How to be a good writer. Creative professions: how do writers become? Stories where the author gives advice

People read books, sometimes with interest, and sometimes with delight. Other literary works are quickly forgotten. Sometimes stories and novels remain unread. But in any case, the author, whose name is printed on the cover, seems to be a romantic person. To an ordinary person who goes to work at nine o'clock, it often seems that this is an enviable lot - to work when he wants, not to listen to the boss's tedious remarks, receive large fees and live in a special world where fantasies reign, fictional characters conflict and mysterious events occur. In order to get there, you need to know how writers become. But the writers themselves are in no hurry to share this secret of theirs, although they seem to be hiding nothing in words.

If you can, don't write

Sitting down at the desk, everyone who has chosen literature as a profession for himself should remember this responsibility. But it is not enough to make this choice yourself, it is necessary that the love for art be mutual.

The writer is the reader

Picking up a fountain pen or sitting down one day at a computer keyboard and trying to express in a literal format the totality of surging feelings is very difficult. It interferes and distracts everything, the words are hard to fit next to each other, thoughts seem beaten and all the time there is a feeling that someone has already written it. There is nothing wrong with that, especially if the new author himself read a lot. Novice writers often want to become Dostoevsky or Chekhov right away, and not everyone succeeds in this. In this sense, it is interesting to observe the metamorphosis of Anton Pavlovich's consciousness, which can be traced in his writings from the first volume to the last. From "Letter to a learned neighbor" to "Bishop" "a huge distance" (in the words of another classic). A more encouraging effect is given by reading modern writers, but not everyone can endure them for a long time.

An embarrassing business question

The great Russian poet spoke about inspiration and a manuscript that can be sold, and it is difficult to disagree with Alexander Sergeevich on this. But in this age of continuous marketing and management, supply far exceeds demand. Not all novice writers listen to the above advice about not taking up the pen without unnecessary need, therefore, without exception, the editorial offices are inundated with manuscripts, most of which are doomed to oblivion. A talented author will need the main thing personal quality for any person - patience. At the same time, you need to remember that the book should be interesting. Publishing houses are commercial enterprises, their goal is to make a profit, their products must be sold. Before you sit down at the table, you should soberly assess the readership potential of your future work and draw up a psychological portrait of a potential reader. Managed? Happened? Then get to work!

What to write about?

What fiction reading today? It is believed that in every publishing house there is a specialist who knows the answer to this question. His job title is Publisher. Theoretically, he can predict the speed of circulation sales, its volume, in other words, what determines the "commercial potential of the product." Probably, publishers are often mistaken, but it is very difficult to check this.

Children's writers are rare in our time, and it is not for nothing that the books of Suteev, Nosov, Prishvin and many other classics of the genre withstand numerous circulations, and the demand for them does not fall. The most popular genres are melodrama, detective story, mysticism, fantasy and some others that fall under the definition of youth culture. Read today housewives (not all, of course), students and intellectuals of the Soviet conscription, not yet finished with perestroika-shootouts of the last two decades. Modern writers, if they want to become famous, simply have to take this fact into account when choosing the stylistic direction of their works. They must create for their readers. There will be no others, and these are becoming less and less ...

How to write

All our fellow citizens went to school. So everyone can read. And write too. But this does not mean that the profession of a writer is public. It needs to be learned, it's an art. And like any art, it consists of two main parts - talent and craft. There is also a third ingredient - labor, but more on that later. It is possible to dream of being creative from childhood, especially if you have the ability. But where to study as a writer? The answer to this question seems obvious: of course, at the philological faculty! There certainly teachers know how to express thoughts! Yes, they know, but most often about how it is impossible. Graduates of literary faculties are fluent in theory, they know how to correctly compose phrases, they are familiar with the rules of linguistics, punctuation and, of course, spelling. That is why, apparently, they themselves most often do not write anything.

non-professionals

And writers of the past, and contemporary writers, as a rule, come to art from completely different professions. Detectives are composed by former law enforcement officers, melodramas are created by teachers or engineers. Chekhov was a zemstvo doctor, and Tolstoy an officer. Does this mean that they did not learn the craft? Far from it. They simply comprehended its subtleties, not sitting at a student desk, but in completely different places. Self-education is the best kind of education. How writers become today is a special topic. Literature has become a business, not everyone is allowed into it, and not always the criteria are artistic merit works. But Ivan Shmelev told about the old days. "How I Became a Writer" is a story filled with humor, but it also has very serious moments. It truthfully describes the first semi-childish “creepy” story, the received fee of 80 rubles (quite a decent amount at that time) and one’s own surname on the treasured page of the Russian Review, which seems alien. It is clear to the reader that since the events described, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, and there have been many changes in the author's worldview.

