how to become a writer

[cocktan]

ok so here's the jist of it. my GF and I just graduated college this past month. i have been on the job search ever since but thats not the problem. the problem is that she is a writer... she graduated with a degree in communications, writing arts (basicly createve writing) so my question is how does one go about being a writer.

she says she wants to get into script writing(tv or film) and/or comic/anime writing/storyboarding.

if anyone has any advice on this please share it.

 

[EJFan]

try the periodical "writer's digest" or the trade mags for the flim industry (village voice, etc.). you could also find a lot of information at your local library... there are usually plenty of resource books for aspiring writers.

edit to add:
you should probably make any attempt to get published in the freelance market with short stories, essays, etc. pounding the pavement and knocking on doors is always a great way to not only find work but to make contacts.

 

[sunandshadow]

It's very difficult to get paid to be a writer. Staff writing positions exist, but there are way more people who want them, so employers only hire the people with the most impressive credentials, you can't get a staff writing position until you have a fairly impressive resume of publishing credits. So basically you have to write something first, then try to sell it. Which would be why I don't have a job. :/

 

[wicked woman]

I would have thought she would have taken advantage of her college's career planning placement facility. Usually they have loads of resources. Perhaps that's still a possibility.

 

[midwestyankee]

The best way to get a job in any industry - and that's what scriptwriting is, part of an industry - is to know someone who works there. I tell everyone I know that the best resource for job hunting is a book called What Color is Your Parachute? because it contains countless practical resources as well as a proven method for finding people who work in a job like the one you (in this case your girlfriend) want.

In a nutshell, the methodology works like this: interview people about their work in the industry and ask for referrals to others who know about or work in the industry. Keep this up until someone recognizes that your unique combination of skills and personality is exactly what they need at the time. It's almost always a dead end to rely on advertised jobs for a number of reasons. Far better to create your own by following the method I just summarized. Read the book.

 

[silverwhisper]

she would be best-served by trying to get a job in a related industry. for traditional novel writing, publishing is the generally preferred route.

you mentioned things that are either comic book, videogame or film-related. for comic books, image studios are based out of CA as are most of the film and videogame employers, i believe. US publishing is almost exclusively in manhattan, though, as are both marvel and DC comics. where are you presently located and where do you plan to be located in 6 months?

that said: the majority of jobs are not given to the best resume: they're given to people who are known quantities. it's just like how the vast majority of unsolicited manuscripts are never published, b/c again, the aspiring novelist is an unknown quantity to the publisher.

on networking: be a decent person, offer referrals where possible (and can be done genuinely), etc., facilitate other people's contacts...people keep markers of favors like that in their minds so you can call them in w/out much trouble, i find. she would be well-served by associating w/ people who are looking for the same things: if someone gets "the call" they generally try to do well by those who stuck by them. i know that i do.

has she done any research herself into how to seek gainful employment w/ those qualifications?

ed

 

[cocktan]

thanks everyone, i'll pass your suggestions on to her. if she has any questions i'll let her post using my account... or even better yet convice her to create her own account to get her more into this.

 

[Ezzy]

Go to the Library and take a look at the Writer Handbook for this year, or a very similar name, then follow the leads that others have suggested about getting to know the inside and work on it that way.

One of the biggest things you can do to help, is to keep a ready supply of encouragement to hand, she is looking for the needle in the haystack along with everyone else who graduated this year.

If anyone out there is going to graduate next year, think about starting your job search as early as January 2nd. That will put you ahead of 95% of your opposition in the job market.

 

[lindiana]

I have a degree in Communications as well. After I graduated college, I moved to LA to try to get a job in film. I couldn't even get my foot in the door.

If you make enough money to support both of you, she should try getting an apprenticeship at an advertising firm or magazine.

Also there are a great many places she can submit work. If she is REALLY interested in becoming a screenwriter, she should look into the American Film Institute. They offer a very prestigious and difficult to get into screenwriting program every year. It is in LA and they only accept 25 people a year. I applied once, a long long time ago, but I realized I was talentless and gave up.

You need youth and persevering and patience. I am not good with any of those.


As for the comics, I saw a biography on PBS recently about a woman who started in comics by self-publishing. She then took her comics to the local outdoor market and sold them. Eventually a publisher saw her work and now she is famous.

Otherwise, I would recommend DarkHorse comics. They are the most radical/liberal of the comic book companies.

However, she could launch her own comiczine online and be successful. There are plenty of pay-for comics online as well.



Now most of my tips work best if you live in LA or NYC. But that will give her some ideas. The best thing is find a comic or magazine she likes, buy a copy and find inside it the rules for submissions. Generally, they all have one some place. Some will say they do NOT accept unsolicited submissions but others will.

 

[cocktan]

I have a degree in Communications as well. After I graduated college, I moved to LA to try to get a job in film. I couldn't even get my foot in the door.

If you make enough money to support both of you, she should try getting an apprenticeship at an advertising firm or magazine.

