and Verve. Works studied or referenced: ISSAC'S STORM, HISS OF DEATH, SUMMER'S SISTERS, THE BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY, THE HAND OF FATIMA, THE HUNGER GAMES, SOUND AND THE FURY, THE ROAD. Multiple Assignments and Readings Focusing on All Critical Elements Related to Developing Competitive Commercial Novel Structure and Premise, and Applying Lessons Learned to Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress - Module IV Personality Types and the Counter Trait; Importance of Backstory; Elements of Character Animation; Protagonist Makes Plot or Vice Versa; Sympathetic Character Factors in the Hook; Defining the Transformational Character Arc. Works studied or referenced in Module: CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, FIRST FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN, SECRET LIFE OF BEES, LIFE OF PI, BEL CANTO, PATTERSON AND GROSS, WINESBURG OHIO. Multiple Assignments and Readings Focusing on All Critical Elements Related to Developing Competitive Commercial Novel Structure and Premise, and Applying Lessons Learned to Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress - Module V Synopsis as a Planning Tool; Methods for Delivering Exposition; How Does Theme Define and Pervade the Novel? Character Symbolism and Making a Theme Statement That Will Layer Into the Novel. Works studied or referenced in Module: ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, WISE BLOOD, THE SUN ALSO RISES, RHINOCEROS (the play), MAN'S FATE. Multiple Assignments and Readings Focusing on All Critical Elements Related to Developing Competitive Commercial Novel Structure and Premise, and Applying Lessons Learned to Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress - Module VI Coming of the Six Act Two-Goal Novel; Act 0 - Developing the Backstory; Act I, Part I - the Critical Act of Opening Scene, Foreshadowing the Primary Conflict, In Media Res; Act I, Part II - Inciting Incident, Exposition Parceling, the MacGuffin, Theme Start, Antagonist Intro With Possible Minions. Works studied or referenced in Module: CATCHER IN THE RYE, WAR OF THE WORLDS, MISERY, COLD MOUNTAIN, THE MALTESE FALCON, HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE HUNGER GAMES, HARRY POTTER, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, GLADIATOR AND CITIZEN KANE. Multiple Assignments and Readings Focusing on All Critical Elements Related to Developing Competitive Commercial Novel Structure and Premise, and Applying Lessons Learned to Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress - Module VII Act II - More Hook: Story Statement Redux, Establishment of Major Goal, Primary External Conflict or Complication Begins, First Major Plot Point and Plot Line, Protagonist Psychology, Rising Action; Act III - Plot Line Evolution, Minor Reversals, Complications, thee Levels of Conflict, Major Reversal Time, Plot Points. Works studied or referenced in Module: CATCHER IN THE RYE, WAR OF THE WORLDS, MISERY, COLD MOUNTAIN, THE MALTESE FALCON, HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE HUNGER GAMES, HARRY POTTER, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, GLADIATOR AND CITIZEN KANE. Multiple Assignments and Readings Focusing on All Critical Elements Related to Developing Competitive Commercial Novel Structure and Premise, and Applying Lessons Learned to Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress - Module VIII Act IV - New Rising Action and Suspense, Conflict Levels Revisited, the Final Puzzle Piece, Surprise or Twist, Climax, Victory at a Cost; Act V - Denouement, Loose Ends, Theme Resolution, End of Protagonist Arc. Works studied or referenced in Module: CATCHER IN THE RYE, WAR OF THE WORLDS, MISERY, COLD MOUNTAIN, THE MALTESE FALCON, HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE HUNGER GAMES, HARRY POTTER, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, GLADIATOR AND CITIZEN KANE. Multiple Assignments and Readings Focusing on All Critical Elements Related to Developing Competitive Commercial Novel Structure and Premise, and Applying Lessons Learned to Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress - Primary elements studied and applied in the eight modules of Part II: The act of creating narrative suspense. Dynamic description and competitive narrative cinema. Utilizing character personality to create tone and verve. The four levels of storytelling viewpoint. Levels of successive narrative transformation. Complications and conflict in fiction narrative. Approaches and experiments in masterful dialogue. Establishment of active and aggressive style. Coaxing imagination and unpredictability in narrative and storytelling. Art of Novel Writing - Part II - Eight Course Modules Module I Mastering the Art of Point-of-View: Four Levels of Third Person Point of View; Advantages of 3POV; Effective First Person POV Transition From 3POV; Choice of Viewpoint Character and Effect on Tone; Four Stage Narrative Transformation. Works studied or referenced in Part II Modules: THE RIVER KING, CLAUDIUS THE GOD, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE CONCRETE BLONDE, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, UNDER THE JAGUAR SUN, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND KLAY, THE ALCHEMYST, GET SHORTY, THE PAINTED BIRD, LOLITA, EVENSONG, THE SHIPPING NEWS, POISONWOOD