Blog for Bristol Services Intl.

A writer emailed me with:  I need to know if I have a talent for commercial writing. I have many ideas for stories.  I would very much appreciate a professional opinion. I’m already 54 years old and would like to spend my time and very little money wisely. So, what do you think?

Answer: First, fresh ideas for stories are great–something all readers appreciate.

Second, there is no way to judge your actual writing until I see it, which I’m sure you appreciate. Sadly, a great premise is only that. Writing technique is another matter altogether. And it takes both to create a fine story.

Third, the publishing world is a brutal and highly competitive business. Short stories, in particular, have few venues these days. So if you are hoping to make money with your writing, you need to look long and hard at the markets, what they pay, how much competition there is for that particular market, etc. Books are also a tough sell, especially for first-time authors. A publisher would willingly pay big money to print a poor novel by a known author who has a following than pay little for a really good manuscript by a first-timer. Why? They know the veteran writer’s novel will sell enough on the author’s name alone to be profitable. And promoting any new author requires not only the risk of whether the book will be popular but the additional costs to promote. I’m giving you the “tough love” here, but I don’t want you to be unrealistic in your expectations. The “if you write it, they will come” just isn’t so.

Discover more about the markets that are available by reading Writer’s Market, Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market, and exploring online marketing directories.

The bigger question is why are you writing? Do you really love it? Find it a fascinating and stimulating idea? Then try it by all means! There is nothing (in this writer/editor’s opinion) more satisfying than creating a world of your own, peopled by characters of your choosing, and then, with them, exploring relationships, philosophies, events and ideas. And the cost is minimal compared to other creative endeavors. You may find you have just the right approach that a publisher will like … and have a great time learning a life-long skill in the process!

I’ve been asked this question a few times. Some authors ask if I’ll read an entire book prior to editing it, just to give them an overview, to see if it is worthy of full editing. I don’t work that way and for several reasons.

First, it takes the edge off my editing, because when I start the full edit I already expect certain things to go a certain way. Elements of surprise will be blunted and problems with inconsistencies wouldn’t be as apparent to me.

Second, your audience–both potential publisher and eventual reader–WON’T do an overall read first before settling in to read the full book. So I need to be critiquing it as those readers would: fresh and full-on just as they would be reading it. For instance, if you have a sudden switch in direction, does that switch work or does it feel jarring? Is the sudden appearance of a character make sense presented as you do? Did the hint about the broken pocketwatch in Chapter 3 set the reader up enough for seeing it again in Chapter 23?  If I’ve already read and know how these elements fit in, I can’t address as easily the impact your story will have on readers.

You CAN send me just the opening chapter or so (3,000 to 4,000 words for a $30 fee) for a sample of my editing approach which will include an overview of the story as presented in that opening. Frankly, this is the most important part of any book. If you don’t grab the reader, make them feel invested in your character, let them be thrilled with your presentation, then the rest is moot anyway.

So … consider making that opening just as tight and clean and fascinating as you can. Submit that to me for my editing service and we can go from there. At the worst, you’ll learn of changes that might be needed throughout the rest (and that isn’t so bad–a great investment for $30!). At the best, you’ll find you are already well on the way to having created “the Great American Novel.”

A writer sent me a manuscript for my editing services and used present tense in his story. He also asked be if present tense was better or if he should use past tense.

 Present Tense—the Pros and Cons: The author nearly disappears (which is a good thing) when a story is written in present tense. The reader ends up feeling plopped right into the immediate action. This sounds perfect. Yet, at times, this approach becomes awkward, especially when slower scenes, reflective areas, etc. naturally occur.

More important…it tends to fatigue the reader. It can feel like shouting or pointing here and there rapidly. If handled deftly, the reader will likely never even really notice it after the initial few pages. But, at other times, present tense can make some scenes feel “pushed” on the reader.

Additionally, showing flashbacks or changing points of view can be tricky. The flashbacks would have to be in past tense but transition smoothly to the current storyline–which is in present tense. Yes, it can all be done. But, especially for newer writers, all the handling of present tense can detract from what is important–the story itself.

 Past Tense—The Pros: That’s right; there really are no “cons” to past tense. Past tense is the usual, normal, standard way of writing fiction. New writers tend to think this is, therefore, boring. But in reality, it is the way we are used to hearing and reading stories. So rather than getting “creative” and using present tense to spice up your writing, it is better to learn the tools that really DO matter (“show, don’t tell,” “activate,” “deepen character,” etc.) than to make yourself use present tense.

 But … Is This Your Voice?  However, maybe you, as a writer, are just a natural at present tense. This might be a “signature” aspect of your books. At an early stage in writing, who is to say? If you found yourself writing in present tense from the outset, maybe this is a sign to keep with it. But my suggestion is to start with your present tense until you get a few scenes done. They rewrite just one tense scene, a couple of pages in length, in past tense. Keep a close eye on the verbs and activate them as much as you can (something every writer should always do anyway). Then do the same for a slow scene. Let them sit for a day and then read both scenes all by themselves, pretending (if you can) you just picked up someone else’s  book to read. See what you think. Do they carry the action and emotion as well as they did in your original version where you used present tense? Can you see the scenes clearly and want to read on? If so, I’d suggest using past tense. 

The Decision: Only you can make the decision on which tense to use. My encouragement to use past tense is simply because I hate to see any capable writer and strong story possibly be negatively impacted by the verb tense used. The normal past tense isn’t a bore and present tense isn’t forbidden—these are just tools, to be used carefully, like all the other writing tools.