Is it worth becoming a writer? General rules for writing works. - What does this fundamentally change?

Ask others: how to become a writer? What does this require? The overwhelming majority will answer: literary talent. What is talent? Innate data? To some extent - yes. But how absolute pitch does not make a person a musician, nor does natural ability for literature make an author a Master.

If talent were the key factor, then Tolstoy would have written War and Peace at the age of sixteen: why wait if everything is already with you?

The role of innate abilities

Writing ability, or rather, the tendency to express thoughts in writing, is an important, but far from the only condition. Life experience, education and skills play no less a role.

It is impossible to put on skates for the first time and immediately win an Olympic medal. In the same way, it is impossible to sit down at the table and immediately, without preparation, write good book.

The role of training

Many people think that if you read a lot, then this is a guarantee that you can write well. But no one plays the piano after attending someone else's concert; no one learns to draw after looking at an album of reproductions of great artists. The same thing happens in the field of literature: if we want to learn to write, we need to go through a learning stage.

Theory and practice

Like any art form, literature is based on clear rules. Some writers master them intuitively - and this takes years, but the same amount of information can be obtained much faster - from textbooks.

Of course, theory alone is not enough: practice is required. We all start from scratch: we learn letters, put words into sentences, but some people stop developing at the level school essay, and someone goes further.

What is success in literature?

The golden rule of success: each of your works should be better than the previous one. Then sooner or later you will reach your goal - simply because you do not leave the distance. This can be achieved only in one case - if you passionately love your job. Love not just to write, but to grow on yourself and constantly learn new things.

Survival in the art market

The master does not work for money, not for fame - he works out of love. But art always takes a lot of time, and the author has to solve the eternal dilemma: if you earn money, then there is no time to really write, and if you write and don’t earn money, who will feed the family?

What does an aspiring author need to know?

Today the book market is overstocked: there are many more books and writers than it can consume. Therefore, it is incredibly difficult to stand out from the crowd. You will spend years writing the Book of Your Whole Life, you will spend months, if not years, submitting it to a publishing house, and it will be published in a circulation of three thousand copies and will disappear into the flow of books. So iron nerves- absolutely required quality for a writer: there is no other way to survive in this profession.

It would seem that there is little happiness in being published in a tiny edition for ridiculous money. But it is by no means easy for a newcomer to get into print, even if he has an excellent manuscript. The only thing that will help him is knowledge of the publishing market. Then he will act with precise calculation, understanding who and under what conditions can buy the rights to his work.

Extremely important businessman skills. A manuscript is a commodity, and you need to be able to sell it. And not only for the publisher, but also for the reader. If you do not actively promote your work, it is quite possible that only book warehouse workers and a few hundred random buyers will know about its existence.

How can The Writer's Handbook help you?

The Writer's Handbook is something I've learned over 15 years in literature. You will not find abstract theories here - all advice has been repeatedly tested by experience. My point of view may not coincide with classical literary criticism, but I am not speaking here as a literary critic. My goal is to provide useful information.

Of course, I’m not saying that you should write only one way and no other way. The writer's reference book is guidelines that are worth paying attention to, and the author must decide for himself which direction to go.

This site is for those who want to make a career in literature. Those who are in love with their profession, those who cannot imagine life without drafts and original copies. For those who are ready to learn, overcome difficulties and accomplish the impossible.

Greetings, Dear friends. Today we’ll talk about how to become a writer and where to start. I know from myself how difficult it is to take the first steps without falling into a quagmire of doubts. In this article I have collected the most practical tips. By using them, you will achieve success faster than expected.

Where to get inspiration

Many aspiring writers complain about the same thing: they put Blank sheet paper and... chewing on a pencil for hours - “What should I write about?”

Inspiration doesn't come out of nowhere. He always needs to be “fed.” And, thank God, there is plenty of food: a book read, a film seen, a conversation heard... By the way, Dostoevsky drew inspiration from crime chronicles, Tolstoy - from salon gossip.

Nowadays it’s even easier: just turn on the TV, go online or go for a ride public transport, to “fish out” a topic for reflection.

