How to Be a Fiction Writer (and Cry a Lot)

So you want to be a fiction writer? Go for it! ✍️ But before you dive in, I want you to know what you're getting into. Keep reading for the messy, hilarious truth about writing fiction — for anyone brave enough to start a novel and survive the process.

There’s so much more to writing than I ever imagined, much more than just “having a great idea.” When I first started, I had no clue how much went into turning that idea into an actual book. I'll do my best to lay it out for you— just remember, every writer’s path is different. What I’m sharing below is mainly geared toward novel writing, but short stories and poetry follow a similar track.

Ready? Here goes:

How to Be a Fiction Writer (and Cry a Lot):

• Step one: buy LOTS of notebooks (or, if you’re digital, clear space on your hard drive)

• Conceive of a story

  • Take the time to flesh it out

    • Planner: If you love to plan, chart out every blessed detail

      • this is where the many notebooks and computer skills come in handy

        • some people love to use sticky-notes and create a "murder wall"

    • Pantser: If you’re a seat-of-the-pants writer, let the story sweep you along for the ride — but at least sketch out the big plot points so you don’t get completely lost.

  • Decide if your project is a short story or novel-length

• Write a first draft

• CELEBRATE! You wrote an entire book! 🥳

• Read it

  • Hate it

• Put in the digital drawer of shame

• Think day and night about how you can make it better

• Pull it out of the drawer of shame and write a second draft

  • Edit like crazy

• Share with your critique group for comments/suggestions

  • Cry

  • Hate it...again

• Put it aside...again

• Edit again and again and again

  • Delete those sentences, paragraphs, and scenes that don't serve the story

  • Cry again 😭

  • Delete more creative darlings

• Send your book baby off to beta readers who will give you honest, actionable feedback

  • ask them to look for plot holes, clarity issues, and anything else that jumps out at them

• Take a GIANT breath and go for a long hike or bowling or whatever helps you blow of steam in a healthy way

• Create a query letter and synopsis (VERY different kind of writing)

  • try not to cry again, as this kind of shift from artistic creation to strategic presentation is brutal

• Research literary agents

  • Figure out their likes/dislikes

  • Check their submission requirements (every agent is different, of course 🙄)

  • Note open/closed submission windows (spoiler: many will be closed)

  • Research the authors and books they already represent

  • Read client reviews to get a sense of their personality and how the company operates

• Read your beta readers' notes and take the big stuff to heart

• Edit once more, until you've made it the absolute best story you can

  • Be honest about it. No, really

    • Go back to that one comment your critique partner or beta reader gave — you know, the one (or twenty) you discarded immediately — and give it more thought

• SPELLCHECK one last time

• Double check your file formatting and file names

• Send out to dozens of literary agents 🤞

  • Wait and wait and wait

  • Get a few requests for pages

  • Wait and wait and wait

  • Receive the interest of an agent, talk with them a few times, and be rejected

  • Receive rejection after rejection

    • Cry some more

• AND Repeat, ad nauseam...apparently

EVENTUALLY, it's possible to find an agent who's as excited about your story as you are. Hold out for that. Though I've yet to get this far myself (yet!), I ascribe to this philosophy:

• Your novel is a piece of art. There are many styles and many audiences. The trick is to send your Monet-book out to Monet-lovers, not to Picasso-lovers. Sadly, there’s no Book-Art Gallery where we can hang our queries for the right agent to stroll past and fall in love. Instead, we must go email by email and knock by knock, until one says, "This. I want to represent a story like yours."

Working through this process more than once has taught me a lot about my own blind spots as a writer — and about my resilience. It reminded me of something important: no matter where you are in your journey, writing is never simple. Be willing to learn and grow your craft, but never compromise on what's most important to you based on what's currently popular in fiction.

Are you still interested in writing? Then go for it! Just don’t say I didn’t warn you… 📚❤️

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