BIBLE, YEAR OF THE RHINOCEROS, WISE BLOOD, FIGHT CLUB, WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Step by Step Narrative Creation and Enhancement Writing Assignments Utilizing Element-Specific Scenarios and Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress Module II Mastering the "Art of Fiction" Narrative: Spatial Orientation in the Scene, Quality Ruminations to Add Dimension and Arc, Transforming the Quiet Set and Circumstance with Imaginative Leaps of Interior Monologue, External Complications, Emotions, Musings, and Narrator Observations. Writing Concise and Artful Dialogue, Mastering the Right Genre Style and Voice. Works studied or referenced in Part II Modules: THE RIVER KING, CLAUDIUS THE GOD, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE CONCRETE BLONDE, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, UNDER THE JAGUAR SUN, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND KLAY, THE ALCHEMYST, GET SHORTY, THE PAINTED BIRD, LOLITA, EVENSONG, THE SHIPPING NEWS, POISONWOOD BIBLE, YEAR OF THE RHINOCEROS, WISE BLOOD, FIGHT CLUB, WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Step by Step Narrative Creation and Enhancement Writing Assignments Utilizing Element-Specific Scenarios and Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress Module III Mastering the Art of High Impact Subject Matter and Issues of Proper Narrative Composition : Creating Social Energy and Conflict, Ways to Aggressively Milk Imagination, Complex Visual Phenomena Reflecting the Human Condition. Creating the Color, Movement, Sounds and Smells of the Meta-Cinematic Narrative Experience. Injecting Pre-event complications, and Fantastical Circumstance Creating "Delayed Cognition" Technique. Works studied or referenced in Part II Modules: THE RIVER KING, CLAUDIUS THE GOD, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE CONCRETE BLONDE, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, UNDER THE JAGUAR SUN, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND KLAY, THE ALCHEMYST, GET SHORTY, THE PAINTED BIRD, LOLITA, EVENSONG, THE SHIPPING NEWS, POISONWOOD BIBLE, YEAR OF THE RHINOCEROS, WISE BLOOD, FIGHT CLUB, WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Step by Step Narrative Creation and Enhancement Writing Assignments Utilizing Element-Specific Scenarios and Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress Module IV Mastering the "Art of Fiction" Narrative: Complex Description of Characters Using Both Third and First Person POV, Metaphor Sketching to Describe Unique Characters, the "Single Statement of Impression," Deriving Unique Metaphors From Setting, Using the "PDQ" to Brainstorm Approaches to Challenging Subjects in Prose Narrative, Details of Face and Body Movement, Charged Emotional States, Occasional Acts of Bold and Imaginative Appearance. Balancing Prose For High-Impact Subject Matter VS. Upmarket Prose Narrative. Works studied or referenced in Part II Modules: THE RIVER KING, CLAUDIUS THE GOD, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE CONCRETE BLONDE, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, UNDER THE JAGUAR SUN, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND KLAY, THE ALCHEMYST, GET SHORTY, THE PAINTED BIRD, LOLITA, EVENSONG, THE SHIPPING NEWS, POISONWOOD BIBLE, YEAR OF THE RHINOCEROS, WISE BLOOD, FIGHT CLUB, WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Step by Step Narrative Creation and Enhancement Writing Assignments Utilizing Element-Specific Scenarios and Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress Module V Mastering the Art of Narrative Composition: High-Impact Subject Matter VS. Upmarket Prose Narrative, Mastering Style and Voice, Using FIGHT CLUB to Write Your Own Version In Order to Practice Those Narrative Elements Make Chuck Palahniuk a Great Author; Using THE RIVER KING to Write Your Own Version In Order to Practice Those Narrative Elements That Make Alice Hoffman a Great Author. Works studied or referenced in Part II Modules: THE RIVER KING, CLAUDIUS THE GOD, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE CONCRETE BLONDE, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, UNDER THE JAGUAR SUN, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND KLAY, THE ALCHEMYST, GET SHORTY, THE PAINTED BIRD, LOLITA, EVENSONG, THE SHIPPING NEWS, POISONWOOD BIBLE, YEAR OF THE RHINOCEROS, WISE BLOOD, FIGHT CLUB, WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Step by Step Narrative Creation and Enhancement Writing Assignments Utilizing Element-Specific Scenarios and Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress Module VI The First 5000 Words of the Novel Hook Incorporating Elements From Prior Modules : Four Levels of 3POV Narrative, Level III Narrative Minimum, Transitions to Reflective Interior Monologue, Interior Fantasy, Ruminations or Musings, At Least Five Minor Complications. Narrative That Allows For Color, Sound, and Smells; Narrative That Creates Impact On the Page in a Dynamic and Cinematic Manner. Color, Tension, Curiosities, Mystery, Conflict, With a Goal of Not a Single Quiet Paragraph. Works studied or referenced in Part II Modules: THE RIVER KING, CLAUDIUS THE GOD, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE CONCRETE BLONDE, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, UNDER THE JAGUAR