Focus

When you notice something interesting, don't rely solely on your good memory. Carry a notepad and pen with you. Many authors are belatedly annoyed: having lifted their inspired fingers over the keyboard, they realize that important details missed or simply not remembered.

Always be fully prepared. Imagine a hunter who has discovered his long-awaited prey: he sees the target right in front of him, his hand is already reaching behind his back to quickly grab his weapon and... it turns out that he left his bow and arrows at home.

You can write down anything: a random conflict, unexpected phrases, bright characters... The ability to notice details will become a very useful writing habit.

Instead of a notepad, you can use your phone and take notes there.

Practice and more practice

Can you imagine a way to build muscle through sheer force of will? Are you smiling? You're doing the right thing. It is clear that the figure is made with dumbbells in hands, making specific efforts.

So it is here. Just lying on the couch and dreaming about an unborn book will not work. To become a writer, you need to start writing. The truth is as old as time, but still just as fair.

Get into the habit of writing every day for at least an hour or two. Even if you don’t have a ready-made plot in your head yet. Just describe what you found interesting during your day. Very often, such small notes become an inexhaustible source for full-fledged stories.

A little about the complexes

Surely you have heard many times that only an exceptionally literate person can become a writer. Do you agree with this opinion?

“How will everyone see my mistakes? - the aspiring writer reflects, - Nooo, I’d better first re-read the textbooks on grammar, style and punctuation, practice the exercises, work with a tutor, get a bachelor’s degree in philology...”

Of course, you need to learn to write correctly. Even seasoned and seasoned writers learn. They study all their lives! Because there is no limit to perfection.

Most quick way Learning to express thoughts competently means writing them. And when in doubt where to put a comma, today there are many reference books and free online services at your service. You can, in the end, contact the editors (but this is no longer free, of course). A freelancer search site is also always at your service, where you can find a proofreader at a reasonable price.

Get a special notebook and write down your mistakes so you don’t repeat them next time. A little patience - and literacy will become your integral quality.

And read, of course. Read the texts of those who already master the skill of eloquence. You will be surprised how quickly your own speech will become rich, multifaceted and correct.

Do we need to reinvent the wheel?

The first story or book is rarely successful right away if there is no one to support and direct enthusiasm in the right direction. Lacking sufficient experience and skill, young authors first begin to write, then realize that they did not take something into account in advance, rewrite huge chunks and even abandon everything halfway through.

Ready-made techniques, polished by experienced teachers and tested in practice, help to overcome such torment. They become a compass that will not let you go astray. There is nothing incomprehensible or complicated in the process of creating a book. Follow the diagrams and go ahead! Only your heels (sorry, your arms) sparkle on the path to success.

In my courses “How to quickly write a book”, in just one seminar, all the wisdom of planning and step-by-step creation of a work of any size is explained. (You can see more details).

What else can confuse you on the path to fame?

Online projects are good because they allow you to quickly track reader feedback. An aspiring writer does not need to languish for months in uncertainty to hear opinions about his work.

Don't be afraid of criticism. The fear of public discussion fetters the novice author, forcing him to put what he has written on the table. Feel free to go “in public.” This is the only way you can become famous today. Or are you waiting for the manuscript unrecognized genius Will descendants dig it up? 🙂

Connect with your readers. You will quickly understand what qualities you need to improve as a writer. It is clear that not all criticisms turn out to be justified. But some of them can become an invaluable “kick” to perfection.

You need to be afraid not of criticism, but of groundless flattery, which lulls vigilance and the desire to develop.

Let's sum it up

Writing is a set of certain skills that can be mastered by observing those around you, constantly practicing writing, and improving your speech. And of course, it doesn’t hurt to master the technique of quickly structuring works.

Each of the listed points will definitely be discussed in more depth on this blog. Subscribe to the news so you don't miss interesting discussions.

Now read about that, and if you already have a manuscript.

For own development there is only one path in writing. Advancement to Olympus of glory and honor depends only on perseverance, constant self-development and hard work.

