5 Major Differences Between Pro and Amateur Writers
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- I’ve worked with hundreds of authors in my professional career, from first-time novelists to experienced, New York Times bestselling authors. And while there are many excellent writers in both camps, I’ve noticed that there are also some stark differences in how successful professional authors think about and approach their work. So, in today’s video, I’m revealing five major differences that separate seasoned writers from the amateurs to help you embrace the mindset of a professional author and set yourself up for success in your writing career.
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MORE WRITING AND PUBLISHING ADVICE:
5 Writing Rules You Should Totally Break: • 5 Writing Rules You Sh...
How to Become a Bestselling Author: • How to Become a Bestse...
Worst Amateur Writing Mistakes (With Examples!): • Worst Amateur Writing ...
5 WAYS PRO AND AMATEUR WRITERS DIFFER:
01:40 - Pros know when and how to bend the rules
03:13 - Pros keep writing no matter what
04:28 - Pros separate writing from publishing
05:57 - Pros are always growing
06:56 - Pros embrace feedback
ABOUT ME:
My name is Alyssa Matesic, and I’m a professional book editor with nearly a decade of book publishing and editorial experience. Throughout my career, I’ve held editorial roles across both sides of the publishing industry: Big Five publishing houses and literary agencies. The goal of this channel is to help writers throughout the book writing journey-whether you're working on your manuscript or you're looking for publishing advice.
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After so many rejections, I had actually tried to quit writing. That mistake resulted in massive depression bordering on suicidal ideation, until a friend convinced me to "why don't you write something?" after I offered concrit to another of our friends. I am 100% certain that giving myself permission to write for MY need to tell the story literally and truly saved my life. I now have 11 completed books and am working on number 12.
What a great encouragement you are! Thanks.
@@willylumpnj In the immortal words of Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, "never give up! Never surrender!" :D
Hey Alyssa, I want you to know I truly appreciate you taking out time and sharing such high quality content. As a creator myself, I know the logostics are so intense and your videos come so naturally. The advise you share is to the point and really great. Thank you
Thank you so much for the kind comment! I'm so glad you find my videos helpful!
That one about professional writers keep writing no matter what. I have a couple of things to share about that...
I heard about a prolific author who treated his writing just like a regular 9-to-5 job: Piers Anthony (SF writer).
He has an office in his home. At 9 AM, he goes into his office to begin the workday. For an hour, he answers emails, goes through his snail mail, and makes work-related phone calls. At 10 AM, he starts writing, and that's all he does for 2 hours. At 12 PM, he takes a break for lunch. At 1 PM, he's back at work. At 4 PM, he stops writing to go through his emails and return phone calls that he ignored while writing. At 5 PM, he ends his workday by leaving his office.
As for me, I start writing at different times each day, and I'm the same way about when I stop writing for the day. That means I'll often be writing late into the night if I hit a groove.
You also brought up the motivation for writers to get their stories in print. For a lot of people, it's about the money. They look at the success of such writers as Stephen King and J. K. Rowling and use that as their goal for being published. Others, like me, feel a need to tell their stories. We've got a lot of stories to share, and that compulsion drives our writing.
Piers Anthony was a huge influence on my writing. I always wanted to be a writer, even when I was a child. So much so that, when I was sick as a young teen, I sent him a bit of fanfiction I wrote. He cleaned it up and included it in his Xanth book "Harpy Thyme". One of the pointers he gave me back then was to always keep writing. I have now published three books, have another in the early publishing stage, and another I'm working on. Like him, I have work hours where I go and shut myself off from distractions and devote to writing. It's the best way to get it done.
@@harleycynofficial
I am so JEALOUS!!!
But at the same time, I'm happy for you! Congrats!
@@jimgilbert9984 I was stuck in the hospital for over a month during Thanksgiving at the time, so it was a super-huge pick-me-up to see Cynthia Centaur made official when the book came out.
Congratulations! Piers Anthony was one of my FAVORITE authors! and I loved the Magic of Xanth series, as well as the Apprentice Adept series. Ultimate faves of his!.@@harleycynofficial
"Free flowing and creative." Yes, A, that's it. But probably when you start out you really do need to learn to walk before you can run. You can't break rules positively until you learn what they are - in practice.
Although my grammar sadly isn't good due to my dyslexia, I generally have improved in writing. Knowing how to implement the "as as" and to avoid repeating the same word on a page.
