Gaining Experience

This last weekend, I was working with my Developmental Editing class at the UCLA Extension program. One of the participants brought up an interesting question that I believe works well with writers out there.

She was asking about internships and jobs in the publishing field, more specifically, how to break into editing work without a lot of experience. Now, in her case, she has a BA and an MFA. She has been working on writing as well and is now taking courses with UCLA. Still, she is finding that so many of the places she has looked are asking for a lot of experience. This really goes back to the same thing and Army commercial said back in the laste 70's and early 80's. How do you get experience for a job without having that job to get the experience?

Now, on the surface, it would seem like she is really doing all of the right things. In fact, she is indeed making great moves. However, all of her work has been, for lack of a better word, academic. She doesn't have actual "seat time" doing editorial work.

So, how does this work with writers? It is actually the same thing. To be a successful writer takes time actually writing. I know, I have said this before, and I am saying it again today. Writing one book and wondering why you haven't "made it yet" all goes back to that experience concept. The odds are really against you with just one book. Yes, it does happen. And yes, there are people who have an inherent ability to craft a great story, but it will take time. 

Of course, many writers then turn to thinking they can improve their writing by taking workshop after workshop or reading countless books on the craft. Some will pay a ton of money just to "learn how to write better." The problem, however, is that they are not writing. Understand, however, that I am not saying taking these courses can't help. We can learn a lot, but it HAS TO be connected to your writing. 

Again, we are talking about experience.

We have to write to gain experience. This is not just mindless writing or typing furiously to produce a lot of books. It is a conscious effort to write and think about what we are writing. It is a conscious effort to learn by observing others, dissecting great novels and then practicing and integrating those ideas into our own work. Not just copying what others do, but making our writing a synthesis of all we have learned. This is experience.

So, quit rushing. Learn and grow as a writer.