How Chekhov became a writer

Chekhov A.P. by vocation he was a doctor. The impoverished Chekhov family needed material resources. While still a high school student, P.V. Chekhov began writing short humorous stories to the local newspaper for pennies. Having honed his skills and literary style, Chekhov A.P. already in student years, became one of the most successful writers of the past and present. His stories became world bestsellers already during his youth. After graduating from medical university, Chekhov A.P. did not leave his “much writing”. Chekhov took the plot for his stories from his ordinary life, interestingly describing the life of ordinary people.

How Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich became a writer

Tolstoy Lev Nikolaevich was born into a family of counts, but early became an orphan. After receiving home education, Lev becomes a student at the Faculty of Philosophy at Kazan University.

The search for his path throws him either towards an exemplary student who wants to take the place of an official, or towards a riotous Kuter, striving only for military career.

After Lev Nikolaevich lost all his small savings at cards and got into uncontrollable debts, under the patronage of his brother Nikolai, the young man leaves for the Caucasus, to Cossack village. There his first literary work, “Childhood,” appears.

Publication " Sevastopol stories", also appeared under the impression military service in the Sevastopol. The great Russian writer Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy was explosive and fickle, but a loyal citizen of Russia. He wrote many famous world works. But there are still a lot of unfinished works left. For example, the story “Youth,” which serves as a continuation of the famous trilogy, was never completed.

Life path Tolstoy often made sharp turns, either renouncing literature in the direction of religious reasoning, or vice versa, returning him to literature with new stories that shocked the literary community.

How to become a writer - where to start

To become a writer you need:

1. Competent writing and spelling errors will not be forgiven, even if you have limitless imagination.
2. Writing talent or creative mind. The ability to present ordinary things in an interesting way, to captivate the main character. Dry stories and reports will not particularly interest anyone, and they certainly will not bring material wealth.
3. Hard work and an iron will to achieve results. Many people may have the talent to write, but the ability to sit at the keyboard for more than one hour every day is found in very few people. To train, those who want to become a writer need to set themselves a minimum amount of work every day, for example, 2-3 hours of active work. And after some time the result will be obvious, writing 1 page per day, in a year you will get a book!
4. Constant self-education. By improving every day, experience will come over time and a unique style will appear. To develop typing speed and determine his element in literature, an aspiring writer needs to start with publications in small magazines, become a freelance journalist, and earn extra money in thematic literary communities. In general, to touch the daily creative work.
5. Read a lot. Must read classical works. You can get drunk in them literary devices, enrich your lexicon. By reading and thinking about what you read, you can find new story for your own story.

How to become a famous writer

1. Write every day on topics that interest you. If a plot emerges, then write short story. Make all adjustments after finishing the work.
2. Showcase your creation, for example, on your own blog or on social media pages. If you have fans and connoisseurs of talent, this will only help you find your way.
3. Come up with an interesting and easy to remember nickname. An easy nickname, one of the components of fame.
4. Be happy to collaborate with different publications, no matter if it is a local newspaper or a well-promoted web resource.
5. Never give up! Often, success requires overcoming kilometers of work, disappointments and criticism. Any assessment from your readers, even negative ones, are your beacons that allow you not to go astray and help you find the right direction.
6. Don't be afraid to express yourself. Look for opportunities for your publications. If you can’t find a sponsor for a long time, resort to the help of social media. networks. There are a huge number of charitable literary communities on the Internet. Where, having presented your idea and some parts of the future book, you can collect a grain of sand to publish your literary masterpiece.

How to become a children's writer

The main requirement in order to become a children's writer is love for children and boundless imagination. Often, children's writers become famous loving parents composing their own fairy tales for their beloved children.

Many of you have tried literature, at least as a memoirist, but have you seriously thought about a career as a writer? If yes, then you are probably disappointed in her. This profession is one of the lowest paid in the world, in addition, the first steps take a very long time. for a long time, and yet it implies a free schedule, professional self-development and, of course, recognition and love from readers.

How to become a writer? A future as a writer requires a lot of investment, but water wears away stones. Gradual practice and patience can turn into major success, so why not make writing a daily routine? Here are some tips to help you get ahead.

