Christian Alex Breitenstein
Don't start writing because you want to make money.
That will not work. I have a job that pays my bills and write in the off time, mainly on the week-ends. I regard any money that comes from writing as nice, additional funds that are most definitely welcome but not necessary to live.
Also, look at the statistics. I heard that half of my fellow writers who publish on amazon make less than $500 a year. Living off of that might pose a slight challenge.
Also, to write necessitates something to write about. If you wish to write fiction of any kind, you need a plot, a main character, a couple of side characters, a universe and a timeline as your basic building blocks. To construct a story out of this chaos you need focus and never, ever, ever - EVER deviate from the course you set right at the beginning. That'll corrupt the story and make it fail.
Starting a story is actually not that much fun. You need to know, at least roughly, what's going to happen across the whole story, you need to set up the main character properly, introduce the universe you built and, basically, set everything off into the direction you want it to go.
Think of it like shooting an arrow. If you aim well and careful, it'll go where it is supposed to go. Aim sloppy and you'll shoot yourself in the foot.
The most important part might be this: Read your own story. Over and over again. If you like it, it's on the right track. I you yourself don't like it, work it until you do. You are your own first and most important critic. Be ruthlessly honest with yourself.
Lastly, read. Anything and everything, just read. By reading a lot you are going to learn a lot about sentence structuring, grammar, plot-structuring, all the tools you are going to need as a fellow writer.
That will not work. I have a job that pays my bills and write in the off time, mainly on the week-ends. I regard any money that comes from writing as nice, additional funds that are most definitely welcome but not necessary to live.
Also, look at the statistics. I heard that half of my fellow writers who publish on amazon make less than $500 a year. Living off of that might pose a slight challenge.
Also, to write necessitates something to write about. If you wish to write fiction of any kind, you need a plot, a main character, a couple of side characters, a universe and a timeline as your basic building blocks. To construct a story out of this chaos you need focus and never, ever, ever - EVER deviate from the course you set right at the beginning. That'll corrupt the story and make it fail.
Starting a story is actually not that much fun. You need to know, at least roughly, what's going to happen across the whole story, you need to set up the main character properly, introduce the universe you built and, basically, set everything off into the direction you want it to go.
Think of it like shooting an arrow. If you aim well and careful, it'll go where it is supposed to go. Aim sloppy and you'll shoot yourself in the foot.
The most important part might be this: Read your own story. Over and over again. If you like it, it's on the right track. I you yourself don't like it, work it until you do. You are your own first and most important critic. Be ruthlessly honest with yourself.
Lastly, read. Anything and everything, just read. By reading a lot you are going to learn a lot about sentence structuring, grammar, plot-structuring, all the tools you are going to need as a fellow writer.
More Answered Questions
Ian Abangan
asked
Christian Alex Breitenstein:
Hello, Christian. My name is Ian and I've read all six parts of the Xandrian Stone series you've published on Amazon.com. From what I can see.. (A) part 6 was released about a year and a half ago, & (B) you last posted an update at to your progress in writing part 7 around nine months ago. There's been neither a quick update nor a Xandrian Stone book release since then. Can you please update us on where it stands?
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more