The Intimate Adventures of a Chick Lit Writer on Cape Cod

Writer's Wednesday

Okay, I know I'm always promising to share a little bit of myself and my own writing process so here goes (and have at it!):

In sixth grade we learned about makjing outlines. I'm not kidding you, my teacher, Mr. Hildebrand, was so thorough about this lesson that we not only made outlines with I., II., III., IV., A., B., C. and D., a., b., c., d. and so on headings but we went as far as to include i., ii., iii., and iv. For anyone who had a similar lesson in the "art" of creating an outline, you know what I mean. At the time, it was tedious, time-consuming, difficult and I couldn't foresee where this was going ot be useful in my life. Well, sure enough, I've come to find out that outline writing has been one of the saving graces of my late adolescent and adult life. I wrote my notes in college in outline form. I take notes at work in outline form and now, I plan to write my stories in outline form. I'm so grateful that I had a teacher that spent so much time, thoroughly explaining the way to compose an outline from start to finish (and everywhere in between) because especially in fiction writing, the outline has become one of my most valued planning tools.

When I first got back into Chick Lit, not that long ago, after being on a “hiatus” from it for a few years (I still can’t believe I left the genre for so long!), I came across a book called, See Jane Write by Sarah Mlynowski and Farrin Jacobs (Referred to from here on out as SJW). Basically an A-Z guide on all things Chick Lit Writing, SJW soon became my bible for character inspiration, lessons in writing, practice exercises, planning guides, self-publishing tips, basic writing how-tos and and a whole lot more. I actually took notes on this book to turn back to whenever I need it. One of the “lessons” I recall, was about writing an outline before you put your idea to paper draft. According to SM and FJ, the outline should include all major events, dialogue with detailed shorthand and any other pertinent information related to plot, character, story pacing and the flow of scenes.

For instance, SJW delineates several important points each main character goes through in any Chick Lit novel, including:

 

The Drop: She needs something to upset her life so that she can GROW.

The Climb: She needs to move up, whether it’s a true or false high she’s striving for.

The Blips: All the conflict along her path.

The Ultimate Low: Rock bottom – when everything falls apart.

The Final Climb: When she finally figures out how to solve her problem.

The Satisfied Ending: She’s happier than ever before with her life – or at least getting there.

Taking from SJW's suggestions for an outline, events and character interactions and the teachings of my fabulous sixth grade professor, I began to write my own outline (which has since been revised numerous times). I am definitely a prime example that there is no "right" way to write an outline (or any part of your novel for that matter.) I have written an outline for my novel at least three times; sometimes I start from beginning to end; other times, I start in the middle and work my way out and other times, I just fill in what I know at the time and leave the rest blank. I have toyed with the prospect of following the classic, cookie-cutter Chick Lit novel layout. I have played around with the idea of making my Chick Lit novel into a modern-day retelling of Sleeping Beauty. In all my efforts, however, I try to keep at the forefront of my writing a little piece of me (or as much as I can muster the strength to put on paper without feeling totally and utterly humilated - being humbled is good, but being completely mortified? Hmmm....thoughts for another day.

One of the main reasons my outline has changed at least three times is that I often allow myself to get easily distracted and I am prone to procrastination and indecision - all three, of which are very bad influences in my writing habits. In fact I saw two of the best quotes for writers the other day on Twitter from AdvicetoWriters that read:

"Being a good writer is 3% talent and 97% not being distracted by the Internet" by Anonymous" and second,:

"Don't get it right, just get it written" by James Thurber

How true is that? I know procrastination, the Internet and all other non-writing activities are the main things that preclude me from writing. Before I get too far off topic and avoid showing you my writing any longer.....without further ado, as promised, here is the latest sample of the thoughts behind my writing, the basis for my chick lit novel-to be (For the purpose of my blog to esae the reading of my ideas, I have summarized my outline below):

Main character/Leading Heroine: Emmaline (Em) Burgess, 24

Secondary Characters (in relation to Emmaline): Abigail (Abby), sister, 28; Isabella (Izzy), bff, 25; Merilyn (Meri), bff, 27; Chris, guy bff, 26; Ramona, evil co-worker, 27; Karla, boss, 38; Bruce, sister's bf, 46; Frederick, ex-boyfriend, 27; Ethan, love interest, 26 

Setting: Somerville, MA (Outskirts of Cambridge) & Boston, MA

Act I: The Inciting Drama

Frederick breaks up with Emmaline the night before her first business trip with Glass Ceiling, Inc. to Las Vegas, NV. In an unexpected turn of events, Emmaline's dreams of a husband, house (Okay, an apartment that's not even hers), dog and 2.2 kids is dead and gone. Despite her shattered dreams, she's determined not to make a scene in LV - but to no avail, she barely gets through the work week without crying on every shoulder of every poor passerby, including best friends and coworkers, Chris and Izzy. Finally on her last day in Vegas, she's trying to relax by the pool when the most gorgeous man walks right in front of her. Even when he turns out to be gay, he renews Emmaline's hope that like and her mission to marry does not have to end so soon - at least not on Frederick's terms. Emmaline vows to go home and find the man of her dreams.