SUN, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND KLAY, THE ALCHEMYST, GET SHORTY, THE PAINTED BIRD, LOLITA, EVENSONG, THE SHIPPING NEWS, POISONWOOD BIBLE, YEAR OF THE RHINOCEROS, WISE BLOOD, FIGHT CLUB, WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Step by Step Narrative Creation and Enhancement Writing Assignments Utilizing Element-Specific Scenarios and Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress Module VII Self-Coverage Narrative Scorebox and Reference to Part I of Program Regarding Act I and Act II as Appropriate For Inclusion of Proper Plot Elements, Sympathetic Character Elements, etc.. the First 50 Pages of the Novel Incorporating Elements From Prior Modules : Brilliant First Person POV, or All Four Levels of 3POV Narrative; Level III Quality Narrative Minimum Striving Towards Level IV, Transitions to Reflective Interior Monologue, Ruminations and Musings, As Many Minor Complications As Necessary. Narrative That Allows For Color, Sound, and Smells; Narrative That Creates Impact On the Page in a Dynamic and Cinematic Manner. Color, Tension, Curiosities, Mystery, Conflict, and All 50 Pages With a Goal of Not a Single Quiet Paragraph. Works studied or referenced in Part II Modules: THE RIVER KING, CLAUDIUS THE GOD, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE CONCRETE BLONDE, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, UNDER THE JAGUAR SUN, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND KLAY, THE ALCHEMYST, GET SHORTY, THE PAINTED BIRD, LOLITA, EVENSONG, THE SHIPPING NEWS, POISONWOOD BIBLE, YEAR OF THE RHINOCEROS, WISE BLOOD, FIGHT CLUB, WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Step by Step Narrative Creation and Enhancement Writing Assignments Utilizing Element-Specific Scenarios and Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress Module VIII Post Coverage: the Next 50 Pages of the Novel Incorporating Elements From Prior Modules (for a total of 100) : Brilliant First Person POV, or All Four Levels of 3POV Narrative; Level III Quality Narrative Minimum Striving Towards Level IV, Transitions to Reflective Interior Monologue, Ruminations and Musings, As Many Minor Complications As Necessary. Narrative That Allows For Color, Sound, and Smells; Narrative That Creates Impact On the Page in a Dynamic and Cinematic Manner. Color, Tension, Curiosities, Mystery, Conflict, and All 50 Pages With a Goal of Not a Single Quiet Paragraph. Works studied or referenced in Part II Modules: THE RIVER KING, CLAUDIUS THE GOD, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE CONCRETE BLONDE, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, UNDER THE JAGUAR SUN, THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND KLAY, THE ALCHEMYST, GET SHORTY, THE PAINTED BIRD, LOLITA, EVENSONG, THE SHIPPING NEWS, POISONWOOD BIBLE, YEAR OF THE RHINOCEROS, WISE BLOOD, FIGHT CLUB, WUTHERING HEIGHTS. Step by Step Narrative Creation and Enhancement Writing Assignments Utilizing Element-Specific Scenarios and Each Writer's Novel-in-Progress

Have you ever had a hard time figuring out what genre your story fits into? Or, maybe you know the genre of your story, but you don’t know how to structure it. Perhaps your book keeps switching from one genre to the next depending on which chapter you’re writing. If genre is feeling a bit hazy for you, or if you just want to understand it better then this week’s picks are for you: #1: Tinker, Tailor, Wizard, Spy: The Joys (And Dangers) of Blending Genre Elements W.L. Goodwater states, “When readers browse the genre shelves at the bookstore, they are looking to sign a contract with the writer: I, the undersigned, will purchase and read this book, but only under the following terms. Writing genre is not simply about meeting readers’ expectations, but managing them.” And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why understanding genre is so important. #2: Mixing Genres Is All About Messing with Structure Stuart Turton explains about the structure of different genres and how he was able to get his stories to fit snuggly within the right ones. While he specifically mentions genres like mystery, time-travel and sci-fi, his methods of fixing his stories could work for any writer, no matter your genre of choice. #3: A Taxonomy of Nonfiction; Or the Pleasures of Precision As an assistant professor of creative writing, Karen Babine explains in detail, genre, subgenre, form, mode and shape of nonfiction writing. Ever thought about writing a memoir, or essay? Consider this article as your basic 101 course. #4: Genre Labels: What Makes A Book More Thriller Than Sci-Fi? Writing a sci-fi thriller? This article lists five main points about how to scrutinize your story and determine where it falls on the spectrum between science fiction and thriller. You’ll know exactly what you need to change to balance your story correctly within these two genres. #5: Writing a Genre That’s New to You A short read and to the point about how to get started writing in a new genre that you’ve never written in before. Or, perhaps you’ve only toyed with the idea, but haven’t been brave enough to try it yet. According to the author, Greer Macallister, “No one can stop you from writing in a new genre but you.” #6: In Psychological Thrillers, The Abyss Stares Back This article is an interesting and even freaky example of how writing and the genre you choose to write in can mirror your own life, without you even realizing it. The uncanny experience of author Sebastian Fitzek and his not-so fictional story shows firsthand how our lives can bleed into our work, thus giving us a new perspective of our own past and how it has shaped our present. Happy week, and happy writing to you all. Until next time, Kara