Generally I'm writing almost every day for a few hours in the evening after my crappy work and got six books already. Only most of them haven't been released because of not having an agent yet.
Hope once I have done the rewrites to my previous works, things may look better with agents.
Great things to think about. I've heard them separately from other editor/ writers but it's great to have them summed up in one place....
It's like keeping all your spices in a spice cupboard instead of random corners of the kitchen. It makes cooking far easier. 😉
It helped me better understand just keeping that possiblity my end of the situation, that what I'm being asked to change may be from feedback of the reader rather than the rep I'm dealing in working that genere, but I'm projecting it unto the rep instead of the reader. Just keeping that possibility in mind.
Watching this video, I reached an epiphany. The story I crafted was exactly the story that I wanted and that will never change. It will always be my creation and I can enjoy it anytime that I want to. If I am able to get that story published, it will be an entirely different story, crafted and packaged for a business arrangement rather than satisfying an emotional need. I am perfectly okay with that since the original story will always be available to me. Thank you for that realization! I recently found an excellent developmental editor to help me with this process and I am eagerly anticipating that collaboration!
Man if an amateur writer sells thousands of copies versus the professional or vice versa, does it matter? To be honest I'm in it for the money yet when I write I feel addicted to writing every single word or edit🖖
If you're in it for the money... Well, how do I put it, if you're not rich already things are gonna get tough for you.
The separation of writing and publishing really hit me. I love the former and have no interest at all in the latter-just seems exhausting. I’ve written two novels and a number of short stories, edited them meticulously, then once they feel done, I instantly move on to a new project and forget them. (I occasionally read them for fun.) I believe in them, think they’re great, etc., but I just have zero energy or interest in getting them published. Might as well focus on swimming to the moon. Sometimes I think that’s a little weird, but I’ve accepted it. I am addicted to the creation part, though. Guess that makes me a confirmed amateur : )
But if the art is beautiful, would the artist not want the entire world to see their work?
@@beescheeseandwineplease889 Yes, it sometimes strikes me as odd. If I could snap my fingers and make them widely available to people, I would. Even for free! (though I need the money : ) But I just have no interest in the process of doing what it takes in the real world. Engagement with commercial publishing seems tedious, nearly impossible, and a bit dirty. Self-publishing seems difficult, time consuming, and pointless. I don’t know about anybody else, but I’ve found I can actually *live* in these stories. Why wouldn’t I spend my time there?
I am writing an historical novel and am in the process of turning my drafts in my notebook into a manuscript written on the computer, I have recently written a chapter that is only action which makes the heroes situation even worse than before and sets the tone for the rest of the story being even more dangerous for the heroes than it appeared to be.
Clicked on the video thinking it would be a technique video, happily finished video learning it was a mindset video. What wonderful advice! Thanks!
Also, I’m almost done with a big +200K mythological fantasy novel, and when I’m done, I’m going back for draft 3 of my 120K sports fantasy novel!
You made some incredibly practical points. I love to write, BUT I know my writing isn't marketable. That's not its purpose. In fact, literature traditionally hasn't been "popular." If you want to write for a career, you can write anything from how-to manuals to Harlequin romances, and do passably well if you can produce what people want. That's the key: you're writing for what your audience WANTS, which usually aren't deep philosophical insights. Instead, most Western readers want a rather simple, action-driven story. Obviously there are some people/books (Cormac McCarthy, maybe even Stephen King in some of his work, and the earliest part of The Walking Dead) who/that can bring literature into the popular sphere, but most publishing is to produce a product. Literature, by contrast, is generated from the spiritual core, with deep philosophical insights based on life-experiences. I'd say that most authors will write VERY few, often only one, truly great work in a lifetime. Literature cannot always be created on demand; published content has to be....yet the best writers (Jack London) can sneak great truths into the simplest-seeming stories.
Great advice. Thank you!
Hey Alyssa, thanks for the great video about the mentality differences between pro and amateur writers! Given your editorial experience, I think it would be interesting to hear your take on what separates a professional-level story from an amateur-level one. Have you ever been editing a story by an amateur and thought that it was good enough to be published by the Big 5? If so, what was it about those stories that stood you out to you? Thanks again!