Act II: Reversal of Tone from Act I

Emmaline goes home to an empty apartment and even though she knows bff, Meri is still at work, and bff, Izzy took a later flight home, wrapping up her share of the LV show, the emptiness is still an uncomfortable reminder of the hole in her broken heart. Soone nough, friends and family keep Em busier than she could ever even want to be as her friends and family set her up with every type of man possible (or so it seems) in Boston. She starts off by doing a Speed Dating game called "Lunch Dates" but come on, who can realistically meet their match in less than 7 minutes? She meets Mr. Holier than Thou Spiritual Guy at a Buddhist temple; Mr. "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting; Mr. Wii Fit at the Gym; the Gaming Techie at her local bookstore and then finally, Mr. Over-Caffeinated at the local coffee shop. 

One day, after she can't take any more blind dates, fix-ups and disappointments, as she's walking home from work, through the Boston Common greens to the Red line T Stop at Park Street, she's just about to give up she comes up with her own Plan - seeing everyone walking their little dogs through the common, some playing Frisbee, some relaxing on a blanket and others just watching their little pups play, it finally dawns on Emmaline that she doesn't need a guy to be happy. She doesn't need a guy to see through all her plans - and with that, she practically runs home and starts her search online, for the perfect mate - a little mixed breed puppy.

Act III: The MidPoint

Being a dog owner in the City of Boston and Somerville is the best. Em can't believe she didn't think of this a long time ago. She has someone happy to see her when she gets home from work, a buddy to jog through the park with or play Frisbee and she has a warm (and furry) body to curl up next too during scary and sad movies on her couch. She's practically forgotten all about her mission to marry, when one day she's back in the Common walking with her puppy when she gets loose and runs off away from Emmaline. Em sprints after the little puppy, terrified she'll dart off into traffic and be gone forever. With all the walkers, joggers, sightseers and other dog owners in the park, however, it doesn't take long for Em's puppy to get tied up with another fury friend. As she's scolding her puppy for running away, she looks up to see a familiar face almost mocking her as she tries to untangle her puppy from the stranger's dog. Almost instantly, Emmaline recognizes the man and feels her face shift from a flushed pink from her run to a scarlet red from embarrassment. It's the gorgeous man from Las Vegas she'd seen on her last day at the pool. How could this be? What was he doing in Boston?

Emmaline forms a brief and quick bond with the man from the Pool in LV as they finish their dog-walking on the Common and by the end of it all, he asks her out to dinner that coming Thursday night. Unfortunately, Em has another blind date that night and as much as she wants to get out of it, her friend, Chris would kill her if she backed out so last minute. With the fear she will never see him again, she gives him her number, knowing he will probably never call her or see her again. After all, how many chance meetings does a person get in a lifetime? Let alone two months? Em goes home and immedialtely calls Chris to tell him the whole story. She realizes that the guy from the LV poolside is not gay, that Chris must have been pointing to another man in the background that day.

After all the excitment of their chance encounter dies down, Thursday finally comes and of course no phone call from the Poolside mystery man. Emmaline gets herself ready for her dinner date, calls a cab and heads downtown to meet Mr. Blind Date Number Infinity (or so it seems like that many dates have gone by at this point). The hostess seats her at a table for two in one corner of the restaurant and the minutes start ticking away. 20 minutes, 30 minutes....after enough humiliation, Em asks for her check and begins to get up from her seat. As she stands up, she draws the attention of a man at a nearby table, also seated alone - it's the guy from the dog park, the guy from the Pool in LV!! Thinking they've both been stood up, they finally realize they are each other's blind date. Emmaline cannot believe her dream guy is her date tonight, now more nervous than ever. She learns his name is Ethan.

The Black Moment/Climax:

Things start off slow and steady with Ethan. Sure enough, just as she's feeling like can't remember a time in her life when she was happier, Frederick comes waltzing back into her life. He knocks on her door as she and Ethan are cuddling up ont he couch watching a movie and causes a scene, as if he "owns" her - as if they never broke up - as if he never left her. Ethan leaves, saying things must be more complicated than he realized. Emmaline is of course infuriated and kicks Frederick out, not without telling him first that he has no right coming back to her like this, at this time in her life and she makes it very clear where exactly she thinks he can go. Em tries to call Ethan to explain but he won't have it and now Em finds herself in the same spot she was months ago, alone and confused at no doing of her own will.

