The Creative Writer's Survival Guide: Advice from an Unrepentant Novelist

290 Pages·2010·1.93 MB·English

by  John McNally

The
Creative
Writer’s
Survival
Guide

The
Creative
Writer’s
Survival
Guide
Advice from
an Unrepentant
Novelist
John McNally
university of iowa press, iowa city
University of Iowa Press, Iowa City 52242
Copyright © 2010 by John McNally
www.uiowapress.org
Printed in the United States of America
Design by Richard Hendel
No part of this book may be reproduced or used
in any form or by any means without permission
in writing from the publisher. All reasonable steps
have been taken to contact copyright holders of
material used in this book. The publisher would
be pleased to make suitable arrangements with
any whom it has not been possible to reach.
The University of Iowa Press is a member of
Green Press Initiative and is committed to preserving
natural resources.
Printed on acid- free paper
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McNally, John, 1965–
The creative writer’s survival guide: advice from an
unrepentant novelist / by John McNally.
p.  cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn-13: 978-1-58729-920-9 (pbk.)
isbn-10: 1-58729-920-8 (pbk.)
isbn-13: 978-1-58729-949-0 (ebook)
isbn-10: 1-58729-949-6 (ebook)
1. Authorship—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Creative
writing—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Authorship—
Marketing—Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title.
pn147.m478 2010
808′.02—dc22   2010006337
This one’s for Amy.
If I have anything to say to young writers,
it’s stop thinking of writing as art. Think of it as work.
If you’re an artist, whatever you do is going to be art.
If you’re not an artist, at least you can do a good
day’s work.
— Paddy Chayefsky, Academy Award–winning
screenwriter, from an interview in American
Film
Contents
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Writer’s Wonderland—Or: A Warning xi
PART ONE: The Decision to Become a Writer
This Writer’s Beginnings 3
Knowing Why 7
What Have You Ever Done That’s Worth Writing About? 10
Perseverance 13
Do You Have What It Takes? 17
My Own Illogical Journey 19
PART TwO: Education and the Writer
Learn Your Craft 25
Can Writing Be Taught? 28
Going It Alone 31
Creative Writing Degrees: What Are They? 32
The MFA Controversy 46
Choosing the Right Graduate Program 53
The Graduate School Application Process 55
Student Loans 65
Feedback in the Workshop: Giving It and Taking It 67
Learn Punctuation and Grammar 71
How Much Should You Bother Your Teacher after You’re
No Longer in Class? 73
The Professional Student 75
PART ThREE: Getting Published
The Secret to Getting Published 79
Publishing in Magazines 80
Why Publish in Magazines? 84
The Cover Letter 86
Simultaneous Submissions 90
The Slush Pile 92
Publishing a Book: The Pros and Cons of Print- on- Demand,
Vanity Presses, Small Presses, University Presses, and
Commercial Presses 94
Agents 106
The Query Letter 117
Rejection: Putting It in Perspective 121
Conferences and Book Festivals 126
Your Critics, and How to Deal with Them 128
The Sales Figure Myth 132
The Necessity of Failure 135
Thinking outside Your Genre 137
The Future of Publishing 139
PART fOuR: Publicity
Websites 145
Building a Mailing List 150
Social Networking—Or: Where Did Those Last Five Hours Go? 152
The Blog 154
Networking 158
Getting to Know Booksellers 160
Conferences 163
Book Festivals 166
Bookstore Signings, University Lectures,
and Other Humbling Experiences 168
Libraries 172
Finding the Odd Venue to Promote Your Book 174
Buying Copies of Your Own Book 176
Gimmicks 178
Blurbs 180
Writing Book Reviews, Op- Eds, and Other
Miscellanea to Promote Your Own Book 182
Selling Serial Rights 184
Alumni Magazines 185
Hiring an Independent Publicist 186
PART fivE: Employment for Writers
Jobs for Writers 195
Publishing Jobs 199
Landing a Teaching Position 201
Seven Types of MLA Interview Committees 210
The Effects of Academia on Your Writing 214
PART six: The Writer’s Life
Making Writing a Habit 219
Talking about Writing Isn’t Writing 226
Reading with Humility 228
The Writer’s Vices 231
Money and the Writer 233
Dating (or Marrying) a Writer 235
Writing as a Competitive Sport 236
Manners 237
On Being Humble 240
Dealing with Fame 241
You’ve Published a Book—Now What? 242
Notes 245
Ten Rules to Keep near You 247
My Five Favorite Movies about Writers 249
Recommended Reading 251
Bibliography 257
Acknowledgments 261
Index 263