About words, living and dead

As a rule, work on a literary work begins with an idea. In the life of every person there are moments that deserve to be told about them. Not everyone has a need for such a presentation, but if there is one, it is worth thinking about the technical side of its implementation. How writers become can be judged by what they must be able to do. First, there is such a thing as a good syllable. It involves the observance of certain rules, among which we can mention various rather formal points and the most common mistakes made by novice authors (for example, in the case of a hat that fell off while “passing by station N”). Can be used as a tutorial good book"The Word Living and Dead" written by Nora Gal.

There is also such a thing as identity. It is manifested in the features of the speech of the characters, their recognition. A woman speaks in life differently than a man, the dialect of a rural dweller differs from the speech of a city dweller. However, there must be a measure in this, otherwise it will be difficult for the reader to be given the text. Good taste and captivating narration will give the book undoubted merits, and in this case it will become loved by many.

Descriptions of some professional moments sometimes require deep knowledge. For example, the actions of a pilot at the controls cannot be described by an author if he himself has never flown an aircraft. Unprofessionalism is immediately visible, so it is advisable to avoid such moments so as not to become a target for fair criticism. However, it is also not worth distracting the reader to acutely special questions, unless, of course, a work of art is being written, and not a textbook.

preliminary criticism

It seems to every author that he made humanity happy with his work, and this is completely normal. After all, otherwise it was not worth taking up the pen. Another question is to what extent the opinion of a young (not necessarily in terms of age) writer corresponds to objective reality. Not everyone has the talent of a writer, but you can determine its presence by letting you read your own opus different people. It should be borne in mind that good acquaintances, friends and true friends are rarely able to say cruel words, such as “you, brother, are mediocre,” or “old man, you wrote a story that is boring to the point of yawning.” Therefore, it is best to opt for those readers who are more free to express their opinions. A great option is a school teacher of literature (and an excellent reason to visit a teacher, especially on Teacher's Day or another holiday). The problem is that she does not always have time, but if the author showed success in her subject at one time, she will certainly read it, and even with a red pencil in her hand, and this is an invaluable help. There are also colleagues at work (if they are not subordinates, of course). In general, here the author has the cards in hand, he knows better who can be a preliminary censor and who is not. And you also need to be a psychologist in order to understand whether the reader liked the work or not. Our people are cultured, even too ...

About volumes

Writing a couple of stories is not all. You could say it's nothing at all. Before you become a famous writer, you have to work hard. This means that only the writer who can offer the publishing house a full-fledged book, or rather several, has a chance for publication. And this is a dozen and a half printed sheets (each of about 40 thousand characters with spaces), up to half a million characters in total (different publishers have different requirements). Two or three short stories can be published in an almanac, but in this case there can be no question of publishing an independent book. Therefore, you need to be patient and work, and without a 100% guarantee of success. Another reason to think about whether it is necessary to make such sacrifices ...

How to achieve mastery

Any skill is achieved by practice. Variety performers believe that singing in restaurants is an excellent vocal school. For a novice writer, journalism or copywriting can become such a crucible of skill and professionalism. The ability to coherently express one's thoughts in the form of text is a habit that borders on automatism. An experienced writer of articles will never use the same words in adjacent sentences (except as a special device), pay attention to style, maintain the rhythm of the story and at the same time develop his own style, characteristic of every original writer. These skills are very important, they will be useful when creating works of art, regardless of genre.

How to publish a book?

