So you want to write a book?

I've read a lot of books on the subject of writing. I've subscribed to writer's magazines and attended many writing conferences, but in spite of all that money, time and effort, the best advice I ever got was a line from the great fantasist Roger Zelazny:

"Write something every day."

He's dead-on, you know. The only way to write - whether it's a short story, a magazine article, a novel or a dissertation - is to put words together. At the end of the day, it's what you have on paper that counts, and nothing else. How many people have you ever met who told you, "I have a great idea for a book, but I just don't have the time to sit down and write it"? I knew a fellow who used to tell me all about the novel he planned to write someday. Every time we saw each other, over the space of four or five years, he regaled me with the details of the novel he wasn't writing yet. That's right, he never put one word on paper. Is anyone surprised that he's still not published?  You shouldn't be.  Good intentions may buy you a drink at the pub, but they won't win you a book contract.

Writing is a lonely business.  It's you and your keyboard (or your pencil, if you're less technologically-inclined.)  But even the most solitary of us sometimes need to hear from someone else, just to remind us that what we're doing is worth the effort.  I don't recommend letting your mother, your spouse or your best friend read your writing. They'll mean well, but they will be reading with one eye toward making you feel good about yourself. 

Painful though it may be, if your goal is to someday be published, you need to hear brutal honesty about your writing.  Writing with an eye toward publication means you're creating a product you hope to sell.  Your story might reflect the unquenchable fire in your beautiful soul, but if you're not willing to accept criticism, or make changes some editor might ask for down the road, you might not be ready for publication. 

A critique group that's functioning properly will give you the clear-sighted honesty you need.  Joining a writing critique group is a fantastic way to hone your skills and reconnect with people.  Another benefit to meeting regularly with other writers is that it keeps you plugging away.  It's hard to say, "Oh, I'll write something tomorrow," when you know you have to produce pages for Thursday's meeting. 

So how do you find such a group? Call the library, the local university or college, the bookstores or coffee shops in your area. Yeah, I said coffee shops - writers seem to gravitate toward coffee the way moths gravitate to back porch lights. Keep an eye on the local section of the newspaper. Ask around at writing conferences.  Surf the Internet for groups starting up in your area.  Or if all else fails, get one started yourself.