I know folks are trying to be helpful by listing all the handbooks on the mechanics of writing, or on the creative process (closer), but it's off topic. The author is talking about 'being a writer', as in the title. As in:<p><pre><code> "What do you do?"
"Oh, I'm a writer"
</code></pre>
Not like:<p><pre><code> "Should one _ever_ begin a sentence with 'but'?"
"No, you should _never_ do that. I'm a prig!"
</code></pre>
It seems that sitting down to write every day and telling people you're doing it brings with it a wrath of psychological goop that sane people need to cope with if they're going to keep remain sane. That's more what this essay is about.<p>All that finger-waggingly-said, some great books recommended. Thank you for that!
It's interesting that the author pursued a degree in literature and that's what ultimately pushed her away from that career path. It seems to be a common theme where a formal education in creative arts makes people want to do something else in life, anything else.<p>I've had acquaintances with a musical background and eventually they went to do something else, including IT. From what an old buddy told me once, most graduates of a musical school learn to hate music and quit that vocation past graduation.<p>In the opposite fashion, I've never had a literary education and I'm feeling more and more drawn to this line of work. I'm not sure if I want to make a complete switch though, software engineering and startups are just too exciting to give it all up. Somehow it feels I can accomplish more and make a better contribution to the society with my honed programming skills than with words, but I might be wrong about it. For now, I'm just writing essays every now and then, publishing them on my blog and that seems to be enough.<p>One word of advice in relation to all of this. Don't shy away from reading foreign literature. I know that for many native English speakers other languages simply don't exist in their world, but you're missing out on an incredible body of thoughts and ideas that might expand your vision borders. Don't be stuck in your English silo, learn some foreign language and go exploring. And no, a translation is not the same, it's devoid of the original energy. That's why people are often unimpressed by what before a translation was a profound piece of work. You can't translation energy.
But there is a game! It's called Write On Par. It teaches concise writing, playfully.<p>Because no writer has the patience to sit through a grammar class...and no reader wants to read wordy, confusing writing no matter what the topic.<p><a href="http://writeonpar.com" rel="nofollow">http://writeonpar.com</a><p>/shameless plug<p>Beautiful article though. I've met a couple recently-turned full-time authors and have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for the author/artist life. It's such a lifestyle sacrifice that their love for the craft must be incredibly deep.
The best advice on writing I've come across in 40 years of reading about writing is a "pithy maxim" from Cato the Elder: Rem tene, verba sequentur. (Grasp the thing, the words will follow.)<p>The best advice on being a writer is mostly reading how others did it and then avoiding their mistakes. Thus, I hope I don't end up kicking a can up a lonely road in Idaho or showing up drunk for an interview by Buckley or marrying my too-young cousin or winning any kind of prize.<p>Edit: I forgot to say what I came here to say: "Being a writer" is socially awkward and a little embarrassing, especially in this society. I've had feelings similar to the author's and had to learn to deal with them. Almost no one talks about that part of writing.
People mean different things when they say "writer," and it's worthwhile untangling a few different types.<p>* Writers who make a living writing<p>* Writers who don't (yet)<p>* Fiction writers: Novelists and short-story writers<p>* Poets<p>* Journalists: reporters, war correspondents, editors<p>* Bloggers<p>* Corporate: Technical writers, Marketing copy writers, etc.<p>* Academics all stripes<p>These categories aren't mutually exclusive, but they each represent a different type of writing, which itself requires a different practice, approach or method.<p>There are, in fact, many handbooks for being a writer, and almost all of them are written to serve a particular type of writer and not others.<p>The creative writing departments of America have produced piles of writing about writing (about writing -- gaah ... self-referential recursion! No one escapes a medium describing itself.).<p>Some of the classics are:<p>* The Elements of Style - Strunk and White<p>* Politics and the English Language - Orwell
<a href="https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm" rel="nofollow">https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm</a><p>* Hemingway on Writing
<a href="https://www.scribd.com/doc/156100470/Ernest-Hemingway-on-Writing" rel="nofollow">https://www.scribd.com/doc/156100470/Ernest-Hemingway-on-Wri...</a><p>* Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style - Erasmus (the opposite of Strunk...)<p>* And so on...<p>The best handbook of all, though is simply the study of great writers whose work you love, as the author points out. Anyone serious about fiction or prose should dive into the 19th-century Russian and French novelists, Virginia Woolf, an annotated Shakespeare, etc. It's all there just waiting for us. In that sense, every piece of good writing is a handbook on writing.<p>(Fwiw, I made a living as a reporter and editor for about 10 years.)
