From Beginning To End
By Joanne Stanko 

Getting Started (Part One): What Comes First?
Patience and Motivation

From Beginning To End is not meant for the slight of heart.  It is meant for anyone who is serious about writing and is seeking suggestions and new ideas about how to achieve the goal of writing without taking 20 years to learn as I did.    

Each column is taken from my course, “Sell What You Write.”  After completing my course, dozens of my students said my methods worked for them as long as they followed my systematic approach faithfully.

WARNING:  Be prepared to be honest and follow each step faithfully.

In this new millennium, there are new ideas, new rules, new and better computers, and a long list of new agents and publishers hungry for new material.  So why not use the new millennium as a new start for getting those articles and manuscripts published?  There is no time like the present.

The ability to put words on paper is only the beginning to being a writer.  It involves patience, motivation, organization, self-discipline, consistency, and perseverance.

There are certain things you need to do, and steps you need to take, before putting those words on paper. All these things discussed will start you out in the right direction to becoming a successful writer.  I’ll discuss patience and motivation in this column.

1.      Patience:  First and Foremost.

Train yourself to be patient and start with this column.  I’m sure you will find some of the information in my columns a repeat of what you already know or have already read.  However, I will offer a systematic approach to tackling the tasks of writing with a plan I know works.

So before you say, “I’ve heard all this before,” my question to you is, have you honestly put what you’ve heard or read before to use?

I’ve said patience comes first because regardless of where you are in your writing career, you’ll need patience to accomplish everything that comes next.

Before going on to step two, make sure you have a notebook or paper handy.

2.      Motivation:  Stimulate Yourself.

Ask yourself what could possibly urge me to write?

When I was twelve, and put my first story in writing, I knew I wanted to be a writer.  I didn’t know why, I just knew I had to write.  When I was happy, I wrote.  When I was sad, I wrote.  When I was angry, I wrote.  I wrote because it was something I loved to do.  More than 37 years later, I still write because it is something I love to do, and because I can make money at it.

Now ask yourself these questions:

·        Has a television news broadcast, movie, event, or situation ever left you feeling angry, sad, happy, or feeling something else? 

·        What was the last news, movie, event, or situation that gave you that feeling?  Do you remember?  

·        Why did it affect you the way it did?

·        Can you explain in detail why you felt that way?

·        What did you think could be done to change the situation?

·        Do you have the energy to try to make those changes?

These are just a few of many suggestions that can motivate you and get you started.  Chances are if something caught your attention, thousands of other people reacted the same or similarly as you.  Whatever it was you reacted to, write it down.  From this point on in your writing career, if something catches your attention, write it down.  This is just one example of a subject or situation that can or has motivated you in some way.  It also suggests a subject that has interested you that you can write about.  But we’ll discuss finding ideas in an other column.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

Here’s your first assignment.  What?!  You thought you were going to read only?  Sit down with that notebook I asked you to have handy and go back through what you’ve just read and answer every question presented.

I mean it!  Stop reading and do the assignment, then, read on.

You should have written three things: what urges you to be a writer; the last TV program, or event that you reacted to; and the answers to the questions about that event. 

Think about these three questions:  Why do you want to be a writer?  Why do I write?  What do I like to write?  Write down the answers and be honest.  Below are a few examples to help you get those answers in your notebook.

Why do you write?

·         To express your ideas?

·        To bolster your mood?

·        To argue a point of view?

·        To tell a story?

·        To see if friends like what you write?

·        Add any other reasons you may write.

Now, what do you like to write?

·        Children’s stories

·        Mysteries

·        Romance

·        Horror

·        Humor

·        Short stories

·        Local interest

·        Add other types of writing you may like.

Whether you wrote one sentence or 500 words, you took the initiative to write.  The reason, your motivation, should be clear to you.  Regardless of why you want to write, or what you want to write about, you need to start somewhere, and you might as well prepare yourself completely before tackling major writing projects.

Let me ask you this:  Did you have the patience to continue reading this column even though some of it was a repeat for you or seemed silly?  Did you write down the answers to all the questions?  Did you answer the first question; have you honestly put what you’ve heard or read before to use?  Did you really get out that notebook and follow directions honestly and faithfully?

If not, you should.  This simple exercise not only tests your patience, it also tests your ability to follow directions completely.  In the publishing world, one editor may want one thing and another editor may require something altogether different.  It helps to read everything completely and follow directions explicitly.  If you skip over things thinking you’ve read it before and know what to do, you may find yourself rejected simply because you hadn’t paid attention to details and guidelines. 

Now is the time to change your methods.  Train yourself to be patient.  Be sure to read everything.  Follow directions completely.  Remember, even though you may think you have read or heard everything before, if you skim over things without paying attention, you could find out you missed a new and important detail.

If you did follow the directions completely, you already know you have the patience and motivation.  You know you want to be a writer, you know what you want to write, and you do pay attention to detail.  

With all of those qualities you’re on your way to becoming a successful writer.  But, do you find yourself in the same situation as many other writers?  Do you get frustrated because you can’t seem to find the time in your busy schedule to write?

You need to get organized!  Have a plan!

Next month you’ll find out how to get organized, how to make the best of your time, how to make time for everything in your schedule without driving yourself crazy, and how organization is essential to your writing career.  Believe me, my methods work, and there is a method to my madness.  Be ready to get organized next month!

·        LOOKING FOR ANSWERS?

In last month’s introduction, I offered to answer questions about writing from readers.

Ann queries:  I’ve sent query letters and sample chapters of my book to a variety of publishers.  All my manuscripts went out with SASEs.  Guidelines say that they respond in one month.  When is it appropriate to follow up with publishers who have not responded?  And how?  Via letter or email, rather than phone?

Answer:  Ann, great question, and one that has had many writers in a quandary for ages.  Usually, you should wait at least as long as the publication’s guidelines suggest (e.g., 1 to 2 months) – and then add another two weeks grace period.

Then, send a follow up by mail.  Attach a copy of your original query and mention his or her interest (if interest was shown), so that the editor won’t have to search the files for it.  If after your follow up you hear nothing after another 3 – 4 weeks, then consider a polite phone call.

If you still get no answer, and another publisher has accepted your book, then you should officially withdraw any queries from publishers who did not respond.

Those who query editors about articles should follow the same procedure.

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