Preparing for work

For a successful creative path, you need to arm yourself with more than just a word processor or writing instruments. You will also need two dictionaries: explanatory and synonyms.

The language you use to communicate is different from written language, so just because you can speak coherently and beautifully doesn't mean your pen is as skilled. You can use resources to check spelling and punctuation (for example, orfogrammka.ru), but they are far from perfect, so it is better to master all the intricacies of the language on your own. The site gramota.ru will help you with this, which explains the rules of writing using examples.

Where to start and what to continue

Just as any talent begins with education, future writer– is an avid reader. You cannot write a good book without familiarizing yourself with the basics and techniques of literary work and modern trends, and the more you read, the more skilled a writer you become.

To write well, you must understand the essence of literature. Claude Helvetius said: “Knowledge of certain principles easily compensates for ignorance of certain facts.” Anyone who understands the principles can write brilliantly after reading just a few books, but someone who doesn’t even make hundreds of books can become an author. best works peace. It all seems very abstract, but the desire to learn and understand makes any science simple and obvious.

Writing skills require a lot of practice, and for this you need to acquire two qualities - patience and consistency. A real writer understands that the first success can wait for him for several years, and recognition for his merits and all his life, so if you are seriously interested in writing, you must accept this fact. But patience without organized labor is worthless. The soil of future success must be watered daily literary work, and every day of downtime kills the sprout, so writing will be your responsibility. Even the 250-word limit will yield one major novel or two medium-sized novels at the end of the year.

Shape selection

Story (1,000 – 25,000 words) is a short work in which main role the idea plays, and the accompanying elements often serve as a barely noticeable background. He is the successor of oral folklore genres, therefore the structure and basics of this form should be presented as if the author was talking about something in life or adapting long stories for speaking in abbreviations and retelling.

The story pays more attention to the sequence of events than to their description, and the feelings of the characters are most often the result of the events that occurred rather than the accompanying elements of the story. The key role in this form is played by the story, with which the reader must go through the work from beginning to end without hesitation. Meticulous details and crushed storylines only distract from this goal, so the former should be minimized and the latter should be eliminated.

A story (20,000 – 50,000 words) In the Russian tradition, for a long time everything that did not reach the volume of a novel was called, but later it dissociated itself from the story. At the center of this genre is main character(or several, but united in the narrative), the experiences of which are the main task of the author. The writer must create a character whose fate would interest the reader, and this can be achieved by focusing on his personality and feelings. The events of the story unfold over a short general period of time, that is, the plot can last several days in total, but this time can be separated by months and decades.

Novel (30,000 words – unlimited)- the largest and most diverse literary form. If in the two previous genres the author follows a certain writing style, then in such a free form he can realize whatever he wants. The purpose of a novel can be anything - establishing a protagonist, a fast-paced adventure, focusing on small elements to convey Everyday life etc. The writer himself determines the percentage of certain elements in his work, the main thing is that the narrative is harmonious.

The structures of these forms are very different, so if you get good at writing short stories, this does not mean that you will also succeed at writing long prose, so you better decide right away what genre you will work in. Of course, a writer must master all forms, but at the beginning of his creative journey it is better to concentrate on one in order to succeed in it faster.

Selecting a genre

There are a huge number of genres, and in each good writer can show itself. The undemanding nature of readers and the mediocrity of performance have shaped certain trends: popular among women sentimental literature and detectives, among men - science fiction and action-packed action films. Whatever genre you work in, there is one rule - good author, who can not only write, but also sell, will be noticed in any case.

Building a Narrative

Skeleton of a modern literary work consists of five parts.

Exposition- This is the starting point of the plot. Here the setting in which the action takes place is presented, the characters are introduced, the events that take place and their circumstances are described, which give impetus to the plot.

The beginning- the beginning of the plot. Involves an event or conflict into the reading process.

Development– the stage that contains the essence of the action. The author can develop existing material or introduce new storylines that should connect the two previous parts of the work with the subsequent ones.

Climax- this is the result of a development in which the growing and more complex elements of the plot led to a certain turn. Think of development as a time bomb. The culmination will be the last seconds, during which it can be neutralized.