I want to work with you as a novel writer
Hello again! Great video, I'm still in the querying process and the deadline for one of the agencies has passed without any response, but your videos always arrive on time to cheer me up. I will keep trying and keep improving!
As always, thank you. Setting aside technical idiosyncrasies, the main way in which I break the (unwritten) rules is in writing a science-fiction saga that incorporates a spiritual/religious element in its fundament. I have extensive experience in both the scientific and ecclesiastical domains, so I do not feel reluctant to do so.
Religion plays a *huge* role in science fiction. Clarke. Herbert. Asimov. The holy trinity (pardon the pun) of science fiction. I'll be interested to see the new twist you turn.
Thank you Alyssa. Hopefully I am like those things. I think I am. Writing is definitely a lifestyle to me. My current project is about a museum worker who’s dad he’s never talked to is a famous treasure hunter who died recently and my protagonist wants to prove he is the guys son and to discover the thing that got his dad killed. He finds that magic exists in our world (story never uses the word magic) and has a very special tool to find it. The title of the book is the name of the tool he and friends come to use. 😊
So helpful! Thank you!
I think these are likely good things for any author to periodically consider. I don't worry a lot about whether I'm a pro or not, but I worry a lot about what sort of writer I want to be, and these are key parts of figuring that out, or at least coming up with a temporary solution. Or possibly just a current path forward. For me, writing is a battle between staying on the course enough to get something done and open exploration. That's actually pretty well captured in your points.
Thanks for the thoughts!
Have been researching agents for a while now, but now that I’ve done with my readers and my edits, I’m ready to start writing the letters to send out so excited but nervous!
Also for fun lil drafting of the 2nd one in the trilogy.
That's so exciting - good luck with querying!
Doing this is entirely academic and for self-enjoyment/ self-development, on my end. The business end is something new and admittedly perplexing. Beyond all of those tedious logistics, publishing would be fine, although I cannot honestly see any audience for niche genre-geek deconstructions as being substantial enough for exploration by a publisher, and at a certain point altering something created makes the entire effort pointless when things like success, money, fame, validation, etc aren't a goal. Still, may be fun. Even though it'd be under a nom de guerra and I wouldn't tell anyone, lol. These videos are helpful. Thanks much!! Also: right now I've two projects ridiculously overwrought. Both about as purposefully distant from each other in style as I could, only genre in common being "Hard Science" amongst the myriad of each (all other genre components selected for not being often seem as compatible). Idk. New to talking about it too.
Great video. I am currently wrapping up a horror novel and work on the first draft to the sequel of my fantasy book Prophecy, The Chosen, And The Great Devourer A Kyewreth Tale. Yeah the sequel will have a shorter title... probably.
This video is helpful, and lets me know that I'm actually on the right path and already have that professional mentality. For me, when I get editing feedback, it's almost a game to me now. Because I know that it's not personal, it's professional. Now it's about how fast can I make the edits/changes, and how *well* can I implement them. It's a fun challenge for me. I don't feel like "Omg, I'm so terrible." Though in some cases, I feel like an idiot for not seeing the thing, but sometimes we're too close to the material. Or tired. Or just flawed. That feeling passes very briefly and it gets fixed fast.
So glad you found the video helpful. It sounds like you definitely have the right mindset when it comes to edits and feedback!
This beautifully sums up my favorite writers who I aspire to be like.
I walk the wire and balance between the two.
I would liken it to learning to play acoustic rhythm guitar chords solo. You can play the chords in sequence to a song and to a beat with the correct strumming patterns, but as backing to your voice it sounds bland and predictive. When you become proficient, and you add melody notes it fills out the tune and is far more interesting to listen to as a cover with your own interpretation. Write your own tune and it's exactly the same even though the chord patterns are the same as thousands of others.
The good thing about the advice mentioned on constructing a story is that expectations matter. Once you learn the basics and move onto 2nd, 3rd and 4th books and so on then you have the expectations in your head, You'll find that you auto target points to arrive at, though with some flexibility. As an example, take the inciting incident. It will become second nature to know where it is needed to kickstart the story. Miss it, and your story will be boring. I'm sure agents will look at the construct to expectations for the genre, especially with full requests unless you can tell me different. There must be a reason they ask for more than one page initially besides voice and that you can string more that two words together.