A time honored classic: <i>If You Want to Write</i> by Brenda Ueland.<p><a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/If_You_Want_to_Write.html?id=8WjsAgAAQBAJ" rel="nofollow">https://books.google.com/books/about/If_You_Want_to_Write.ht...</a><p>Another nice one is <i>Stein on Writing</i><p><a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Stein_On_Writing.html?id=MQVlAgAAQBAJ" rel="nofollow">https://books.google.com/books/about/Stein_On_Writing.html?i...</a><p>Of course, what most writers will advise is that you just write a lot, and get good writers to critique your work. Writing, like most arts, takes years and years.<p>Today, there are various web sites that will "crowd-source" critiques of your writing, in exchange for your critiquing other people's work (also good practice). I've used critters.org quite a bit but there are several other big ones these days.
The title is a bit more precise than commenters in this thread are giving credit for. There is no handbook for "being a writer", but there are many handbooks for writing.<p>You could translate this to another field. I've read lots of books on programming, but very few on "how to be a programmer". Mostly a few short blog posts with contradictory information.
Too many people want writing 'hacks' and 'tips', without understanding that writing is a market, which means that for writing to be read, it typically has to meet some sort of demand. Famous people can create their own markets, but unknowns have to latch onto existing ones.<p>Long-form seems to be very popular online these days. Anyone can hammer out a 500-word essay, but a it takes a 5,000 word one to stand out. Long-form may be the best approach right now for writers hoping to gain visibility.<p>Also, I think IQ plays a role, too. You need to be smart to make a career at writing (assuming you're not a celebrity), and few are sufficiently smart enough, sorry to say.
it's pretty funny that the author takes so long to get to their point :P, given the title<p>Anyone want to post a tldr?<p>as a paid author, given the title, i was hoping for an article that touched on drinking, lallygagging, and partying --- then getting all your work done in one day at the end of the month.
Hey, I'm a second career writer too! That's a fantastic piece.<p>My background is in software and I still freelance to pay the bills. I have been writing on and off since I was old enough to hold a pen. Little fits and starts here and there, but by the time I was in my early twenties I focused on making a living instead of learning how to write. I dreamed of one day making enough money to retire and maybe write a few books.<p>Three years ago I realized that was crazy. I wanted to write, putting it off until the end of my life not only increases the chance I'd never get to do it, but also means that I'd miss out on years and years of practice. I decided to do with writing what I did with programming—set aside nearly half my time to learn how to do it, then keep doing it until I could make a living.<p>I'm not making a living anytime soon, but after three years I've written a couple novel manuscripts, published a short story collection, and am due to publish a novel at the end of the year. But I'm still hesitant to answer, "I'm a writer" when someone at a cocktail party asks what I do.
My litmus test for being a writer is fairly simple. How many completed items do you have lying around. I don't care if they are published but they need to be finished (as in a cohesive and typed out whole).<p>It's basically the same as being a programmer except programmers tend to self publish their work rather quickly. I feel like writers should generally do the same (and solicit feedback).
I would say most jobs or careers have no handbook. The ones that SEEM to have handbook are the same jobs where they'll tell you that the handbook means little in the real world. Think policing, firefighting, paramedic. Jobs with certifications such as medicine or specific highly regulated trades such as electrician, HVAC. These jobs have large ramping up periods, apprenticeships because the 'handbook' is guided experience.<p>What I don't understand is did the author think that most people new to writing expected it to be more straightforward? Because I would have thought people like writing because the career is what you make of it, where you hustle and for what.
Him sitting next to author reminded me how I always think you are a writer when you pay your bills through writing, same with art etc. I find so many that say they are an "artist" yet thats not how they pay their bills. Sure you may make fantastic art but you are not an artist.<p>You never here someone say I am a basketball player just because they play basketball as a hobby. Doing something that pays your bills is totally different than it being a hobby or even being great at it.
Not really that interesting if main point is that there is no easy "follow the instructions" way to become a writer. It is true for everything like there is no "follow the instructions" way to have a good life, build muscles, etc. It is all about showing up doing mistakes, learning not to make same mistakes <i>poof</i> after quite long time maybe you achieved your goal, but you are never certain.
I agree to the topic's message...but...who is a writer? Realeasing a book (and especially in that travel genre) - in my opinion - does not make you a (good/belletristic) writer.<p>But if it is just about writing for living / journalism and similar stuff, then yes, handbooks exists and do work.<p>ps: worked as journalist and studied literature, but don't feel like i could write books that come close to what i like to read.
Just don't be the d<i>\</i>* whom people are wary about meeting in person for the fear of being used as a (usually unpleasant) character in any of the future writings.
There most certainly is: < <a href="http://www.earwolf.com/show/hollywood-handbook/" rel="nofollow">http://www.earwolf.com/show/hollywood-handbook/</a> >.