Ending:

Will Emmaline work things out with Ethan? Is it over for good between her and Frederick? Find out in this coming-of-age tale of one woman's search for self as she finally figures out what's she's looking for with the help of friends, family and her new little furry best friend.

Please let me know what you think of my summary of my chic lit novel-to-be. I am open and interested in any and all feedback, constructive criticism and honest and genuine opinion. If you hate it, tell me (and tell me why, please). If you love it, tell me that, too. If you think it's too cliche and overdone, tell me. You get the point. Thanks for reading. Look out for more book reviews to be posted shortly for The Big Love by Sarah Dunn and Hollywood Car Wash by Lori Culwell.

The Importance of Being A Character: Revealing Personality through Action & Relationships in Chick Lit

As a psychology major I am constantly studying people – the way they think, the way they behave, the way they talk (and they way they don’t think, don’t behave and don’t talk) and who they are in relationship to other people. Perhaps that is why I am so attracted to the Chick Lit genre as it has been said before that “Chick lit is also a truly fascinating character study”. Every time I read one of Emily Giffin’s books, I am in awe of the depth with which she describes each character. Even greater than I am inspired by the depth of each character, I am more inspired by the way she brings life to each one, whether they are the lead heroine or the token stand-in character sitting on a bus. When I read her books, I find myself thinking about the characters when I’m not reading, wondering what they are doing, how they are feeling after, say, their husband just cheated on them, or their ex-boyfriend just contacted them out of the blue, and I have to remind myself that hey, it’s just a book - these are merely characters in a piece of fiction (a very moving piece of fiction mind you, but, nonetheless they are not real.) For the characters to blur the line of reality, to me, that shows great talent on the part of the author.

It was no surprise to me, then, when I read the line, “The single most important element of your chick-lit novel is your main character.” What readers love about chick-lit is that the heroine is them — but with more attitude, more courage, or maybe just more shoes. She is Everywoman, with quirks and problems that are believable yet larger than life. She’s confident yet insecure. Smart but naive. Loveable yet flawed.

How you create her your main character will depend largely on who you are and whom you’ve come into contact with in your life.” But “As long as the characters live and breathe, not an awful lot need happen. Don’t get too complex.” ~ Freya North

Emily Giffin has been quoted as saying something similar – that not a whole lot happens between the beginning and end of her books, but the character growth and relationships that are drawn out in her stories are incredible.

“The trick to making your characters sound different is to bury yourself really deeply in their head. Become them. Think like they would thinks. Speak like they would speak. Use words they would use. Today we're going to focus on using POV to make your characters stand out from each other.” ~ Stephanie Rowe

I love this quote because it reminds me of what I’ve heard from many authors, including one of my most favorites, Emily Giffin. I heard Ms. Giffin say in an interview after the audio version of Love the One You’re With, that before she even thinks about putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), she spends much time (months even!) getting to know her characters. I have heard other authors mimic similar advice, saying that before they begin writing, they know their characters inside and out. They know what their characters will be wearing on Tuesday, eating for breakfast on Thursday and where they will be going out Friday night better than they know their own plans! For me, this is something to aspire to as a “wannabe” chick lit writer. So far, as I work on writing my first Chick Lit novel, I have followed a wonderful outline (because in addition to my love for post-it notes, I love to be organized) from See Jane Write: A Girl’s Guide to Writing Chick Lit by Sarah Mlynowski and Farrin Jacobs:

Character Sketch

Answer the following questions about your characters:

Name     
Age
Physical description
Education
Five words that describe her personality
Her dream job, or dream life
Where does she work? Is she good at her job? Why? Or why not?
Things that annoy her
Her bad habits
What people like about her
Her roadblocks to happiness
The person she should trust most (and why)
Her dream guy
The person she trusts most (and why)
The worst day of her life
Before the book began, the best day of her life
What she does to relax

I’ve included some of my own questions/categories as I’ve moved along in my quest to “Get to Know My Characters.” For instance, I added “Birthday and Zodiac Sign Traits & Qualities”, “How She Met the Lead Character/Relationship to Main Character”. The list of questions, fill-in-the-blanks and other data you can gather about your character is virtually endless.


Other great advice I’ve received about characters - You don’t want your characters to be carbon copies of anyone, including yourself, for that matter. Think about it: There can only be one Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, one Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, one Beauty from Beauty and the Beast and the list goes on. Another pitfall of the “carbon copy” character – you don’t want your character to fall into any one stereotype or become a cliché. Especially in chick lit, many “type” characters have been overly cast and done to death. Some examples include the gay friend, the evil boss, the overbearing mother and the bubbly and near-perfect best friend. Here is a list from the Chick Lit Club’s Top Ten unforgettable (and unmistakable) Characters:

1. Bridget Jones - Helen Fielding

She makes you laugh, cringe and cheer. No woman sums up the life of a chain-smoking, social-drinking, weight-watching singleton better than Bridget.

