How to Be a Writing Maverick

By Sophfronia Scott

Let’s face it. You read and study and seek advice from writing professionals like myself because you want to understand the convention of the publishing industry so you can be accepted and be successful in the realm. There’s nothing wrong with that. But I would like you to think about this for a moment: Sometimes there’s even more success to be had by going against the grain of what’s usually done. And there isn’t a better time than now to experiment with new approaches because these days “what’s usually done” in the publishing world isn’t working.

But before you set out to write the book that shatters convention or create the promotion that makes us all rethink how to sell a book, here are a few tips to keep in mind to help smooth your unpaved path.

Be Clear For Yourself
Know what you want to do and why you want to do it. Don’t worry if the reasons don’t make sense to anyone else. I’m sure no one could really understand why real estate maverick Frank McKinney wanted to write and publish a spiritual book, a real estate guide and a young adult novel all on exactly the same day, but I bet the reasons were crystal clear to him! Everyone else could only stand back in amazement as each book hit bestseller status. If you’re clear on your reasons for writing against the grain, it will help you to…

Be Strong in Your Conviction
Many people will tell you why you can’t do something–I could even be one of them! But if your plan is sound, and only you can know that for certain, move forward in the direction of your dreams. The book publishing industry has operated on convention for ages so it doles out the rejection slips like sprinkles in an ice cream shop. Authors like J.K. Rowling got more than their fair share. But because she held firm in her belief that her story of boy wizard Harry Potter was worthy, she was rewarded with a fortune.

Execute Well
It’s one thing to be a maverick. It’s quite another to be a bad maverick. I’m not even sure if there’s a proper word for a bad maverick. You’re just considered bad! If you’re going to write a book like no one has ever seen before, then it has to be good. There will be too many people waiting to say, “See, I told you it wouldn’t work.” Your work has to be on target and so polished it shines. A half-baked job won’t cut it.

Get Others On Your Bandwagon
When you write against the grain, it helps to have your own support team. You’ll need the positivity to outweigh the “no’s” you might hear along the way. Plus you’ll enjoy celebrating your triumph with people who were there with you the whole way–no johnny-come-lately’s at your party!

Show Some Personality
Now is not the time to sit back and be conservative with your writing. If you’re already stepping out to write something different, you may as well go all the way. Don’t be afraid to show your personality. Your brash mind came up with the idea–let it come out with all that brashness intact. You’ll draw more interest in your project, and you’ll have a lot more fun creating it!

One Last Note: Don’t be afraid to ask for help along the way. If you’re doing something totally new, you might hesitate to talk about the project and keep it too much to yourself. Remember (and I learned this from author and coach Barbara Sher), isolation is a dream killer. The more people you tell about your bold vision, the more good energy you’ll build around it. And you’ll be that much more likely to drive that bold vision home.

© 2009 Sophfronia Scott

Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of the Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Learn what a difference being a published author can make for your business. Get your FREE audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author” and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at www.DoneForYouWriting.com.

Writing Your Book to Sound Fantastic

By Sophfronia Scott

I once read a column by Stephen King where he extolled the virtues of the audiobook. I agreed with his take, especially the stressing that most writing is, after all, about story-TELLING. But it’s interesting to me how many writers go about their work without considering how their words will sound as spoken words. We’re so used to reading silently in our heads and, of course, that’s what most of our readers will do. But thinking about how your book will sound is an important key to ensure you’re writing well. Usually if it sounds good, it is good. Here are a few things to consider…


How Do You Want to Be Heard?

We think so much about story, plot, characters, as we’re planning a book, but just as important is this: What do you want your book to sound like? Will your characters speak in dialect? Will your narrator have a unique voice or will he/she sound like all the other characters? Does your book sound right for the time? My current manuscript is a historical novel and my concern is using the correct slang and general tone for the time period. I also want it to have the feel of a woman sitting in a room telling me this story in one sitting in an intimate setting. I always asking myself if that is indeed what is happening with what I’m writing.

