Melanie Dickerson: On Writing

Writing novels is less a job than an exercise in perseverance.

Don’t get me wrong, it is a job—for me at least. But unlike other occupations, no one is telling you exactly what to do or when to do it. There is a great deal of self-motivation involved, of not giving up when the inevitable rejections come, when sales are less than what you’d hoped, and when the stress of deadlines and performance anxiety start to take their toll. That’s where perseverance becomes a must-have skill.

But beyond perseverance, my best writing tip is to keep learning. Read all you can from the experts who can give you good advice and help you avoid new-writer mistakes. Watch YouTube videos with tips and advice from people who know what they’re talking about. One that I recommend is Abbie Emmons. Her advice is spot on.

Join groups online and in person, but beware of bitter writers who seem to know everything but give scathing feedback. A great writers’ group is worth its weight in gold, but a bad one may take you years to recover from—both the bad advice and the overly critical critiques. And don’t let critique groups cause you to spend all your writing time giving feedback to others. A healthy balance is important.

After about six and a half years of learning as much as I could about writing novel-length fiction and self-editing, I received that long-awaited “yes” from a publisher. Thirteen years later, my twenty-sixth published novel, Fortress of Snow, just released. I still don’t feel like I have it all figured out, not by a long shot. My writing process is always evolving and still under construction, you might say. But I will share a bit about my process.

I try to write in the mornings. I can write a thousand words per hour if all cylinders are clicking, which means I know exactly where the story is going and I’m able to focus and concentrate. How often does that happen? Not terribly often.

I always have a daily and weekly word count goal. If I’m on track, my daily goal will be between 1,000 and 2,000. But it’s rare that I write more than 2,000 words in a day, because when I write more than that I tend to get off track, taking the story in a direction that just doesn’t work. When that happens, I have to backtrack and delete some words, and I don’t like doing that. So 2,000 is usually my limit, unless I’m near the end and I know exactly where I’m going with the story.

These days I’m writing about four books a year. I write about two books for my publisher and I’ve been writing two books that I self-publish, also called “indie publishing”. Some time must also be spent on marketing—writing newsletters, posting on social media, and creating and posting ads, writing articles like this one, and learning about marketing tools. Unfortunately, I’m not very good at the marketing stuff, mainly because I just don’t like it, but it’s necessary, especially if you’re an indie writer.

But before choosing to self-publish, it’s best to give yourself a thick skin by swapping critiques with other writers and entering contests that give feedback, which is one of the best ways to learn good writing skills. This thick skin you’re developing is not only helpful for learning how to write well, but it also helps to insulate you from the inevitable negative reviews once you are published. It’s a tough business, and only the tough writers survive.

Which brings me back to the most important thing a writer needs, perseverance. Not talent, not skill, not wisdom or extraordinary intelligence. Perseverance is the most important.

Sometimes people ask me to tell them how to write a book, or how to get their first book published. But all of that information is already readily available online—for free. Blogs and websites and YouTube channels and Facebook groups abound where one may get all their questions answered, but you just may have to read and listen a LOT. And then you must practice what you’re learning by writing. There are no shortcuts, and I cannot tell you how to do it. That would take many days and weeks and months, probably years. As I said, it took me six and a half years to get published, which is not an unusual amount of time to learn about writing and publishing.

And always remember, if someone hates your stories, don’t let that stop you. Writing fiction is subjective, and what one person hates, another person may love. Your job is to make sure you are honing your writing skills and figuring out what works and what doesn’t work. And reader feedback is one of the best ways to do this.

At the moment I am so behind on my upcoming deadline that I’m working my hardest every day to block out distractions and just write. I’m so stressed that I even daydream about quitting writing and getting a day job. But I also know that even if I miss this deadline, I will not quit writing. I will persevere, because on my good days I know that I was born to write. It is the only job I really want.

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Melanie Dickerson is the New York Times bestselling author who combines her love for history, adventure, and romance. Her books have won a Christy Award, two Maggie Awards, The National Reader’s Choice Award, the Christian Retailing’s Best Award, the Book Buyer’s Best Award, the Golden Quill, and the Carol Award. She earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from The University of Alabama and has taught children and adults in the U.S., Germany, and Ukraine. Now she spends her time writing stories of love and adventure near Huntsville, Alabama.

Find out more about Melanie on her website https://melaniedickerson.com/

Follow her on Twitter @melanieauthor

FORTRESS OF SNOW

Mazy dreams of independence. Sir Berenger longs to play the hero. But in each other, they may find the secret to happily ever after.

Mazelina of Wexcombe has always dreamed of traveling with her father to lands beyond the confining walls of their castle. But his sudden death deprives her of the future she imagined. Abandoned by her eldest brother, Mazy is soon forced to seek help from her beloved brother Sir John at the great estate of Strachleigh.

Her visit leads to a friendship with the dashing and noble Sir Berenger of Dericott. He has notions of rescuing a damsel in distress. But Mazy is brave enough to defend herself—and has proven that her skills in archery and knife throwing rival that of a knight’s. So when he is called away to Prussian lands, Sir Berenger looks to distinguish himself in battle.

When Sir Berenger returns, he and Mazy meet again on the streets of London, where she is making a living selling goods in the market. Meanwhile, he has been summoned by the king to receive a reward for his service. But the recognition comes with a price: He must marry a wealthy, titled widow to please the king. But when Mazy begins to suspect treachery, she embarks on a journey to the fortress of snow to warn the brave knight—and secure her own fairy-tale ending.

In this fourth novel set in the Dericott universe, Melanie Dickerson weaves an exciting reimagining of the Snow Queen tale.

“When it comes to happily-ever-afters, Melanie Dickerson is the undisputed queen.” —Julie Lessman, award-winning author

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Category: How To and Tips