2. Rebecca Bloomwood - Sophie Kinsella

Who wouldn't love this whirlwind with maxed-out credit cards? And the best bit is we can follow the Shopaholic's antics through five books.

3. Miranda Priestley - Lauren Weisberger

The female villain of The Devil Wears Prada is cruel, rude and overdemanding, and of course, exquisitely dressed. She'll definitely make you feel better about your own boss.

4. Walsh sisters - Marian Keyes

These Irish sisters have certainly added a few grey hairs to their parents' heads - there's Claire whose husband left on the day their baby was born; Rachel whose fondness for recreational drugs led her to a rehab clinic; Maggie who left her husband to head for LA; Anna who gets badly injured and Helen who never seems to be in work.

5. Tracie Martin - Alison Kervin

She may not be quite Posh Spice but Tracie is Queen of the WAGs in our book. Who else perfects the WAG look of orange skin, yellow hair, indecently short skirts and tower-high heels - while still being a charming, yet somewhat, clueless character.

6. Rose Feller - Jennifer Weiner

Apart from sharing a shoe size, attorney Rose is so unlike her wild sister Maggie. But in In Her Shoes, Rose learns to live a different type of life.

7. Rosie Dunne - Cecelia Ahern
From a naughty schoolgirl passing notes in class to a single mother trying to forge a career, we are with Rosie through several decades of her life and pray she'll get together with her soulmate in Where Rainbows End/Love, Rosie

8. Rachel White and Darcy Rhode - Emily Giffin

These best friends fall out over the same man but in Something Borrowed, then Something Blue your sympathies will swing between the pair.

9. Jemima Jones - Jane Green
You'll be right behind Jemima J as she undergoes her transformation to look like her altered after photo.

10. Kettle sisters (Cat, Lyn and Gemma) - Liane Moriarty
Right from the opening restaurant fight, the triplets of Three Wishes will leave a lasting impression.


In my journey to create a few (im)perfect characters of my own, I have learned that characters can be revealed in a variety of ways. Like the study of people in psychology, you can learn so much about characters through dialogue, action and relationships with other characters in novels.

Use dialogue to show your character — “A gushy person might say “darling” a lot, an older person will speak differently from a younger person. When a man doesn’t say much it adds to his mystique.” ~ Fiona Walker

1. Dialogue should be brief.

2. It should add to the reader’s present knowledge.

3. It should eliminate the routine exchanges of ordinary conversation.

4. It should convey a sense of spontaneity but eliminate the repetitiveness of real talk.

5. It should keep the story moving forward.

6. It should be revelatory of the speaker’s character, both directly and indirectly.

7. It should show the relationships among people.

-Elizabeth Bowen

As I read and observe the writing of other great authors, I’ve learned that the best practice behind character writing is to avoid giving all information and background through pure description (yawn!). For example, I just finished reading The Bachelorette Party by Karen McCullah Lutz (co-writer of Legally Blonde and 10 Things I Hate About You, among many other screenplays) and I was in awe of the information that came out about each character through the short chapters that made up this 256 page novel. Never before had I read an author who made such excellent use of every inch of paper she had! Despite the brevity of print, with each passing page, full of dialogue and (even more) action, I found myself getting more than acquainted with every character. While I had a hard time keeping track of the characters on page 5, by page 100 I could tell you exactly what type of woman Jane was versus Betsey, Marci, Kim, Helen, Skinny, Snotty or Zadie. An excellent piece of advice, however, Don’t force your character(s) to behave a certain way simply because that’s what you need her to do to make the story move from point A to point Hopeful Ending. If it doesn’t feel true, you may need to rework that particular plot point. The Bachelorette Party took on a life its own and despite some of the incredulous events that occurred, the fast pace action was highly entertaining and kept me interested, invigorated and eager tot urn the page. I know for me, that is the type of book I want to write – one where readers say, “Wow, I hope there is a sequel”; “I hope we get to find out what happens next in [insert main character’s name here]’s life”; or “I hope this book is turned into a movie”.