Listen Up!

If you’re confused about how you want your book to sound, listen to a recording of one of your favorite novels. The beauty of audiobooks is that we have so much to choose from when we want to hear what great writing sounds like. As I searched for examples to inspire my own work, I discovered (on iTunes!) a recording of the great actress Ruby Dee reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Ms. Dee’s reading conjured the magic and soul of the book and it gave me great ideas on what I could try to bring that kind of depth to my writing. I’m not sure I would have heard the same thing reading the novel on my own.

For Non-Fiction: Your Voice

Sound is just as important for non-fiction writers. With non-fiction, the sound of the book is your own personal voice. How do you want to sound to your readers? Authoritative? Friendly? Professorial? Humorous? Keep your answers in mind as you write and edit your manuscript. Is your tone consistent or are you changing it again and again? Does it make readers want to know you and stay with your book? Or does your too-serious tone keep readers at a distance or–even worse–drive them away? Your information and personality can’t help but mingle to create your tone. But is the mix a good one?

When in Doubt, Read It Out (Loud)!

When I worked at Time Inc. my editors endlessly stressed reading a piece out loud during the writing process. If you didn’t, you risked the embarassment of standing next to an editor while they read a few sentences of your story out loud and then turn to you and say, “Does that sound right to you?” It’s amazing how ghastly different something can sound in your head versus reading it out loud. Don’t be afraid to do it. Find yourself a quiet spot and really speak the speech as though you were giving one. Does it sound awkward? Boring? Totally engaging? If you can’t tell, get a friend to read it out loud for you. If they stumble often or if the words seem lifeless, you’ll know your marching orders. Time to rewrite!

© 2010 Sophfronia Scott

Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of the Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Learn what a difference being a published author can make for your business. Get your FREE audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author” and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.doneforyouwriting.com/

Writing is a Job

In a recent Washington Post article, Ann Patchett made a New Year’s resolution. She discovered a “radical concept — time spent working equals output of work.” It dawned on her that writing is a job and therefore not to be taken lightly. You mean… it’s not something that I squeeze in between jaunts to the supermarket, dry cleaners, hair salon, and doctor’s appointments? Not to mention laundry, scouring the oven, and cleaning toilets?? All of which I do to avoid sitting down at the computer and facing my Inner Editor, by the way.

It’s not that I’m actually afraid of my Inner Saboteur (who, when my writing instructor asked the class to put a face and name to it, turned out to be an annoying Leprechaun, utterly devoid of the power and magnificence of The Great and Powerful Oz).

The fact is…I buy into pretty much everything he has to say. And it turns out that I’m not the only writer who does.

According to Ann Patchett (who, incidentally, is the author of five novels, including Bel Canto (winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize),

“Writing is an endless confrontation with my own lack of talent and
intelligence, because if I were as smart and talented as I ought to be, I would
have finished this book by now. I would consider avoiding work the better plan
were it not for the fact that to have written a book, to have finished it, is
such a glorious thing that it is worth whatever suffering is meted out in the
process.”

The trick, I think, is to see the Inner Editor for who he (or she) truly is: the man behind the curtain, whose sole purpose in life is to keep us safe – protected from even a glancing blow of failure.

Once I managed to see his true colours, I took great delight in throwing back the curtain, and showing him the door. Not that he doesn’t skulk into my office whenever he can get the chance. But, he’s an intruder, and ever since the day I stood up to him and stripped him of his title of General Know-It-All, I was ready to accept a new voice into my creative hub room. A voice that gently guides me through the miasma of creating something even vaguely readable.

So, who knows? Maybe, now that I have a new boss, and I take the time each day to actually work on this novel that’s been taking up every square inch of space in my brain for the past two years – actually see it as a job – the results won’t be half bad. Or, as Ann Patchett said, it “may well be brilliant. Now there’s a beautiful thought.”