Badger Badger Badger.

I don't usually think that book reviews and summaries make for very interesting writing, but I'm going for it anyway. A professor of one of my journalism classes recommended Making a Literary Life to me after I expressed my interest in exploring creative writing. A little background on me: I've had aspirations of being a writer/novelist for as long as I can remember. My Dad and I are voracious readers. I grew up reading all the classic novels and many famous works of literature passed down to me by my parents. I fell in love with Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" when I was 9. I read that book dozens of times, staying up all night just to squeeze in a few more chapters.  After discovering this book, I knew for sure that I wanted to be a writer. I have always had a fear, however, that pursuing a career as a writer would be a completely impractical venture, and one that would inevitably lead to poverty and failure. My parents beat me over the head with their not-so-subtle reminders of, "You'll never succeed in life and get by as a writer." "How do you plan on supporting yourself like that? You better hope that you marry a doctor!" Or "You'd have better luck trying to make it as a starving artist."

So with that in mind, I chose journalism as my major, thinking it would be a more lucrative route to writing professionally. Yeah, I was really wrong about that. Silly, silly me. That and I absolutely despise journalism.

Anyway, about the book I read...
I was very pleased in reading Carolyn See's book, Making A Literary Life, as it offers a beacon of hope to self-doubting, aspiring writers such as myself. It's a very pragmatic, almost step-by-step guide to help writers with the goal in mind to get your novel (short story, memoirs) published.
Carolyn See begins with the process of becoming a writer and accepting yourself as one. She recommends that you "write with what you know"; to find your material from your own life. Fashion your characters from the real life people you know. Find your voice. Write 1,000 words each day, five days a week. Surround yourself with people that support you as a writer. Use positive affirmations.

Carolyn See also instructs on how to be more professional and how to try to engage in a sort of "courtship" with the writing world to help get your writing in it. She stresses the importance of networking, with everyone. Save every address, phone number, and email address. She also recommends that writers ALWAYS leave thank-you notes -- to other writers whose works you appreciate, to publishers after they reject your writing -- but to never beg or grovel.

In the second portion of the book, See covers various literary devices that writers must use in writing fiction -- character, plot, point of view, time, space, scene, place, and rewriting.

The last portion of the book instructs on how to save and plan to travel to New York City to get your novel published. See even gets into how to get grants (which you will need, choke, gag), what expenses you can deduct in your taxes, and how to throw a publishing party, to name a few.

Living a Literary Life doesn't try to give its readers false hope or romanticize being a professional writer. See notes that you will be rejected, probably countless times, but there are ways to be successful.
It may be a long shot for me, but you never know...