Also there are a great many places she can submit work. If she is REALLY interested in becoming a screenwriter, she should look into the American Film Institute. They offer a very prestigious and difficult to get into screenwriting program every year. It is in LA and they only accept 25 people a year. I applied once, a long long time ago, but I realized I was talentless and gave up.

You need youth and persevering and patience. I am not good with any of those.


As for the comics, I saw a biography on PBS recently about a woman who started in comics by self-publishing. She then took her comics to the local outdoor market and sold them. Eventually a publisher saw her work and now she is famous.

Otherwise, I would recommend DarkHorse comics. They are the most radical/liberal of the comic book companies.

However, she could launch her own comiczine online and be successful. There are plenty of pay-for comics online as well.



Now most of my tips work best if you live in LA or NYC. But that will give her some ideas. The best thing is find a comic or magazine she likes, buy a copy and find inside it the rules for submissions. Generally, they all have one some place. Some will say they do NOT accept unsolicited submissions but others will.

I am cocktan's gf and i wanted to thank all of you for your tips and help. Ty again

 

[lindiana]

I am cocktan's gf and i wanted to thank all of you for your tips and help. Ty again

No problem. I really recommend the AFI screenwriting class if you can want to get into film. The AFI classes are so respected that I know for a fact that some working actors/actresses have tried to get into them.


Anyone out there interested in doing it, just do a search for American Film Institute and go to their home page. All the information can be found on their website.



PS I wish someone had told me all this stuff when I was your age. I might have gotten a great deal further in my writing. But then, maybe I am only good at erotica.

 

[M-Y-Erotica]

Several people have mentioned networking and I think that is crucial. Make sure you think of networking very broadly. So it's already knowing people. It's also just being in touch with the community in every way you can. Read the online comics you like and email the author. Ask them if they make any money and how they got into it. You may discover that great comic you love online with 1000 readers nets the author $100 a year. Go to the right conferences and ask the authors again. Sure, you may not be able to hang with Stan Lee for an hour, but you can probably get 5 minutes with someone just starting. Make sure, before you speak to these people, that you've already read whatever you can - industry mags, online blogs, Writer's Market (pretty sure I saw Screenwriter's Market sitting on the Barnes and Noble shelf just a couple days ago). If you are asking a novelist how to get published and you've never heard the term "query letter" they are going to roll their eyes and back off quick unless you are super-cute.

Start creating work and getting it out there. Without being a nuisance, when you comment on a strip of someone else's, make sure there is a link back so everyone can read your stuff, too. Feel free to start slow. I would like to write novels one day, so I am starting here with short stories, then novellas, then maybe I will have the chance to ePub, and then if I ever figure out how to write from all that practice, I will query print agents.

And remember, as people have said, making a living as a writer is extremely rare. Most published novelists are not supported by their writing. So don't beat yourself up if you sell 3 stories in a whole year while working at Starbuck's. That's how everyone else is, too. Then just keep at it until you sell 6, then 10, then 15, then get a cheap ass apprenticeship at Dark Horse, etc. Slowly, slowly, you can make a living, but it's going to take a lot of energy, a lot of luck, and being at the right place at the right time. That's the purpose of networking. If you are unknown, you just have to stumble upon something people like. But if people know who you are, then they might think, "hey, she creates this great smart ass dialogue, so maybe I will ring her up for this project I just got."

Not making it is no reflection on you as a person, though all authors think it is, because we can't help it.

 

[MR.GGG]

10 flagrant grammar mistakes that make you look stupid
Jody Gilbert

If you want to craft an error-free message that reflects your professionalism, be on the lookout for these common grammatical slip-ups



These days, we tend to communicate via the keyboard as much as we do verbally. Often, we're in a hurry, quickly dashing off emails with typos, grammatical shortcuts (I'm being kind here), and that breezy, e.e. cummings, no-caps look. It's expected. It's no big deal. But other times, we try to invest a little care, avoiding mistakes so that there's no confusion about what we're saying and so that we look professional and reasonably bright.

In general, we can slip up in a verbal conversation and get away with it. A colleague may be thinking, "Did she just say 'irregardless'?", but the words flow on, and our worst transgressions are carried away and with luck, forgotten.

That's not the case with written communications. When we commit a grammatical crime in emails, discussion posts, reports, memos, and other professional documents, there's no going back. We've just officially gone on record as being careless or clueless. And here's the worst thing. It's not necessary to be an editor or a language whiz or a spelling bee triathlete to spot such mistakes. They have a way of doing a little wiggle dance on the screen and then reaching out to grab the reader by the throat.

So here we are in the era of Word's red-underline "wrong spelling, dumb ass" feature and Outlook's Always Check Spelling Before Sending option, and still the mistakes proliferate. Catching typos is easy (although not everyone does it). It's the other stuff — correctly spelled but incorrectly wielded — that sneaks through and makes us look stupid. Here's a quick review of some of the big ones.

#1: Loose for lose
No: I always loose the product key.

Yes: I always lose the product key.

#2: It's for its (or god forbid, its')
No: Download the HTA, along with it's readme file.