And so the book is written. The last doubts have passed, I want to publish it. The author is already in general terms he knows how others become writers, and he wants to try it himself. The desire to send the manuscript to some publishing house seems quite natural, and the hope for a positive decision of the editors regarding publication is equally justified. Novikov-Priboy, Jack London and many other Russians and foreign writers did exactly that. They received fees, at first very modest, and then quite serious. O. Henry, for example, published his first stories while in prison.

But the experience of past centuries is not yet a reason for excessive optimism. The manuscript is considered for a long time, and very often the answer contains the standard text that it is "not of commercial interest." Should I be upset about this? Of course, it's a shame, but you should not fall into despair. In the end, the publishing house can be understood. Printing books is a business, and all business people are unwilling to invest in projects that have dubious financial prospects. Printing is not cheap these days.

The path to fame is winding and difficult, but there are still chances to overcome it. Firstly, there is more than one publishing house in our country. And secondly, success can be achieved in another way (in the case of one's own confidence that the book will be a reader's success). The advantage of our time is that, having spent your money, you can print everything by choosing your own cover, format, and illustrations. If you need the services of an editor, then you will also have to pay for them. By the way, many Russian writers published for the first time at their own expense in the past. There is nothing shameful in such an approach. In addition, if you're lucky, you can find a sponsor who will pay for the services of the printing house. In case of success, it would be useful to return the spent funds to him, and even with interest, because, laying out "hard-earned money", a person (or organization) takes a risk. At the very least, it is worthwhile to stipulate the terms of sponsorship in advance.

It is best to choose a publishing house that has its own chain of bookstores, otherwise a situation may arise that plunges many aspiring authors into awe. The writer receives a large mountain of packages of his own works and does not know what to do with them. In this case, you have to deal with the marketing of literature on your own, negotiating with trading organizations about the sale. Experience may not be enough, besides, many stores are used to working with their own suppliers and sometimes refuse to cooperate, just to “not confuse accounting”. In general, there are many difficulties, and most importantly, you have to overcome them on your own.

New opportunities

Modern writers have access to means to achieve fame that the great writers of the past did not have. Every day, in any weather and almost around the clock, hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions, of people sit in their homes and apartments and look on the Internet for something interesting to read. On specialized sites, any person who considers his work talented can submit it to the general public. A novice writer should not immediately think about a high (and generally some) fee, so there is an easy way to evaluate the success of your own work by publishing your opuses on some popular page for free, based on reviews. After making sure that the reader is interested in the work, you can try to sell the manuscript on paid sites.

Writers are notorious for their insecurities, whether they are famous writers or newcomers. Becoming a writer takes time, perseverance, and practice. This article will give you some tips on how to become a good writer.

Steps

Part 1

Write, write and write again

Write every day. You can write for both long and short sessions. Write one paragraph or an entire page daily. Write every day!

If you don't have time, get up early or stay up late to set aside at least 15 minutes to write a few lines.

Don't be afraid to write something bad - just write. Don't leave pages blank. If you don't know what to write, then start writing something, for example, about how bored you are, or about some object in the room, and after a while you will have other ideas.
- On the Internet, in bookstores or in libraries, you can find special collections of tips for writers; such collections are designed to fire the writer's imagination.
If you write for a certain period of time, you may become stuck in a particular style, theme, or format. Write daily, but make an effort to diversify your style or format. Effort is an important factor needed to improve any skill. To improve your writing skills, try the following:

Ask some writers to read your work and rate it; you can also offer to read and rate the work of other writers. Welcome constructive criticism of your work that aims to improve it; avoid having your work read by people who are unkind to you (their criticism will not do you any good).
- Look online for writing communities (such as Scribophile or WritersCafe) or communities that are interested in your subject.
- Find information (on the Internet, in the library) about the local pen club.
- Write articles on wiki sites (like Wikihow or Wikipedia). You will help people who need information, and they will tell you how to improve your work.
If you can't motivate yourself to write regularly, make a commitment to write to other people (this would be a kind of "extrinsic motivation"). For example, write letters to family or friends regularly, or start a blog and update it daily, or enter a writing contest of some kind.

The first work of a writer always needs improvement. After writing a play (story, novella, etc.), re-read your work and find in it sentences, paragraphs or whole pages that you are unhappy with. Rewrite the scene from another character's point of view, try to find other plot lines, or change the order of events. If you're not sure why you don't like a particular paragraph (page, action, scene), rewrite it to forget about the original paragraph, and then compare both paragraphs and determine what you like best about each version.