Finally, every character in a story must relate to the protagonist in some way (otherwise, there is no point for their existence in the plot). One great way of keeping track of your own story is to make a family tree, connecting each character to the main character and then (if applicable) to each other. Through their relationships, each and every character has the opportunity to reveal something new about the story’s heroine (or hero). For example, the antagonist is often what drives the heroine forward, leading to the story’s climax. *I have heard that making the Antagonist multidimensional is just as important as creating a well-rounded main character. Look at Gregory Maguire’s books – they are all built on a classic fairy tale, but told for the perspective of the evil nemesis, like the Wicked Witch off the West in Maguire’s Wicked or Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister’s Iris. Other key relationships in fiction include the “foil”, who has the ability to bring out the main character’s best and worst qualities. In Shopaholic and Sister, Becky Bloomwoods’s newfound sister turns out to be a great character addition to the series, adding more depth to the Shopaholic that we already love and know so much about. Through their relationship, we, as readers, are able to see many more sides to Becky, some more noble than others. In fact, each character who crosses Becky’s path reveals something different about the Shopaholic. Between her husband to be, Luke Brandon, best friend, Suze, parents and even bill collector, Derek Smeath, we learn so much about Becky, from being an adorable, loving, naïve, and innocent financial editor who hates her job to the manipulative, scheming, smart and funny woman who will do anything to maintain her addiction to coordinating shoes and handbags and clothes. It is the whole mess of traits, qualities and imperfections that made me intrigued to read more…and more and more…and with one blockbuster movie already under her belt, the success of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series moves onto its 7th novel, due later this year.

All in all, you want to make sure to create likable characters. While chick lit is edgy and has been called “fiction with attitude,” the main character needs to be likable. Making her too strong may turn off an agent or editor, and you’ll receive a rejection notice. As I already mentioned with the success of one character, Becky Bloomwood, a long series was born with movie rights and no end in sight. That is my dream - To create a character that draws the attention of so many that it has them begging for more. To give you another example, I recently finished two two-book series by Brenda Janowitz, starring character Brooke Miller, and separately, Kristen Gore’s political chick lit series with hilarious (and hypochondriac) heroine, Sammy Joyce. I was so in love with the series that so far I have emailed Ms. Janowitz to see if she had any thoughts for a future novel with Miss Modern, Brooke Miller and I am still searching for a way to contact Ms. Gore to see if there is any chance for a political sequel for the zany Sammy Joyce.

Who are some of the characters who have moved you? I know for me, a general rule of thumb, if I can remember the character’s name and most of the predicaments that made up the story’s plot, it was most likely a story I would love to read a sequel – and a character I would like to emulate in my own work. What tricks, tactics or techniques do you use or write by to flush out your characters? Please share any (and every) thing with me in the comments section related to character mapping, creating or just your love of a certain character!

I Wannabe A Chick Lit Writer: How Do You Do It? Some How-To’s From Some of My Favorite Authors

I know what you're going to say: writers write and wannabes talk about it. Well, I agree but can't I do both? My analytic mind loves research and my creative mind loves imagination, so while I'm crafting my story in my head and on print, I also like to seek out the brilliance of others and their great works of fiction at times. I figure it's a good activity to do when my eyes are burning from writing the details of my plot or when it's like my mind is running through a maze chasing after character after character. I also admit, I just like to find out the latest and greatest and the tried and true from some of my favorite authors. Like how does Emily Giffin create such wonderful characters that every time I read one of her books, I get so lost in their lives that I constantly have to remind myself that it is just fiction; Rachel and Darcy are not real. So until I can get my very first interview with one of the many fabulous chick lit writers of our world, I will be posting tips, ideas, suggestions and opinions from a variety of sources that I have collected over the years. (If you would be willing to answer some of my questions on how to be a writer and just life, in general, please please please do not hesitate to email me at cgraceh at gmail dot com.) I would love to have you on my site! (Yes, you!)

Some Tips (And Opinions) from Jennifer Weiner, Author of Good in Bed:

(Abridged slightly (please don't  take offense) for the purposes of my blog. Please click on link below for the complete hilarity of Ms. Weiner's original post.)

Well, there's no one path to take. Novelists come in all shapes and sizes. They're men and women, wunderkinds and retirees. Some of them are very attractive. The rest of us resent them horribly. And if there was a single magic bullet, or a list of steps to follow that would guarantee publication, believe me, someone would have published it by now. What follows is just my take on the question - a completely idiosyncratic, opinionated, flawed and somewhat sassy take on some of the steps you can take to get published. Important caveat: I have only written two books, and I'm thirty-two, which, as my mother would hasten to point out, means I am probably not qualified to give advice to anyone about anything. If you're looking for lessons from the life masters - people who've made long careers in the world of fiction - then run, do not walk, to your local bookshop and buy Stephen King's On Writing and Anne Lamott's utterly indispensable Bird by Bird, and Eudora Welty's One Writer's Beginnings and Ursula LeGuin's Steering the Craft.

If you want my advice, read on (and if you've already written your book and just want to figure out how to get it published, skip ahead to Step 8).

1. The Unhappy Childhood

Why do unhappy kids grow up to be writers? I think because being an outsider - a geek, a dweeb, a weirdo, a smart, mouthy girl or boy who just doesn't fit in - means that you're naturally equipped for observing life carefully. You're not on the inside, you're on the outside - and nobody's a more careful, dedicated observer of life than a kid or teenager who's trying to figure out how to finally fit in with the in-crowd.