Hi, Alyssa. Is there a shortcut to learning the lingo of literary agents and publishers? I have nightmares about being lucky enough to meet with an agent, but I don't understand what she's talking about!
Thanks for this advice. I'm publishing with a small indie publisher, so probably able to publish more uncompromising work compared to publishing with big 5. Nonetheless, still collaborating with developmental editorial process, looking at whether some tonal shifts or heavy/extreme content might alienate some readers etc etc. Important to embrace the process of looking at revisions objectively!
I'm working on the second draft of my first novel. I get so much out of your videos, and feel blessed to have found you at such an important time. I have many questions, but proofreading is so crucial--do you have any advice?
Can you point me to the video where you talk about the websites to find editors etc I know for agents query tracker but you also gave another website that had really good info on it about editors and all different things I just can’t find it
Im currently re- re-re-re editing two novels (not ideal but I participated in contests so I couldn't use the same story twice) and have dedicated almost every day of my summer to that computer work.... first time ever that I don't feel like I'm wasting my summer! I really hope to be published one day, I crave feedback and criticism on my books! I write in french, my first language, since I'm from Quebec, and I'm a bit sad that not many high/low fantasy writers become popular compared to (i forgot the word in English but those crime-resolving stories).... but I know that over here, you DON'T get in it for the money, and my writing began so long before I even cared about money that I just need writing, no matter what happens!
I recently started watching and listening to your advice. Thank you for your professional expertise . . . very helpful. I completed a non-fiction book on leadership development and I am currently learning and searching for an agent to pursue publication with a major publisher or independent publisher. Much of your advice regarding novels is applicable to non-fiction books, but can you share the key differences between publishing non-fiction books vs novels?
Thank you for this Alyssa. I agree with you 💯 per cent. I've always had a rebellious streak, and sometimes it's really worked to my advantage during my life. I am doing the same as a debut author. Do you accept historical romance Ms? I also have a second ms which is a romance paranormal. Thanks for your informative videos. It really helps me. Your publishing knowledge is impressive.
I would like to buy an autograph copy of one of your books 😅😅😅😅😅
I'm in the beginning of revision and have found some major issues with my protagonist. And it's really daunting to have to go through and 'update' all of her interactions... Do you have some advice for how to tackle large/substantial edits to what is essentially the entire manuscript?
I feel like I have a basic understanding of writing, like grammar and vocabulary, and I'm also creative. Sometimes I just add too many details leaving the reader stuck and confused, so I doesn't flow.
Alyssa, I've recently been watching many of your videos and find them inspirational. Re treating writing seriously, I get up at 3am each day so I can work on the developmental edit of my first draft before going to work (I need to start my day job at 7.30am).
My question for you surrounds breaking the rules. My memoir is currently sitting at 150,000 words and I'm learning from various sources memoirs should be between 80,000 and 100,000. Do you have an opinion on this?
My memoir is about overcoming childhood trauma, being placed in care homes at 12 years old, spending 10 years in prison - periodically from 18 to 35 years old - and 17 years' substance abuse (heroin) then attending a rehabilitation programme. The icing on the cake came two years ago when I graduated from University of Cambridge with a master's in criminological research at 60 years old.
I'm now a public speaker at various universities here in the UK and there are interviews/talks on my CZcams channel here.
In your experience, what is the top line word count for a memoir?
Thank you so much for all your hard work!🎼🎷🎸🎵🎶🎓🌞🌈
I think wanting to be published so bad has hindered my ability to improve as a writer.
Done with my first manuscript, titled Truth. While it's under review from an indie publisher, I'm still revising it based on feedbacks from beta-readers. I've also started working two other book projects. I think writing Truth made me hungry to just never stop writing. I can only dream that C.H. Vinebo stand next to the likes of Stephen King, Dan Brown and their likes.
00:15 Nice..
Break the rules. 👍
Don't seek the widest audience. A hundred die-hard fans are more valuable in the long run than ten thousand one-time customers.
Hey maybe I'm less of an amateur than I thought! Though I still can't tell what side of the literary - commercial spectrum this damn book falls under. Fantasy has to be commercial, right?
How can you write with writer's block? I only produce bull, on block.
Hello! I’ve subscribed to you on your website and on app but I can’t receive the worksheet gift how to check my novel 😞 could you help me please?
Hi there - please send me an email at hello@alyssamatesic.com and I will resend it!
