Aphrodite Jones True Crime Author

My first piece of advice to all new writers is to ask of them, "What is motivating you to write? Where did you first find inspiration, which moved you to want to write?" Find the basis of what you find so appealing about writing, and then keep true to that philosophy. If you write about what you know, if you write about your passions, you’ll find that writing can be a great communication tool. If you work on communicating through written language, your writing will help you in any field of endeavor.

My second piece of advice for aspiring writers is to surround yourself with sources of inspiration. Writing is a difficult occupation. If you look at writing solely in terms of a job, it is a difficult job to succeed at, because so many people get to weigh in on your progress and success as a writer. Let's set aside critics for a moment. I'm talking about finding a way to just get published. Publishing is a marketplace-driven industry. Keep in mind that publishers look at the commercial value of writing. Even when you find your "voice," you need to be prepared for rejection. It’s hard to keep yourself inspired, but if you keep yourself writing, no matter what, rejection will be a stepping stone along the way, not a road block. In order to keep your dream of writing alive, you will need to find a strong sense of purpose, but more than that, you need to just do it! Don’t forget that half of the battle is getting it down on paper – the other half is being able to re-write your work over and over, until you decide your writing is strong enough.

When I was just out of college, I applied for a job as an editor of a publishing company. During the job interview, I foolishly said that I had a passion for writing. Eventually, I was not hired, and I think it was precisely because I revealed that my ultimate goal was to become an author. The lesson I got from that is: if your passion is writing, you need to say it, even in the face of rejection. Being without work and without pay after college was tough, but I held tight to my dream of writing, even when I was told, “You will never get published.”

My third piece of advice is probably the most important for new writers: “Writing is re-writing.” You can’t be afraid to edit your own work. Some people think that writing should be automatic, that they should get it right the first time. Wrong. It’s quite the opposite. Writing is like sculpting, you must continue to chisel away at the product, and work to polish your writing over and over again. I typically write each chapter about 30 times before I feel it’s good enough. If you haven’t written anything yet, I recommend that you buy books written by your favorite authors. I would encourage you to write in the margins of your own copies of books, and make notations to yourself about what works well in the books that you are reading. You can learn how to move your narrative by using literary devices others have used. If you can learn how to edit your own writing, you will start to become a professional writer. No one gets it right the first time. Even if it’s brilliant, it can always be better. Remember that.

In my second book, Cruel Sacrifice, I had the challenge of being both thorough and, at the same time, economical with my narrative. I had to painstakingly document the tragic backgrounds of some of the people involved in that story, and yet I had to do it in such a way as to be compelling. The social message in that book was so important to me, that I had to find a way to include as much information as possible, but not turn away readers with too much information. When Cruel Sacrifice became a bestseller on The New York Times list, I felt that readers had connected with me, and somehow liked my “chatty” writing style. I wrote that book believing it would sell, even though I was told that true crime wasn’t a popular genre. The lesson: listen to your heart, not what people tell you. You can present the most difficult content in a way that will be engaging. Just believe in yourself, and you will move people to read your work.

My final piece of advice to new writers is to practice writing. For one thing, I use a technique called “free writing,” where I just start writing anything that comes into my head for five minutes. Then I print it, and re-write it, over and over, until I have written something interesting. Don’t mistake practicing writing for blogging. Blogging is important and is an effective way to reach people on the Internet, but only blog after you’ve become comfortable with your “voice” and have practiced the re-writing technique. Think of writing as a craft – use traditional methods of practicing writing, even though it may seem too obvious or boring. Don't think you’re above a re-write. It’s what writing is about. If you get “married” to your words on paper, you will just limit yourself in terms of making your work stronger. I can’t tell you how many times I look at a manuscript and see things that I can improve. Consider practicing writing before you start a blog. I guarantee you that your fellow bloggers will notice the quality of your work and you will gain respect from your audience.

Looming large over your desire to write is the role that society ascribes to writers. Part of this role is what critics react to. Another part of this role is what your readers react to. Writing for the public means you are standing inside of an important role for society. You are saying that you have something to share, in written words, which might bring some benefit to society. Either you write for art's sake, or you write with the intent of furthering a cause. In my case, I do both. Consequently, my writing invites people's reaction. Regardless of the kind of writing you decide to do, you are going to invite the feedback of critics and readers. My advice to you is that you need to develop a high degree of comfort with criticism and feedback. Because writing brings you into a public role, the public begins to examine so much about you as a person. Because of the critical, sometimes harsh, look that the public takes of you and of your work, it is not an easy proposition to “put yourself out there.” If you feel that you’ve got a writer hidden inside you, keep finding ways to inspire yourself, keep writing and re-writing, even in the face of criticism, which, at times, can be unflattering and even devastating. If it is your dream to write, then don't give up on it. Some people write, others just sit around and criticize them for it.

Remember that when trying to become a professional writer, you might try to find work that is related to writing, so you can pay your bills, while you follow your dream of writing. In my own life, at times I have worked as a syndicated journalist, a radio news director, a television reporter, a cable news analyst, and a college professor. All of these different jobs have been related to my passion for writing. Because it is a challenge to be able to make a living during the years between book deals, I have had to find a way to keep myself productive. There is no easy way to become a professional writer. You have to be prepared to make some compromises in order to follow your dream.

The reward of having a writing career has come in the form of praise from my fans, who have told me that they have seen my writing style evolve and my role in society change. When I started out as a writer, I was a syndicated journalist. My first platform was limited to a word count, and my beat was limited. Now, I use the platform of books, and that gives me the freedom to approach my subjects with much broader strokes. At the moment, I have published eight books, three of which became films. Can I say I am pleased by the fruits of my labor? NO. I still write everyday – knowing that the next book will be hard work, that I will be re-writing for eternity. Do I think my books make a difference? Sometimes. But in the end, I know I have had the courage to dare to make a living as a writer – something that I suggest is satisfying beyond comprehension.

I hope that you realize your dreams of writing. As a writer, one of the greatest pleasures I have is to sign copies of my books for my readers. I look forward to the day when one of my fans sends me an autographed copy of their first book. Good luck to all of you writers out there -- everywhere.