A WATERSHED EVENT FOR SERIOUS WRITERS Whatever the stage of your project or writing life, know that all writers, if they desire to become commercially published, must see and enter the Epiphany Light. First of all, what is the "Epiphany Light"? The EL is a state of mind crucial to any aspiring author desirous of commercial or serious literary publication, and one which clearly divides the 99% from the 1% of those who've learned the hard way how challenging it is to have their expertise and projects taken seriously by professionals in the publishing business. But are the percentages so drastic as depicted here? Yes, and probably even more so. Consider the very small number of first time authors who emerge with publishing contracts from major houses, imprints, or even well-regarded traditional presses, and then compare these few hundred to the hundreds of thousands of writers in America struggling valiantly yet vainly to accomplish the same feat. Viewed from this perspective, as we near the EL, we eventually come to a knowledge of true writer pathos on a scale unimagined: instances of duress and disappointment inflicted each day on hundreds if not thousands of writers as their manuscripts are routinely rejected by agents or publishers. But how does the EL finally come about, or rather, fail to come about? Before the light can be viewed and entered, before writers can possess a state of mind that enables a forward movement towards success (by any reasonable artistic standard), they must, by one means or another, view their project through the eyes of an editorial professional in their chosen genre. So why doesn't it come easy? It isn't natural, has to be learned, and circumstances of one kind or another arise to prevent this crucial vision. Viewed from this perspective, as we near the EL, we eventually come to a knowledge of true writer pathos on a scale unimagined: instances of duress and disappointment inflicted each day on hundreds if not thousands of writers as their manuscripts are routinely rejected by agents or publishers. Whether it be a failure to properly immerse in the contemporary world of their chosen genre (reading books and interviews, studying deals at Publisher’s Marketplace, talking with publishing house editors at conferences or elsewhere), or an inability to rise above limitations imposed by their current writer’s group (consistently providing encouraging yet unproductive advice), or bad advice from those they believe possess an adequate comprehension of the current book market (e.g., freelance editors of one stripe or another who are removed from current market realities or who fail to differentiate necessary tropes from overused tropes), the writer is deprived of the consciousness necessary to make crucial edits or changes to the story. Put quite simply, if you write mysteries loved by your friends and fellow writers, and perhaps even your paid freelance editor (who most likely has never worked in the New York publishing business), but can’t produce a thing other than pale imitations of Miss Marple, no editor or agent who represents the mystery genre will ever take you or your work seriously. Regardless, the writer naturally grows frustrated and tired of unsuccessful efforts (if they‘re smart), and if determined not to fail, seeks new sources of information and inspiration. Now the question becomes, how do writers transcend life in the 99% and enter the EL to arrive in the one percent promised land? What might lead them to a cognizance of reality? It can happen in various ways, by accident or no, but always preceded by trial and error groping as false signals are received concerning the commercial viability of their writing (see above) thus leading to false confidence. Regardless, the writer naturally grows frustrated and tired of unsuccessful efforts (if they‘re smart), and if determined not to fail, seeks new sources of information and inspiration. Perhaps by happenstance the writer reads an article that clicks with them, or speaks to a professional who waves the red flag regarding what they’re doing wrong or what is specifically missing from their voice or manuscript that results in rejection after rejection--whatever the source of cognizance, the writer, perhaps for the first time, declines to fall back on old sources of corroboration. If you are nearing the Epiphany Light, or you’ve entered it already, much of what we say here will resonate with you. If you have endured months or years of rejections, perhaps you need to point your toe over the line, just to test. And don’t feel down about all this, or discouraged. Learn from it. Understand that all writers make the same mistakes, learn the same lessons, fall down and get up. The neophyte mystery writer holding her Miss Marple close and dear, as she might a mother’s warmth, must one day leave home and apply for a job with a suitable resume. ____________________ ________________________________ [url={url}]View the full article[/url]