Part 2
Vital Skills
1. Read as much as you can. Read a variety of literature - magazines, books, dissertations (but this does not mean that you should read it all "from cover to cover"). Reading will increase your vocabulary, increase your literacy, inspire you and show you how to deal with words. For an aspiring writer, reading is as important as writing a few lines every day.
  - If you don't know what to read, ask a friend for advice or go to the library and choose a couple of books from each section.
2. Enrich your vocabulary. Get a good explanatory and synonymous dictionaries and keep them always at hand (or write down unfamiliar words to look them up in the dictionary later). Great writers have always debated whether to use simple words or write in fancy language. It's up to you (but not before you master some skills).
  - Definitions of words in dictionaries often do not provide an intuitive understanding of how to use words correctly. Find a word online and read it in context to understand how to use it correctly.
3. Learn grammar rules. Of course, there are many famous and wonderful books written with some deviations from the grammatical rules. However, by learning grammar, you will learn how to build sentences and express your thoughts correctly. If you think that grammar is your weak point, read a Russian textbook or work with a tutor.
  - Sometimes writers allow some deviations from grammatical rules.
  - If you have any grammar questions, feel free to check out the relevant book or website.
4. Tailor your work to the interests and preferences of your target audience. Just as you change your clothes according to the season, you should tailor your writing style to the needs of your audience. A figurative description is more suitable for a poem than a financial report. choose suitable format, style and length of sentences. Limit the jargon and provide your readers with enough information to make it easy to understand your intent.
Part 3
Artwork: from start to finish
1. Make a plan for what you want to write. Use whichever method suits you. You can write out your plan in the form of a tree of events or use colored cards on which you will indicate certain scenes. Such a plan can be drawn up in the desired chronological order (actions, scenes, etc.), or you can paint all the actions / scenes in great detail. The plan will motivate you on days when you don't feel like writing.
  - There are many programs for writers to create plans, such as Scrivener or TheSage.
  - You can deviate from the original plan, but if you decide to completely rewrite it, think about the reasons that prompted you to do so. Write new plan and think about how you intend to implement it.
2. Thoroughly study the topic of your work. Preliminary study requires not only science fiction themes of works, but also fiction. If a main character your work is a glass blower, read a book on glass making and use the appropriate terminology. If you are writing a book about the time before you were born, talk to people who lived at that time (such as your parents and grandparents).
  - In the case of fiction, you can start writing and then dive into research.
3. Write as quickly as possible without looking at the keyboard or worrying about grammar; just write about what you think. This is very important in order for you to complete the first paragraph, or page, or outline of the entire work.
4. Edit the text. Once you've written a draft of a piece, read it, think about it, and rewrite it, correcting grammatical and stylistic errors. If you don't like some places, rewrite them. Critically reviewing your own work is an important writing skill to learn.
  - Take a break between writing a piece and starting editing. It's best to wait as long as possible, but even a short break can give you the impartiality you need to work on your bugs.

Greetings, dear friends. Today we will talk about how to become a writer and where to start. I know from myself how difficult it is to take the first steps without falling into a quagmire of doubt. In this article I have collected the most practical tips. Using them, you will achieve success faster than expected.

Where to draw inspiration

Many aspiring writers complain about the same thing: they put a blank sheet of paper in front of them and ... chew on a pencil for hours - “What should I write about?”.

Inspiration doesn't come from nothing. He always needs to be fed. And, thank God, there is plenty of food: a book read, a film seen, a conversation heard... By the way, Dostoevsky drew inspiration from crime chronicles, Tolstoy - from salon gossip.

Nowadays it’s even easier: just turn on the TV, go online or take a ride in public transport to “fish out” a topic for thought.

Focus of attention

When you notice something interesting, don't just rely on good memory. Carry a notepad and pen with you. Many authors are belatedly annoyed: raising their inspired fingers over the keyboard, they realize that important details missed or simply not remembered.

