While writing an article praising the publishing success of Octavia E. Butler in a genre dominated by white men, I opened up Bloodchild and Other Stories, a collection that also includes two essays, one about how Butler got her start as a writer and another entitled “Furor Scribendi” (a rage for writing).
Butler’s advice for how to become a writer is probably the best I’ve ever read, a friendly encouragement to me as I’m trying to publish my work. Here’s what she says.
- Read about writing and read the type of books you want to write.
- Take classes and go to writers’ workshops.
- Write every day, even if you don’t want to.
- Revise your writing until it’s the best you can make it.
- Submit your work for publication.
- Persist.
And that’s it. It isn’t easy, but it isn’t really hard either. If I keep at it for a few more years, I’m bound to make a professional sale. Because there’s talking about wanting someday to be a writer and then there’s doing what Octavia E. Butler tells you to do.
I plan to take her advice.
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