The Geek Girl's Survival Guide #9

Last weekend I attended a local symposium that was predominately centered on panels about writing science fiction and fantasy.

As a novelist who often writes in these genres, I got off work at my day job so that I could attend--figuring that it would be good for me.

I learned something interesting at the symposium, but it wasn�t what I expected to learn at all.

See, lectures on writing and becoming a writer are like Tetris.

(Stick with me here.)

Scientists have found that learning to play Tetris generates a large amount of brain activity. As you�re using your eye-hand coordination to figure out how to manipulate the blocks and win, your brain has to do a lot of work. This piece of knowledge makes it appear that video games can actually be good for brain development.

(As can writing, I�m sure, but that�s not the point.)

The point is, it has also been shown that after an extended period of time, much of that brain activity subsides. It just doesn�t take as much of your brain to play once you�ve learned and the motions have become habit. You�re still playing, but you�re not learning anymore.

I remember my first writing class that actually taught me about the industry. I took tons of notes. I reworked old manuscripts to get them into the right format. I made checklists for sending out submissions based on my new knowledge of what to include and what to send off. The bottom line is, I learned a ton. I�m sure my brain waves were working overtime.

(Yes, I realize this is all probably scientifically unsound. But I don�t care, so neither should you.)

At the symposium last weekend, I had the opposite experience. I went to lots of panels, some of which were very interesting. I listened to discussions on lots of writing topics, most of which devolved into discussions on how to get published, since that�s what most audience members wanted to hear about anyway. And I enjoyed myself.

But I didn�t learn anything. I heard the same advice repeated over and over--things I�d heard before and will surely hear again.

The thing is, there is advice that is important to know as you�re writing and sending things out to editors. Avoid clich�s. Be professional. For goodness sakes, learn something about your market.

I could go on, but the thing is, once you learn the list of basics (and you can pick these up at any con or symposium; they all cover basically the same information) there�s really nothing more to learn from people who haven�t read your writing.

You can ask panelists questions about the problems you think you�re having, and they can give you strings of random and generalized advice, but the sad truth is that unless they�ve read the piece your working on (which they probably haven�t) then they can�t tell you what problems you�re actually having, or how to fix them.

There is no magic piece of advice that will turn you into a writer, unless that piece of advice is to go home, write, finish, get a writing group, take their criticism, and figure out how you can improve.

Then send out your work. You can go to lecture after lecture, talk to writer after writer, and they can�t teach you any more than that.

So stop asking.

Go home.

Write your novels, people.

That�s the only thing that�s going to help you succeed.

Now, I�m not saying that cons and symposiums aren�t useful. Sometimes repetition is important to the learning process. But too much repetition can be dangerous as well. If you don�t believe me, see The Shining.

It�s still important that I attend conventions, but not for the same reasons as when I was starting out. I honestly don�t think my writing is going to be benefited anymore by going to panels and listening to advice. If that�s all I�m there for, I would have been better served at home in front of my computer.

Provided I actually wrote rather than surfing the internet, as I am wont to do.

However, as writing and publishing is a business, just like any other, getting places can be as much about who you know as what you know. It�s important to make contacts, so once you�ve gotten the basics down, you�re probably better served going to the panels where people you want to meet are going to be speaking, rather than going to panels where you happen to be interested in the topic.

After all, someone who recognizes your name is a lot more likely to read your work than someone who knows you only as �piece of slush #9823498.�E

Fact is, though, no one can tell you how to write. They can only tell you what works for them, which may or may not be the same things that will work for you. In fact, if you try to take everyone�s advice, you�re likely to end up writing some really bad books, and making yourself frustrated and unhappy in the process.

Trust me. I�ve been there.

There are those who would like to tell you that they�ve got the secret to getting published--people who want to market their strategies and convince people that there are gimmicks and shortcuts that will help.

Sadly, these people are like con artists and the marketeers who run pyramid schemes. When they try to sell you an idea that seems too good to be true, it probably is.

After all, writing is work. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something.

Now, the astute reader will notice that this column consists of a long string of generalized advice about writing.

Logically, this means that if you are still reading, you have not listened to or at least headed anything I have said thus far.

Congratulations! This means you are halfway there.

Now for goodness sakes, go. Your novels won�t wait.

Previously on Geek Girl:

• #6: A Geek Girl�s Guide to Spreading Tolerance
• #4: A Geek Girl�s Guide to Christmas Shopping
• #3: A Geek Girl�s Guide to In-Game Flirting
• #2: A Geek Girl�s Guide to Game Shops
• #1: A Geek Girl�s Guide to Coming Out of the Closet

Written by MsFish on March 01st, 2006