Always be armed. Imagine a hunter who has discovered a long-awaited prey: he sees the target right in front of him, his hand is already reaching behind his back to quickly draw his weapon and ... it turns out that he left the bow and arrows at home.

You can write down anything: random conflict, unexpected phrases, vivid characters ... The ability to notice details will become a very useful writing habit.

Instead of a notepad, you can use your phone and take notes there.

Practice and more practice

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Can you imagine a way to build muscle with sheer willpower? Are you smiling? You are doing the right thing. It is clear that the figure is made with dumbbells in hand, making specific efforts.

So here too. Just lying on the couch and dreaming about the unborn book is not going to work. To become a writer, you have to start writing. The truth is as old as the world, but still just as true.

Get in the habit of writing every day for at least an hour or two. Even if there is no finished plot in my head yet. Just describe what seemed interesting during the day. Very often, such small notes become an inexhaustible source for full-fledged stories.

A little about complexes

Surely you have heard many times that only an exceptionally literate person can become a writer. Do you agree with this opinion?

“Well, how will everyone see my mistakes? - the beginning writer thinks, - No, no, I'd better first re-read textbooks on grammar, style and punctuation, practice exercises, work with a tutor, get a bachelor's degree in philology ... ".

Learning how to write correctly, of course, is necessary. Even venerable and seasoned writers learn. Lifelong learning! Because there is no limit to perfection.

Most fast way learning to express thoughts correctly is to write them. And when there is doubt where to put a comma, today many reference books and online free services are at your service. You can, in the end, turn to the editors (but this is no longer free, of course). Also, a freelancer search site is always at your service, where you can find a proofreader at a reasonable price.

Get a special notebook, write out your mistakes so that you don’t repeat them next time. A little patience - and literacy will become your inalienable quality.

And read, of course. Read the texts of those who already own the skill of eloquence. You will be surprised how soon your own speech becomes rich, multifaceted and correct.

Do I need to reinvent the wheel

The first story or book rarely succeeds immediately if there is no one to support and direct the enthusiasm in the right direction. In the absence of sufficient experience and skill, young authors first start writing, then realize that they did not take into account something in advance, rewrite huge pieces and even drop everything halfway.

Ready-made methods, polished by experienced teachers and tested in practice, help to step over such torment. They become a compass that will not let you go astray. There is nothing incomprehensible and difficult in the process of creating a book. Follow the charts and go! Only heels (sorry, pens) sparkle on the way to success.

In my courses "How to write a book quickly", in just one seminar, all the wisdom of planning and the phased creation of a work of any size is chewed. (You can see more details).

What else can confuse on the way to glory

Online projects are good because they allow you to quickly track the feedback from the reader. A novice writer does not need to languish in obscurity for months to get an opinion on his work.

Don't be afraid of criticism. The fear of public discussion fetters the novice author, forcing him to put what he has written on the table. Feel free to go "to the people." Only in this way can you become famous today. Or are you waiting for the manuscripts of an unrecognized genius to be dug up by descendants? 🙂

Connect with your readers. You will quickly understand what qualities as a writer you need to improve. It is clear that not all criticisms turn out to be justified. But some of them can be an invaluable "kick" to perfection.

You need to be afraid not of criticism, but of groundless flattery, which lulls vigilance and the desire to develop.

Summing up

Writing skills are a set of certain skills that can be mastered by observing others, constantly practicing writing, improving your speech. And of course, it does not hurt to master the technique of rapid construction of works.

Each of these points will definitely be considered in more depth on this blog. Subscribe to the news so as not to miss interesting discussions.

Now read about that, and if you already have a manuscript.

A novice writer needs to be not only talented, but also very patient and active. The main thing in writing is to get sick of this business, enjoy it and not despair, even if critics do not recognize you.

What qualities does a writer need? Perhaps the most important are fantasy and the ability to figuratively express your thoughts on paper. But finding a job thanks to connections in this matter will not work for sure. To become a successful writer, you first have to write to the table, then send your imperishable books to the editors, and then wait for months for a response. Lucky or not, whether your work will seem not only interesting, but also in a format demanded by readers - this will be decided by the publishers. Therefore, it is necessary to be not only talented, but also very patient and active, because you cannot sell yourself - no one will buy.