Also (and this is totally my own take on things, unproven by any kind of study or research), but I think that kids whose parents are divorced, separated, single, or otherwise un-Cleaver-ish might have a slight edge over those who grew up in happily-married homes.

2. The Miserable Love Life

Again, a crucial ingredient for the formation of a novelist - romantic humiliation and heartbreak. The unhappy childhood gives you the tools of observation. Unrequited crushes, romantic despair, a few memorable break-ups, will give you something to write about, an understanding of grief. No prospect of heartbreak in sight? I can provide phone numbers upon request. Now that our would-be novelist has survived high school, heartbreak, and perhaps her parents' divorce, it's time to talk higher education. My advice?

3. Major in Liberal Arts (but not necessarily creative writing)

Why? Because a liberal arts education, whether you're studying history or anthropology or political science or English, teaches how to read, how to write, and how to reason. Once you've got the foundation of a liberal arts education - you know how to think. And in order to write, you have to be able to make sense of the landscape of the world. In order to be any kind of artistic innovator, you have to understand everything that came before you. And a liberal arts education gives you a framework in which to place your own experiences, a context you can use to look at everything else, a framework that any writer needs.

4. Get a Job (not an MFA)

This is pretty controversial, but I think if you want to be a writer, you're probably going to be better served by going to work (or by traveling, if you've got the financial wherewithal to do so). Best piece of advice ever - go into journalism. "You'll see a different part of the world. You'll meet all kinds of people. You'll be writing every day, on deadline" - which, of course, turned out to be invaluable when it came time to write fiction. Best of all, you'll be getting paid to write, instead of paying someone to tell you that you can. And if you can't be a journalist, or aren't inclined, or can't get hired? Go do something that's going to take you out of your comfort zone, putting you in contact with different kinds of people, perhaps in a different part of the world. You're looking for challenges, for adventure, for new faces and new places. Plus, if you've followed Part Two of this plan, you're most likely single, and will want to get out of town anyhow.

"But if I got an MFA, I'd get to spend two years just concentrating on my writing!" True. But remember: a writer writes, whether or not she's in school for writing.

5. Write to Please Yourself

Tell the story that's been growing in your heart, the characters you can't keep out of your head, the tale story that speaks to you, that pops into your head during your daily commute, that wakes you up in the morning. Don't write something just because you think it will sell, or fit into the pigeonhole du jour. Tell the story you want to tell, and worry about how to sell it later (more advice on that to come). And also…

6. Get a Dog

Okay, you're thinking, what does getting a dog have to do with becoming a writer? More than you'd think. Writing is about talent and creativity, but it's also about discipline - about the ability to sit yourself down in that seat, day after day, often after eight hours of work, and make yourself do it, day after day, even if you're not getting published yet, even if you're not getting paid. It's a form of training that's as much physical as mental in nature - you sit down, you do the writing, no matter what distractions are out there, no matter that you're tired or bored or uninspired.

Being a dog owner requires a similar form of discipline. You wake up every morning. You walk the dog. You do this whether you're tired, depressed, broke, hung over, or have been recently dumped. You do it. And while you're walking, you're thinking about plot, or characters, or that tricky bit of dialogue that's had you stumped for days. You're out in the fresh air. Your legs are moving. Your dog is sniffing the butts of other dogs. It gives you a routine, a physical rhythm, a loyal companion, and a way to meet new people when you're in a new place. It gets your body used to doing the same thing at the same time - and if you're walking the dog for half an hour at the same time of every day, it's an easy step to go sit in front of the computer and create for half an hour at the same time every day.

7. Get Published

If you want to be a writer, you've got to bear the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (not to mention evil reader reviews on amazon.com). You've got to put your stuff out there for the world to see, and fall in love with, or revile. In short, you've got to get published.

If you're trying to sell a short story - and this is where I'd recommend you start - you can just be Joe or Jane Schmoe, with a great short story and a killer cover letter, and you can get published. I sold my first story to Seventeen magazine - one of the shrinking number of mass-market magazines that still publishes fiction. No agent. I just printed up my story, wrote a cover letter saying who I was and what I'd done, and mailed it off, and was thrilled and delighted a few months later when I got a phone call….and, eventually, a check. Eventually, you get started on the story you want to tell - your novel. You finish said novel. Finally, it's time to….

8. Find an Agent

Agents want to find you just as badly as you want to find them.

Think about it. How do agents get paid? By selling stuff to publishers. How do they find the things to sell that are going to make them money? By referrals, by word of mouth, and, in many cases, including the case of my agent, from people they've never heard of before who basically just wandered in off the street. They're looking for the next Grisham, the next Susan Isaacs, the next Tony Hillerman, because if they find that person, they're going to get paid. It's as simple as that.