Yes: Download the HTA, along with its readme file.

No: The laptop is overheating and its making that funny noise again.

Yes: The laptop is overheating and it's making that funny noise again.

#3: They're for their for there
No: The managers are in they're weekly planning meeting.

Yes: The managers are in their weekly planning meeting.

No: The techs have to check there cell phones at the door, and their not happy about it.

Yes: The techs have to check their cell phones at the door, and they're not happy about it.

#4: i.e. for e.g.
No: Use an anti-spyware program (i.e., Ad-Aware).

Yes: Use an anti-spyware program (e.g., Ad-Aware).

Note: The term i.e. means "that is"; e.g. means "for example". And a comma follows both of them.

#5: Effect for affect
No: The outage shouldn't effect any users during work hours.

Yes: The outage shouldn't affect any users during work hours.

Yes: The outage shouldn't have any effect on users.

Yes: We will effect several changes during the downtime.

Note: Impact is not a verb. Purists, at least, beg you to use affect instead:

No: The outage shouldn't impact any users during work hours.

Yes: The outage shouldn't affect any users during work hours.

Yes: The outage should have no impact on users during work hours.

#6: You're for your
No: Remember to defrag you're machine on a regular basis.

Yes: Remember to defrag your machine on a regular basis.

No: Your right about the changes.

Yes: You're right about the changes.

#7: Different than for different from
No: This setup is different than the one at the main office.

Yes: This setup is different from the one at the main office.

Yes: This setup is better than the one at the main office.

#8 Lay for lie
No: I got dizzy and had to lay down.

Yes: I got dizzy and had to lie down.

Yes: Just lay those books over there.

#9: Then for than
No: The accounting department had more problems then we did.

Yes: The accounting department had more problems than we did.

Note: Here's a sub-peeve. When a sentence construction begins with If, you don't need a then. Then is implicit, so it's superfluous and wordy:

No: If you can't get Windows to boot, then you'll need to call Ted.

Yes: If you can't get Windows to boot, you'll need to call Ted.

#10: Could of, would of for could have, would have
No: I could of installed that app by mistake.

Yes: I could have installed that app by mistake.

No: I would of sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of town.

Yes: I would have sent you a meeting notice, but you were out of town.

 

[M-Y-Erotica]

#7: Different than for different from
No: This setup is different than the one at the main office.

Yes: This setup is different from the one at the main office.

Yes: This setup is better than the one at the main office.

I agree with every one of the quoted errors except this number seven. This is a grammar rule that is destined to be dead if I've ever seen one. It's going to go the way of the no prepositions at the end of a sentence rule. Or as Churchill supposedly said, "That is the sort of errant pedantry up with which I shall not put." I.E., ( ) "different than" is so common in English and causes no confusion in communication that there is no reason to keep this as a rule. And actually, yes, if everyone does it in a language, then that does make it correct. That's what a grammar is. It's just a record of what everyone who speaks the language does - and what they don't do.

 

[jtmalone70]

**********

 

[CopyCarver]

Very good advice from JT. The market guide to which she refers is most probably the annual Writer's Market published by Writer's Digest Books--the "bible" for writers. The cover price of the 2006 edition is $49.99, which includes an online subscription to WritersMarket.com. The latter is valuable primarily because it is inherently more up-to-date (albeit less comprehensive) than an annual can possibly be.

You could knock the price down considerably by buying a subscription to Writer's Digest Book Club, and selecting Writer's Market as one of your "freebies." Writer's Digest Books also publishes many excellent books on formatting, queries & pitches, agents, etc. Even if you don't want (or can't afford) to spend money on dozens of books, you'll know what to look for at the nearest library. As a beginner (or even for experienced pros, in my view) the books about nuts-and-bolts mechanics are infinitely more valuable than the "inspirational"/attitude/habits of successful writers fluff that offers little more than smarmy warm-fuzzies. There's a steep learning curve on materials that just aren't covered in Com schools.

In general, professional writing isn't the easiest gig on this earth, nor is it the most secure, but it's far from the unicorn-hunt that many seem to believe it to be. (I sold my first magazine article when I was 15, and I've earned my living ever since from freelance or staff writing, editing, or a combination of the two.)

"Creative" scriptwriting (film/TV/documentary, as opposed to business/educational scripts) is the toughest segment of the writing profession to crack--partly because the huge production costs make producers extremely cautious, and partly because the field tends to be a rather small closed shop. It can be done with a combination of superior talent, hard work, patience, guts, and--above all--an ability to guess what the market wants before the market itself knows.

Everyone I know who works in the field broke through the barriers with a "killer ap" i.e. a book, short story, or even nonfiction article that would translate into visual form and that tapped into a deep need or emotion. Pitching a well-conceived, fully developed, and well-executed manuscript is far more viable than pitching the fact that you reaally want to write, that you're a quick learner, or that you're kind to stray dogs. Botton line: directors, producers, or editors are far more interested in what you have to offer them than in what will make you happy.