Love must be conquered

To formulate exact instructions that will help you become a writer, no one, of course, can. However, many are willing to talk about their journey in this field, about how young talent can make a name for themselves.

To begin with, we talked with the author of love and historical novels, detective stories and science fiction, Elena Arsenieva. Elena Grushko (she took a pseudonym later) was born in Khabarovsk. She graduated from the philological faculty of the Khabarovsk Pedagogical Institute and in absentia - the scenario faculty of VGIK. After that, she worked on Khabarovsk TV as an editor of programs for children and youth, in the literary and artistic magazine "Far East" and in the Khabarovsk book publishing house. Having moved to Nizhny Novgorod, she became the regional representative of the Young Guard.

Elena's first work was the short story "Not a Wife", published in the Far East magazine. The newspaper critic Literary Russia”, which made an overview of the work of young writers of Siberia and the Far East, literally defeated the debutante, but she was not upset and took the collection of stories “The Last Snow of April” to the publishing house. If at first Elena was a fan of realism and documentaries, then later fairy tales and fantasy began to attract her: this is how the stories “The Blue Cedar”, “Athenaora Metter Porfirola”, “Constellation of Visions” and others appeared.

“Sometimes a writer’s success comes quickly, and sometimes it takes years. I have always taken an active part in public life: I attended a seminar for young science fiction writers from Siberia and the Far East in Novosibirsk and many other specialized conventions, ”recalls Elena. Soon fate presented her with a new gift - an acquaintance during a trip to Moscow with science fiction writer Yuri Medvedev. For several years they co-authored encyclopedic books on the history of Russia, Russia and Russian life.

In the late 90s, Elena Grushko began to write historical works and detectives, at the same time acquired a pseudonym. Now she has more than seventy novels - detective, historical, love, as well as collections of historical short stories. “The main thing in writing is to get sick of this business, enjoy it and not despair, even if critics do not recognize you. Love must be won back, ”the author sums up.

I write to the table, but I earn by journalism

Unfortunately, not everyone who chooses the path of writing is so lucky. Here is Tatyana's story: “While still studying at the Faculty of Philology of the UNN, I started working as a journalist and at the age of 25 I became the editor-in-chief of a Nizhny Novgorod secular publication. But all this time I dreamed of writing books. Tatyana was the editor-in-chief of three publications, but after 15 years she made the fateful decision to leave to work as a freelancer in order to have time to create her works. She herself sent offers to Moscow publishing houses, until one of them agreed to publish her book, which tells about the profession of a journalist. As a result, the fee for it amounted to 18 thousand rubles. The same amount was to be transferred for every 5,000 copies sold.

Later, Tatyana wrote two more historical novels, but for four years now publishers have been refusing them - "not the format." “Now I have posted my novels on the Internet - I have my own fans, we correspond with them. I did not despair - I think everything is still ahead, - she says. - The main thing is that I enjoy the process, which is very important. And I earn as a journalist in free flight.

The writer creates a new universe

Rising star of Eksmo publishing house Olga Volodarskaya- Author of novels in the genres of melodrama and detective story ("Bitch for Dessert", "Retro Murder", "Ghosts of the Sunny South", "Cry, Executioner in Love", "Kara Don Juana"). Despite the creepy titles, there are no crime lords, arms dealers or drugs in her books. Olga admitted that as a child she was a terrible dreamer, adored Volkov's books about the Emerald City and loved to imagine how one day she would end up in a magical land. Her first own work was dedicated to the adventures of the girl Olya and her four-legged friends. Since then, she has been constantly writing something: either fairy tales, or stories, or screenplays.

Olga decided to seriously engage in writing at the age of twenty-five, after she completed her first great work - the historical melodrama Bluebeard's Wife. “I didn’t let anyone read my books: I hid manuscripts, put a password on the computer - in a word, I wrote on the table,” she says. “Only the first detective novel, Bitch for Dessert, saw its readers.” This genre was chosen five years ago only because of its popularity. Reading detective stories, Olga always immediately figured out the killer and believed that writing them was just as boring. But everything turned out to be much more interesting, and she took up the third novel with great excitement. "Write new book- it's like creating a new universe, - explains Olga. - After all, you invent your world, populate it with people and invent their fate. Maybe I have delusions of grandeur, but I believe that the writer creates a new world.