Step one: I spent a day in the bookstore, and in my own shelves, going through the books that in some way resembled GOOD IN BED, making careful note of the names of agents (and agents are almost always thanked in the acknowledgements, so it's not like it's some big secret).

Step two: I availed myself of one of the many fine guides to literary agencies available, that lists contact names, addresses, websites and phone numbers and whether the agencies will even consider unsolicited material (most will, some won't). The Literary Marketplace publishes a yearly guide to agents. This can be your guide.

Step three: I put together a list of about thirty agencies, places that represented writers sort of like me who were willing to consider unsolicited manuscripts.

Step four: I wrote a kick-ass cover letter. It began with a paragraph from the opening pages from GOOD IN BED, ending with the line where Cannie reads the phrase "Loving a Larger Woman" and realizes, with a sinking heart and M&Ms stuck to her teeth, that the larger woman is her. It went on to say who I was, and what I'd done - that I'd published short stories in Seventeen and Redbook and written non-fiction pieces for Mademoiselle and Salon.com. It said that I was currently a staff writer at the Philadelphia Inquirer, that I'd finished my novel, and was seeking representation. I sent off about two dozen of these cover letters, sat back, and waited.

Step five: Believe that the good agents are out there, and with enough hard work and self-addressed stamped envelopes, you will find the one who's right for you.

Which leads to an important point…

9. Be a Smart Consumer

A good agent will readily discuss who she's worked with, at which houses, and what percentage of your earnings you can expect to share with her. Most importantly, a good agent should have a plan - a vision not just for your book, but for your career -- that sounds and feels right to you, the author.

10. Read

Read everything. Read fiction and non-fiction, read hot best sellers and the classics you never got around to in college. Read men, read women, read travel guides and Harlequins and epic poetry and cookbooks and cereal boxes, if you're desperate. Get the rhythm of good writing in your ears. Cram your head with characters and stories. Abuse your library privileges. Never stop looking at the world, and never stop reading to find out what sense other people have made of it. If people give you a hard time and tell you to get your nose out of a book, tell them you're working. Tell them it's research. Tell them to pipe down and leave you alone.

So that's all I've got in the way of advice. As always, feel free to email me with follow-up questions. Take care, and happy writing!

http://www.jenniferweiner.com/forwriters.htm

Top 5 Writing Tips From Hester Browne, Author of The Little Lady Agency

1. Don’t base characters on real people, or attempt to exact revenge for any heartbreaks, personal slights, or family feuds. At best, the writing will be too painful for anyone else to read; at worst, it will be published, and you’ll have to deal with it.

2. Read as much as you can, in as many genres as you can. Even bad books can teach you something (why was the pace wrong? Why didn’t the love story feel true? Why did you get bored?)

3. Pace yourself for the long haul. Lots of people start writing novels, then lose interest and energy. You should be aiming for 90,000 words minimum for a mainstream novel; slightly less for a Mills & Boon or Little Black Dress romance. Try to set yourself a deadline and work backwards from that – what’s an achievable weekly word count?

4. Write the novel you want to read; if you’re not excited about it, and anxious to know what happens next for your characters, your reader won’t be either. If you’re not excited, ask yourself why – is it predictable? Turn it around – think of the worst thing that could possibly happen to your heroine, then do it.

5. Think twice to avoid clichés. It’s easy to write on autopilot, or mirror Characters You Have Loved Before. Be honest: is your heroine’s mother a control freak who’s desperate for grandchildren? Does she max out her credit cards? Is she, in fact, Becky Bloomwood/Bridget Jones/Bella Swann?

**A very funny (and genuinely instructive) book to read is How Not to Write a Novel If You Ever Want to Get Published, by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman. They’re agents. They’ve seen it all.

http://www.novelicious.com/

Top 5 Writing Tips From Martel Maxwell, Author of Scandalous

1. Finish it. Yes it’s a mammoth task but if you really want it, just do it.

2. Believe your story is worth telling. Readers are going to laugh, cry or be inspired by your writing. They are.

3. Live life fully to have great experiences and characters that influence your novel.

4. Find what works for you – getting away to write alone, making your home your writing place – whatever it may be, figure it out and apply it.

5. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. If someone doesn’t like your novel, that’s fine but it’s only their opinion. Move on, keep knocking on doors like there’s no tomorrow. Hustle. It’s worth a fight and it will happen

http://www.novelicious.com/

7 writing tips from authors Sarah Mlynowski & Farrin Jacobs, Authors of See Jane Write:

1. Be true to yourself as a writer - and a human being. “If you pretend to be someone you’re not, your writing voice will sound forced,” write Mlynowski and Jacobs. Create a world you understand, that you naturally gravitate towards. Jacobs writes, “I’ve gotten tons of manuscripts from older women trying to sound like 25 year old hipsters, recent college grads trying to affect the voice of a hardened career girl, and women who’ve never spent a day in New York City trying to work the attitude of a grizzled Manhattanite. Sure, some people can pull off these hat tricks, but I’m here to tell you that most can’t.”

