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As a writer just starting out, you may be all too familiar with having your enthusiastic fingertips itching to type suddenly freeze over your keyboard as you contemplate your future. Where do I begin? Will anyone want to read my work? Will it ever be good enough? How do I even get published?
But moving from blank page to publication can be assisted with advice from those who’ve been there. In a recent workshop at Writers Victoria, writer and editor Kat Muscat shared professional tips and processes to help young writers get started.
Create a map of your writing goals
There’s nothing like writing a list to spark a sense of accomplishment in a budding writer. While list-making can teeter on the edge of procrastination, they can also be a practical way to map out your time.
Creating a list of desired publications is a great place to start, but Muscat said it is important to look outside your goals of just getting published. Look for prizes you want to enter, festivals and events to attend and a list of writers you wish to meet.
Muscat said that action is key to getting started. ‘It is important to actually do things as a writer… It is easy to think about doing things, but not so easy to action them sometimes.’
Dividing goals into monthly checklists is a good way to keep them in the fore of your mind and take action.
Define what type of writer you are
The adage is to write what you know, but the first step is to define what this is. Familiarising yourself with the form, genre and preferred medium can help set your direction as a writer.
Defining what type of writer you are is not a case of simply labelling yourself as a journalist or novelist, said Muscat. ‘There are so many different ways to be a writer, especially with the internet.’
‘It is important to be mindful of that, and to not feel like just because you’re not fitting into the preconceived leaning-over-a-typewriter idea we have about writing, that you’re not doing it right. That’s bullshit,’ said Muscat.
What type of writer you are is less about fulfilling stereotypes and more about recognising how you like to work. Ask yourself, whether you prefer strict deadlines, or working on more depth stories. What topics do you gravitate towards? What do you want readers to takeaway?
These questions can help you establish what you know and what you enjoy. Keeping the audience in mind or gearing your writing towards a publication can make sure you are showing the readers a different way of looking at things, not just writing something for the sake of writing (which can be useful for practice, but not publication.)
Pronounce yourself as an artist
Once you’ve established what type of writer you are, it’s time to announce it. When asked the dreaded question, “What do you do?”, many young writers may feel nervous or not-quite-ready to describe themselves as a writer, novelist or poet. Instead, a fumbling response that tries to cover all bases. “I’m studying to be a writer, but at the moment I’m just working at Coles, but I do dabble in poetry, and sometimes write reviews for the student newspaper.’
But the best thing a young writer can do is tell people they are a writer. Muscat said: ‘The best piece of advice I got from a workshop was: If you know what kind of writer you want to be, just call yourself that.
‘Just say “I’m this”. No one is going to quiz you on it. If you get used to saying it in your own head it will start to feel real,’ said Muscat.
Know your strengths and weaknesses
While you should play to your strengths, preferences and interests when getting started, Muscat reminded us that it is important to be able to work on improving your writing in a range of areas to have a diverse set of skills.
For Muscat, short form features is not really her ‘cup of tea’, but if the opportunity is paid, it is valuable to be able to switch it up.
‘Don’t write something off because it’s not something you are … there are so many ways you can get your words out there.’
Writing what you know can help you find your voice and find an audience, but challenging yourself is also valuable to your development as a writer.
‘One of the main reasons we write is to raise questions and bring ideas into the public debate … there is so much you don’t realise you are assuming until someone points it out to you and that is such a rich field to write in,’ said Muscat.
Muscat said this relates to creating tension in your writing, which is the ‘thread the that draws the reader along’.
Immerse yourself in the community
The fear of the blank page or hitting a wall with your writing can feel demoralising. Muscat said it is these moments where she reaches out to other people.
‘As soon as I start to get stuck and feel like I don’t have anything to stay, I tend to reach out to people and discuss my ideas with them in conversation, which is a lot less daunting,’ she said. ‘It is a way to get different perspectives which often jump-starts alternative ways to approach the idea.’
Muscat said fiction, non-fiction and poetry are the three main genres embraced by the literary community, adding that you can start to develop support for those moments where the solitary insanity of writing life can wear thin.
‘You want to start sussing out your peer groups pretty early on so you’ve got people who share your interest that you can talk through to, share resources, and share books you find inspiring,’ said Muscat. ‘That shared passion can be a hugely helpful motivator.’
Make the most of prizes, projects and supportive publications
Marking your calendar with prizes and projects designed specifically for young and emerging writers can give you a kick start with working to a deadline.
As the former editor of Voiceworks, a quarterly magazine featuring new writing by Australian young writers, Muscat said ‘it is exceptional in the way it provides feedback for all unsuccessful submissions.’
‘I always say to start there because you can’t lose. You’ve got people from every discipline who are really invested in proving high quality feedback and responding individually to your work.
‘You are not just getting feedback from your mum or your teacher or your friend which is really handy,’ said Muscat.
Other prizes to consider are the John Marsden/Hachette Australia Prize for Young Writers and the Scribe Nonfiction
Prize for Young Writers. Initiatives like National Novel Writing Month can also be a great way to give an aspiring novelist a kick start.
Create a polished portfolio
When you begin to publish your work – whether it’s on your own blog, through an internship with a publication, commissioned pieces or work that has won competitions, creating a portfolio is a great stepping stone to getting more work.
Muscat said a website can really help when you are pitching to a publication as it is an accessible summary of what kind of writer you are. This can help you get published more, added Muscat.
When creating a portfolio, it’s important to include a biography. Muscat advised using the same bio on your own portfolio as well as publications you write for to ensure consistency. Create a bio that can be expanded from 25, 50 to 100 words depending on the publication.
A bio should pique curiosity, demonstrate your personal progression, and tell the reader what connects you to your work. Muscat added that no more than five publications should be listed to avoid confusion.
Pitch
Pitching can feel like an intimidating step to take, but Muscat said it isn’t ‘as scary a process as it is sometimes made out to be’.
‘You find out the name of the editor, you summarise what your piece is about, why it suits the publication and why you are the person to write it and include a 300 word extract so they get a sense of your writing style,’ said Muscat.
Remembering what kind of writer you are and getting to know the publications you want to write for can shape your pitches. This means reading the magazines, newspapers, journals and websites you want to write for. ‘If you want to get published somewhere, you need to support the industry that supports you,’ said Muscat. ‘Editors can tell in a second if you know their work.’
It is coming back to basics that can help your work get noticed. Addressing your email with the editor’s name ‘will make them smile more kindly on your work,’ said Muscat.
Importantly, be sure to read the submission guidelines. ‘It is astounding how many people skim read them and that is the last thing you want to do. They’ve been written for a purpose and editors respond really well to those that have been submitted that follow them,’ concluded Muscat.
Proofread your work
All writers and editors should remember it is a constant learning curve, and to always ensure what you publish – be it online or in print – is checked to avoid embarrassing errors. The writing community is supportive, but also unafraid to pull you up. Just as it should be. (Thank you!)