From the old life - piece by piece

Olga Volodarskaya advises novice writers to be patient and stubborn. At one time, she took several books to the publishing house: “And when I was finally invited to the meeting, I was not even happy - I had been waiting for so long. In 2008, the contract was nevertheless signed, and before that I kept afloat only thanks to the Podvig publishing house, which paid little, but still helped to survive. I worked then in the information and computing center at the computer. Every day I came home and wrote.

After the long-awaited conclusion of the contract, Olga left the old life "not entirely, but in parts." She did not quit her job right away - at first she took administrative leave: she was afraid to say goodbye to the team, the usual regime and way of life. But when she finally left, she began completely new life: you didn’t have to get up at six in the morning and rush headlong to the morning train - you could have been too lazy. “Now I can’t imagine how you can return to the past. I like freedom, and in this regard I happy man. My workplace is where there is a laptop. It's so great that you can work in a taxi, on an airplane, at a party."

Heroes are sought in the resorts

According to Olga, stories about how people raise a factory will obviously not be popular today: “You need to write about a glamorous life, detective stories are also well read. True, now the market has become more diverse, and literally five years ago they were in great demand.” On average, Olga writes three books a year. This is an energy-intensive business, so after completing each manuscript, she goes to rest, “charges up” and often begins to think about a new plot in the resorts.

So, for example, it happened with the novel "Kara Don Juan", conceived in 2003 during a vacation in Adler. Olga was sitting by the sea, and a dark-haired, swarthy, serious girl was playing next to her. She picked up pebbles and threw them into the water, trying to hit the bathing kids. This is how the heroine Kara appeared. And the author met the prototype of the main character Sergei on the embankment of Abkhazia. He lived in this country, but left it during the conflict with Georgia. “I worked on this novel for about six months, not counting the “gestation” period. I think of a plot for a long time, and then I quickly start writing it down. At the same time, the result is often different - not the same as originally planned.

Olga admitted that famous writers less successful colleagues envy: “I don’t understand how you can criticize someone, but people here like to slander:“ They paid for this, so he is published, slaves write for this, and this is generally mediocrity, she just has a famous husband. An absolutely mediocre person can break through thanks to money, but he still won’t last long.

The writer believes that it is always more interesting to try something new. She herself balances on the verge of detective and melodrama, but there are those who masterfully master one genre and become unsurpassed in it. “For example, Agatha Christie - what a fine fellow she is! All works are brilliant, there are no passers-by among them,” she admires.

Believe in yourself!

What advice can you give to aspiring writers? Olga Volodarskaya emphasizes: be prepared for a long and thorny path. Her first book was reprinted three times and paid only 25 thousand rubles. “I started working with a literary agent,” she shares her experience. - If you take an agent, then by all means a “shark”, who should be well versed in this business. I can’t say anything - mine was a decent person, a lot was kept simply on my word of honor. And you can wait forever for an answer about an agreement with a good, honest publishing house.

Our heroine waited for two years. Debutants may be told that they liked the book, but a lot of time will pass before the conclusion of the contract. When she came to a meeting with the editor-in-chief of the publishing house, it turned out that he knew her books very well. For example, he asked Olga how she could describe Rio de Janeiro so believably. But she never went there: she simply draws information from the words of acquaintances or looks at magazines and various almanacs.

So, be patient and submit several books to publishers at once. It is also very important to believe in yourself: if relatives, friends, colleagues treat your occupation as pampering, you should not listen to them, go your own way. “My mother is very proud of me, but my husband, a well-known translator, does not take him seriously as a writer,” says Olga. - In his opinion, whoever writes worse than Hugo, there is nothing to take on this business. It doesn’t offend me, and my readership is female, not male.”

Is it good to be Leo Tolstoy?

Olga is sure that a creative crisis, in which ideas really dry up, can overtake any writer: “I feel that when I run out of inspiration (and this usually happens by the middle of a novel), I am overwhelmed by heavy thoughts, several days of panic come. I think in these cases it is best to take a break, live for yourself, and even better change the situation. It is not for nothing that Hollywood stars take a break, which sometimes drags on for several years.