2. Always have your wit about you. Showing your sense of humor is key to writing chick lit – and sprinkling any piece of writing with bits of wit makes it more interesting and memorable. Successfully writing humor is difficult, and requires practice, practice, practice! For help, read How to Make Your Writing Edgy and Quirky.

3. There’s a fine line between clever and catty. “So much of chick lit is centered around revenge and spite, but you have to earn that for your character,” write Mlynowski and Jacobs. I didn’t know revenge and spite are keys to writing chick lit – and I can’t recall many books that revolve around those qualities – but their point is sound. Aim for edgy and quirky writing…but don’t get caught in the “catty” trap!

4. Remember that good writing isn’t as easy as it reads. Whether you’re writing chick lit, your third novel, or your 33rd article this year – good writing is hard work and requires mountains of discipline. This “chick lit writing tip” applies to all successful writers, published or not, famous or not.

5. Make sure it feels right. “Don’t keep working on a story or with a character you hate writing,” write Mlynowski and Jacobs in See Jane Write. “We’re not saying that every time you hit a rough patch you should give up. Au contraire – you need to write through that.” Writing is hard work, but it shouldn’t be something you dread. Write about topics you enjoy, that feel natural (because the more you write, the more your writing skills will improve).

6. Commit yourself to writing your book. Again, this “chick lit writing tip” applies to all genres of writing! If you’ve finally generated a brilliant plot, character, article idea, or book topic – then commit to that idea and start writing. If you struggle with self-discipline, read Tips for Staying Motivated to Write.

7. Be prepared for rejection. This is a key writing tip because rejection is part of every writer’s work: “If you give up at the first rejection, then you’re selling your book – and yourself – short,” write Mlynowski and Jacobs. “Sometimes the best thing to do is take whatever advice was given in your rejection letter and rework that manuscript; in other cases, you might want to start something brand new and come back to the first story later.” Another key to writing in any genre is to learn how to fail and bounce back from rejection as a writer.

“The single most important element of your chick lit novel is your main character,” say Mlynowski and Jacobs. I think character is the most important element of most novels, articles, and even nonfiction books. If readers don’t care about a character or topic, they won’t stick with the book or article…and neither will literary agents, editors, or publishers.

Various Quotes on Writing from some Pretty Published Ladies of the Genre:

I never bother to structure a book. And the worst thing you can do is to concentrate on plot at the expense of the characters. As long as the characters live and breathe, not an awful lot need happen. Don’t get too complex. ~ Freya North is the author of Home Truths

If a book is good enough it can break any rule. It’s important to create a fictional world that people want to be in for whatever reason. I avoid extended “biological” sex scenes. Unless they’re done brilliantly, they can be a bit cringe-making to read, let alone write! ~ Sophie Kinsella’s Mini Shopaholic is out later this year

Women should write from the heart, and because they can’t not write. I don’t think that there is a chick-lit formula: you come across some heroines like Bridget Jones, but mine tend to be bitches. Entertain yourself, and don’t ever imagine your mother reading your book. ~ Adele Parks, author of Young Wives’ Tales

When it comes to women’s fiction, critics have a condescension chromosome. The demeaning label chick-lit says it all. While male authors such as Nick Hornby, who also write contemporary comic fiction satirizing the sex war are hailed as the new Chekhov, you will be dismissed as having undergone some kind of DIY lobotomy. ~ Kathy Lette, author of How to Kill Your Husband

Dialogue is a great way of showing character — a gushy person might say “darling” a lot, an older person will speak differently from a younger person. When a man doesn’t say much it adds to his mystique. It’s also a great way to speed up the action. If you find yourself writing long paragraphs of description, bung some dialogue in. ~Fiona Walker wrote the Lodes Valley series

If you're comfortable writing autobiographical fiction, well, writing in the first person plus honesty basically gives you your main character — you. It helps if you’re funny and interesting and willing to humiliate yourself. ~ Sarah Dunn, author of The Big Love

If something comes out of a character's mouth that makes you wonder if she’d say that, chances are, she wouldn’t say that. You have to go back and ‘listen’ and revise. ~ Lynda Curnyn, author of Confessions of an Ex-Girlfriend

From See Jane Write: A Girl's Guide to Writing Chick Lit by Sarah Mlynowski and Farrin Jacobs

Writers' Wednesdays: Come Back Next (And Every) Week for More Tips on My Blog