Jordan Moore
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Hey Michael! First off, I want to say how much I enjoyed Age of Myth. It not only makes me look forward to the other books in the series, but also makes me want to dive into your other worlds.What advice would you give writers who have ideas for a novel, but are scared to start or don't know where to start? Whether it's a fear of failure or worry that the idea isn't flushed out enough, what would you tell them?
Michael J. Sullivan
Hey Jordan, Thanks so much for checking out Age of Myth. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I do hope you'll checkout the Riyria books and maybe even Hollow World. I think you'll enjoy them as well.
As for new writer advice. The first thing I'd say is that writing well definitely requires building a toolbox of skills and techniques that takes a long time to develop. That being the case, your early work is almost guaranteed to be less than ideal. That's okay. Each word you write gets you closer to the goal of getting a work that is "ready for prime time." Stephen King said you should consider the first 1,000,000 words as practice, and Malcolm Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours to become proficient at something. With those numbers in mind, the most important thing is to just start writing.
Don't be concerned about where the book starts -- it's during editing that you'll figure out if you started in the right place or not. My books rarely start out where I had intended. Sometimes I have to add more, sometimes I cut the introduction completely. Oftentimes, I swap the first two chapters. The important thing is to write...and as I said you'll know better once the book is done whether you need to adjust the opening.
Don't be scared. Don't ask too much of yourself. Would you expect to be able to compose a symphony the first time you sit down at a piano? No, of course not. Just remember that each word you write, and each hour you spend is payment toward that 1,000,000 words and 10,000 hours. If you focus on continual improvement and do a lot of writing you WILL get better! So take the pressure off. Realize that initial writing will be rough. It's supposed to be. The important thing is that it's a muscle that needs exercising to get stronger and even if what you are writing doesn't look good initially, it will improve over time.
I hope that helps.
As for new writer advice. The first thing I'd say is that writing well definitely requires building a toolbox of skills and techniques that takes a long time to develop. That being the case, your early work is almost guaranteed to be less than ideal. That's okay. Each word you write gets you closer to the goal of getting a work that is "ready for prime time." Stephen King said you should consider the first 1,000,000 words as practice, and Malcolm Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours to become proficient at something. With those numbers in mind, the most important thing is to just start writing.
Don't be concerned about where the book starts -- it's during editing that you'll figure out if you started in the right place or not. My books rarely start out where I had intended. Sometimes I have to add more, sometimes I cut the introduction completely. Oftentimes, I swap the first two chapters. The important thing is to write...and as I said you'll know better once the book is done whether you need to adjust the opening.
Don't be scared. Don't ask too much of yourself. Would you expect to be able to compose a symphony the first time you sit down at a piano? No, of course not. Just remember that each word you write, and each hour you spend is payment toward that 1,000,000 words and 10,000 hours. If you focus on continual improvement and do a lot of writing you WILL get better! So take the pressure off. Realize that initial writing will be rough. It's supposed to be. The important thing is that it's a muscle that needs exercising to get stronger and even if what you are writing doesn't look good initially, it will improve over time.
I hope that helps.
More Answered Questions
Lisa
asked
Michael J. Sullivan:
Thank you for writing the Riyria series because they literally make me laugh out loud--I have both written and audible versions because they are so enjoyable in both forms. Tim Gerard Reynolds is the perfect reader for your writing! This isn't really a question, but wanted you to know I adore your books. Apparently for this post, I need to finish with a ?
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