Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer: The Artistry, Joy, and Career of Storytelling

by J. Michael Straczynski

Overview

2021 Best Indie Book Award - Writing

In the words of novelist Harlan Ellison, "The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer.

New York Times bestselling author and British Academy Award nominee J. Michael Straczynski knew he wanted to be a writer ever since he was a child. What he didn't know was how to actually become, or stay, a writer.

Now, he's giving fellow writers the comprehensive guide he wishes he had all along, personalized tips and techniques that can't be found in any other book on writing.

Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer culls from Straczynski's more than thirty years of experience writing for film, television, books, and comics. Designed for writers in any stage of their career, this quirky, insightful and often humorous book provides an inside look at these industries with advice and wisdom covering such topics such as:

What fledgling writers need to know to improve and sell their work—and avoid wasting valuable time

Tips for experienced writers who want to get to the next level

Staying disciplined when writing is your day job

Why writers should never wait for inspiration

Story-planning strategies that don't kill your spontaneity

Expert techniques for effective, memorable world-building

How to get an agent and survive the writer's journey in more personal relationships

Revising and editing with precision

When and how to reinvent yourself as an artist

Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer includes Straczynski's unique, tried-and-true methodologies that will help storytellers sharpen their work so that it's polished and ready for publication. Part toolbox and part survival guide, this book will be an indispensable guide throughout your entire writing career, offering fresh and practical insights every step of the way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781950665884
Publisher:	BenBella Books
Publication date:	06/01/2021
Pages:	230
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

J. Michael Straczynski has written for TV, film, streaming video and audio, comic books, fiction and nonfiction. He began his career as a reporter for The Los Angeles Times, The Los Angeles Herald Examiner, and TIME Inc., before going on to work in television and film, creating series such as Sense8 for Netflix, and writing the Oscar-nominated Changeling directed by Clint Eastwood. His other work includes Babylon 5, Thor (both the movie and the comic), audio dramas for Syfy and Penguin/Random House, and a six year run on The Amazing Spider-Man. His autobiography, Becoming Superman, was published in 2019 to rave reviews in the Wall Street Journal, NPR, BBC and the Washington Post. His work in comics has sold 13 million individual copies, and his graphic novels have frequently appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. His latest novel, Together We Will Go, will be released in March 2021 from Simon & Shuster.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Why This Book? 1

Becoming a Writer

In Which We Discuss Murdered Typewriters, Lost Loves, and the Writing Impulse 7

Who Are You? Version 1.0 21

Writing for the Workshop 27

Sanding It Down 35

Building Characters and Worlds 43

Muse-Ings 55

You Can't Sell an Idea 63

Shark Alert! 71

Hearing Voices 81

Finish the Damned Thing 87

Hills, Valleys, and the Refractory Period 93

Questions of Intent 99

How to Build a Monster in Three Easy Lessons 105

To the University or College Student 113

Systems of Creation 121

Making Time 131

Value Added 135

Staying Writer

Who Are You? Version 2.0 141

Nota Bene 143

Agents of Darkness 151

Imposter Syndrome 161

Annnnd Here's the Pitch 167

Several Hundred Words About Writer's Block 177

Turning It Upside Down 183

Two for the Price of Fun 189

What's in the Box? 195

The Thick Plotens 199

Living (or at Least Surviving) the Writing life 205

Concluding Thoughts: Touching the World 215

Acknowledgments 221

Index 223

About the Author 229

Editorial Reviews

06/07/2021

Screenwriter Straczynski (Becoming Superman) brings his 40 years of writing experience to this abrasive if intermittently insightful guide to the writing business. Aiming to deliver “accurate, practical, and advanced information that can’t be found inside the classroom or within the pages of baseline writing books,” Straczynski draws on his time writing scripts for Steven Spielberg and revitalizing such comic book franchises as Thor. These experiences give his tips real-world authority: his advice on how to pitch to a producer (start with an intro, describe the characters, then the story) and how to jump-start one’s daily writing routine (eschew perfection and just write a sentence, even if it’s awful) are practical and valuable. But his opinions can come across as dismissive—he rants against a Los Angeles Science Fiction Convention regular for not completing his manuscript——and his examples, such as explaining word-by-word the edits he made to previous drafts of this book end up being exhausting rather than exhaustive. Straczynski’s goal to “reach back and help the next person up the ladder” of a writing career is laudable, but the execution is flawed. Aspiring writers can look elsewhere. Agent: Emma Parry, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (June)

Publishers Weekly