Olga's only and main income is writing. She admits that if she lived on rent or was married to a millionaire, she would publish one book a year, but put all her strength into it. There would be no crazy rush and specific deadlines. “It’s good to be Leo Tolstoy, when you can walk around in bast shoes and write your four volumes for a long time,” she argues. - I do not detract from the merits of our classic, but I do not think that the artist should be hungry. Still, it’s better to be full and not lose the desire to create.”

As a rule, the author begins to receive solid royalties after three or four publications in a high circulation. The first reward averages 20-30 thousand rubles, while the book can be created for months or even years. The publisher prefers that an aspiring writer bring several works or a series with a sequel for viewing.

The number of women authors in Russia is growing every year. To become a successful freelancer, you need to be disciplined, committed and responsible. Elena Arsenyeva admitted that she writes at least 7-8 hours a day, including weekends. In addition, a lot of time has to be spent in libraries in order to study archives and find out the necessary information.

Olga wishes all readers good and different books: “I understand what it means to experience a literary hunger. Before, it seemed to me that I had already read all the books worthy of my attention and was constantly looking for one that would impress me. about more impressive than, for example, Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude.

As with any profession, innate talent is of secondary importance in writing. Writing ability is one of the key elements of success, but not the most important one. Life experience, education (and here we are not talking about university education, but about personal education) and, of course, practice have more weight.

Like any art form, writing is based on clear rules. Of course, some writers develop these rules themselves over time, but they are much easier to learn. And if you want to make a living writing, then be prepared for the fact that, despite the romanticism of the profession, you will have to drive yourself into a clear framework of terms and topics.

So, let's start with the advice of professionals to aspiring writers. After all, from whom to learn, if not from those who have achieved recognition in the desired field.

Stephen King

The King of Horror knows how to write a truly masterpiece book. It is impossible to tear oneself away from his works, and the smoothness and harmony of the narration, even among people far from the writer's craft, is admirable. And here are some tips for aspiring writers from Stephen King:

Neil Gaiman

A very talented English science fiction writer can also say a couple of weighty and useful tips for beginners. His advice is quite simple, but at the same time very useful:

Ray Bradbury

A couple of brief tips are given by novice writers and everyone's favorite creator of more than eight hundred literary works. The science fiction classic believes that:

Kurt Vonnegut

One of the most important American writers also has a few tips on how to write short stories correctly and, most importantly, well:

Ernest Hemingway

Despite the fact that Hemingway himself said that talking about his craft is a completely useless concept, he still had some thoughts about this in his works, interviews, articles and letters:

Mark Twain

An eccentric and truly brilliant writer gives beginners very sharp and ironic advice that will definitely be damn useful to each of you:

Chuck Palahniuk

The creator of the legendary book “Fight Club” gives his colleagues practical and actionable advice, which, we believe, is worth heeding:

1. Writer's Handbook

The beginning is always the most difficult stage in a writer's career, because due to lack of experience, he simply does not know how to correctly format his manuscript. Writer Elvira Baryakina created a book in which she put all her knowledge about how to write and how to properly present your work so that it becomes successful.

2. How to become a writer

Another manual book from an experienced and one of the most published science fiction writers. In this book, Yuri Nikitin conveyed his invaluable experience, which includes many years of communication with other writers, lectures from the Literary Institute and a lot of secret writing techniques.

3. How to write books

After the master of horrors was hit by a car, he had a chance to rethink his views on life. It was during this period that his book was published, in which Stephen King tells young writers about the intricacies and peculiarities of the writing craft. It's hard not to agree that King has a lot to learn.

4. Golden rose

In this book, Konstantin Paustovsky talks about where the writer can get inspiration, what role does it play inner world and how the accumulation of “gold dust” of invaluable experience and life adventures takes place, from which “ Golden Rose" - book.

5. Stylistics and literary editing: Textbook

Of course, few people will be delighted with the study of boring theory, but any art form is built in such a way that theory is its cornerstone. Therefore, in our list of useful books for writers, we include a textbook prepared by scientists from two leading linguistic schools - Moscow and St. Petersburg.