"Writing a novel is like building a wall brick by brick; only amateurs believe in inspiration." - Frank Yerby
MOST modern writers are absolutely unoriginal agenda driven copy and paste of previous great writers.Hence so many sequels,remakes of past classics.The list is too much to put here but look at every mainstream movie and show that is out today.Thats why I dont support the writers strike and alot of people ridicule them and l have the same argument--they need to be replaced by AI or at least better non agenda driven writers.
She's Hannibal lecter 😅 you don't get it
wait...we're supposed to break the rules now? And yet authors are supposed to religiously follow them
That's the difference between professional and amateur that she's referring to. The rules exist as a guideline to start you off with, but unless you do something to subvert them, the book will come out as formulaic and blending in with the crowd of other books that also follow the rules to the T (hence, it won't be a success). Professionals know how to bend the rules without breaking their story--it takes lots of skill, practice, and (most importantly) experience to effectively pull that off. If you told a newbie writer to ignore the rules right off the bat, they'll have a number of fundamental errors in their writing that'll be much harder to unlearn later on as they're improving.
It's not just writing that's like this, though. A myriad of professions in the entertainment business have rules of their craft, but only the best among them can bend those rules to work in their favor.
@@MagnusZero Yes, the rules exist for a reason and you must never break them. I know as I have been told this often and yet people/industry does it all the time and it is so annoying. They tell you not to do it, but they do it anyway lol. Either way, you're not supposed to break the rules because it will leave you as a poor writer according to other ''experts''. Now she tells us something else lol.
Listen to all the elites and it’s clear: as long as you know all the rules, you may break them. What’s clear is that ONLY those who are masters of the rules may break them. If there’s any suggestion you don’t know them (and this is almost exclusively based on your credentials) you may never break any rules or you’re simply a bad writer. #stupidity
@@andeeharry I'm... not seeing the issue here, to be honest. Anyone who's explicitly telling you to never deviate from the rules are most likely either, A) inflexible with their own style and taste in writing, pushing it onto others like it's the gospel. Or B) just parroting what they hear from the copious amounts of "gurus" in the writing space without understanding the nuances of writing for themselves.
It's like you said: rules exist for a reason. They're there for writers to understand the craft on a fundamental level. No one's telling us to break/ignore "ALL" the rules--that's not what Alyssa or anyone worth their salt is saying. Once you've mastered the craft enough, you'll understand the ins-and-outs of storytelling enough to realize the restrictions certain rules can have on your creativity. Not everyone's going to break the same rules, and when they do decide to break one, it won't even be an egregious one.
Take the so-called "never write a prologue" rule that gets regurgitated all over the place, for example. This exists because 9 times out of 10, an amateur writer simply isn't skilled enough to utilize a prologue properly, and they'll often use it to info dump a backstory, making it a requirement to understand something important in the story, or other things that could've been incorporated into the chapters instead (most people skip reading prologues if it's there). Meanwhile, a professional with experience under their belt can come along and say, "screw that. I'll write one anyway. It'll serve my particular story well if I do X, Y, and Z with it and not negatively impact my story if someone skips it."
A lot of rules like that aren't written in stone like they're the ten commandments (unless Writing Jesus exists somewhere). That's because so many successful authors have a unique style, and what works for one author won't always work for another. That's why, as an inexperienced writer, one needs to learn the fundamentals and develop their own style before even thinking of bending a rule or two. Once you get those down, you'll know exactly what you can tweak to allow your creativity to fully bloom.
Learn the rules so you know when it's okay to break them. For example, you shouldn't split infinitives, but there are times when a split infinitive makes more sense: "To boldy go where no man has gone before" is the classic example. "To go boldly ..." just doesn't have the same ring. You shouldn't start sentences with "And" or "But". On the other hand, if you do throw in a sentence that starts with "And" or "But", it can really draw the readers attention and give emphasis to that one sentence. The same is true with sentence fragments. If you use them frequently, your writing will be horribly choppy and seem unprofessional. If you use them sparringly, such as when a character is panicking or in a fight, it's a great way to communicate the character's frantic mental state.
In the real world, you should always obey the speed limit on the roads. If your kid is bleeding badly after playing around with a nail gun and there's no ambulance available, staying strictly at the speed limit is less important than getting them to a hospital.
my mom helps me with the spellin and all