September, 19, 2010 ... Sunday
"Good morning, Gwen ...
Noting GET PUBLISHED --- GETTING IDEAS is an article, please excuse this humble reviewer/ author/ fictionist to simply insist on inclusion of a few words to the contrary in what you here present.
In your hook paragraph, you open with the age old saying --- write about what you know. This point is much rufuted in today's markets.
Why?
Our author-to-author answer is simply due to instant research in most cases now at our fingertips. So authors competing make the stretch.
Yes, agree, however, that the same premise --- write about what you know --- does call upon hobbies, etc. Thus a gardener might dabble in horticultural slants during creations. Or any reviewer might lapse sideways to next Sunday about rev style, when stepping away from the hyper review requirement theme. Do you see what I mean, Gwenn?
Next up ... keeping with this notation attemtpting to match content where "gossip" is called upon above inside GET PUBLISHED --- GETTING IDEAS ---
Let us now recall together, shall we?
Two time Pulitzer winner, Mr. John Updike ... rumor has it of course, wrote about people he knew. Which your article seems to offer as a writing how to.
Dear John found himself in tons of trouble as his neighbors objection became popularly known. Of course he quit Shillington, PA and moved to the New England states. As he traveled the world he gave up (the short version, hon) writing only about what he knew.
Hold the phone a sec, Gwenn, am returning upward to your center area in this brief article. Ah ... although IDEAS is used in the title --- there is not much centering on this. Now, the bit about the aliens ... and due to research ... Aliens are not lovable beings. In fact sci fic stresses this since time immoral, shall we say to be glib, Gwenn? Thus genre requirement may be around the corner @ your next research quest. Nowadays they call them grays and rumor amongst shady government takes ... imply the US Gov is planning to announce contact after the terroist threat ebbs. Yes, Seriously ... online researchable stat as not sci-fic but a basis of Robert Heinlein, I do declare.
Blending with new knowledge via research adds zest and is not writing about what you know, you see?
Subject matter often touches these digital Search Engines of ours --- since we choose these spots. Then ... well ... as writers (novice or serious writers) also comes setting. You explain it here but leave it un-named. So, a waltz back into a biblio, perhaps. THE SUGGESTION ...
AT: "Every idea under the sun has been used myriad times before." ... Huh? Excuse me? Who says? No, never. That's why daily books roll off the presses from sea to shining sea.
Writing on writing myself especially in a 2010 topic sum from non-fic work covering 2003 to yesterday, WRITERS WAR comes with a biblio. Use those, even quote, then watch article stat sore, just so you know for a later update as you venture off to tackle aspect RE: the craft's hows and how nots.
Meanwhile ... IF anyone shows me a publisher looking for "meatiness" who accepts and courts "100,000 words" these days and sure, they too shall waft into being my friend for life.
As it is written, TEFFY can not agree with over 75% of this starter advice as already presented. Sorry, simply needs expansion ala adding more material to the coin toss.
Lastly, there's a big bugaboo surrounding GET as addition to verb contentions. GET is wildly overused. During the Nineties it was almost as if editors/ publishers called upon authors to rely on this word.
BE Published, Finding Ideas ... e.g. IDs the title. Whenever one reads a few chapters anywhere, even news clips ... they often note the need for getting away from get problems ... as that little G-word is everywhere. So, up to individual tastes to join the get over get wave.
Cordially, TEFFY
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Thanks for posting public. Stay the course, enjoy the pen.
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