- In her introduction to Shannon Ocork’s book, How To Write Mysteries, Hillary Waugh states that Ocork stresses the all-important point that is etched upon the Holy Grail of all aspiring writers: Never Say Die. Never mine teachings, critiques, praise, rejection, hope or despair. If you would become a writer, you must WRITE, WRITE, WRITE, and never stop. The prime requisite for the writer isn’t talent, it isn’t desire, it’s guts. As long as you keep going, no matter how rocky the road, no matter how many rejections you get, no matter how often you may lose heart, there still remains ahead of you the chance of success. The moment you stop writing, the chance is gone.
- Read, read, and read! Know the difference between good and bad reads.
- Be prepared. Agents, publishers and television interviewers frequently ask:
- What is your book about?
- Why would anyone want to read your book?
- What will your book do for the reader?
- What is so special about your book?
- What message do you want the reader to get from your novel?
- Why would radio or TV audiences want to hear about your book?
- Who will read your book? (That is, what is the composition of your audience?)
- How does your book compare to others? Think genre. (What can you compare your book to?)
- What research did you find interesting that you didn’t use in your novel?