Denouement- these are zeros on the timer. The author heated up the atmosphere of tension, which is released as a result, in solving the entire problematic of the work. The climax cannot last forever, so it needs to transform into the new kind energy, and there are only two of them - satisfaction or disappointment, and the proportions of these energies depend on the skill of the writer.

If you are applying for publications, these elements must be carved into tablets of stone. The competition in the literary market is prohibitive, so first of all, your book must be a product that people want to buy, and for this it must captivate from the first pages and maintain interest until the very end. Jokers and caricaturists note that a rare classic can be published in our era, so there is no need to appeal to Tolstoy and Hugo. You must be interesting to everyone, and everyone is a modern mass reader who has been brought up by new artistic orders.

Knowing of limits

There are too many narrative elements to list, and besides, this is unnecessary, because you will learn them yourself during reading practice, so let's return to the principles, one of which is a sense of proportion. If you choose a brisk pace, don't dedicate half a page to each description as if you were living in the 19th century and getting paid by the word, and don't deprive characters of attention if you're writing a long one. psychological novel. In descriptions and details, in the number of characters and the problems of their relationships, in plot twists and development branches - there must be a measure in everything, so if it was not observed at the time of writing, this is corrected by editing. Johannes Brahms said that crossing out extra notes is more difficult than composing music, and this the main problem author. A writer must look at his work with a reader's eye and without regret discard everything superfluous, as if he were criticizing someone else's work.

Working with a publisher

The book ends the last word, but not a manuscript (hereinafter – an electronic version of the book!). You need to edit it carefully before sending it. Your work is a rug on which every mistake is embodied in a stain. Would you buy a dirty item? The editor thinks so too. The first thing you need to understand when preparing your manuscript is that proofreading is your job! A disregard for the rules of writing can lead to the fact that the reader simply does not want to skip the manuscript. Perfect spelling and punctuation are evidence that the author treats his work responsibly.

After reading the book five times and making all the edits, you look for a platform for publication. On the websites of many publishing houses there is a button called “For Authors” or “Publish a Book”. Please read everything on this page carefully and do exactly what is asked of you! If you think this is meaningless advice, your manuscript is destined to receive a silent rejection before reaching the editor's eye.

After carefully reading the information, you begin writing the letter. Keep in mind that you are not talking about an “immortal masterpiece,” but about a product, so present your thoughts briefly and without familiarity. General form the appeal is:

“Hello (if you know the editor’s name, use his first name)!

Allow me to offer your publishing house the novel “On the Road!” The work tells the story of how two bears got drunk on the owner's vodka, drowned a tractor in a pond, and it was all Chubais's fault.

Title: On the road!

Genre: Romance / Fairy tale (for the little ones 18+)

Synopsis (very brief retelling): you convey each of the previously described 5 points of the narrative in 1-2 sentences + those ideas on which you focus.

Address: country, city, street, apartment

Email: [email protected]

Phones: mobile and home with country and city codes.

Sincerely,

Anton Tolstoevsky"

You attach to the letter in separate files: a synopsis, a detailed synopsis (1-4 pages), a letter with information and duplicate it into a file with the work on the first page. In the footer of the work itself, indicate your name and email, number the pages, design the chapters with navigation headings, set the spacing (6 before and 6 after) and indents (2-3 cm).

There is no need to be interested in the fate of the manuscript after sending it, this only distracts the workers. If the editor deigns to give you advice, be sure to thank him, but without questions or requests. By refusing, the publishing house does not respond!

It is possible and necessary to send your manuscript immediately to all publishing houses that you find. Several offers are a choice the best conditions, the main thing is to take into account the prospects: 6 percent of a large publisher is more than 12 percent of a small one, but perhaps less profitable than 9 percent of an average one. By the way, you can’t hope for more. Payments for new authors do not exceed 12%.

Most only accept original, unpublished material. It is curious that Eksmo considers the popularity of a work on the Internet to be a plus, so be extremely careful here, besides, the manuscript can simply be stolen.

An aspiring writer needs to be not only talented, but also very patient and active. The main thing in writing is to be passionate about this work, enjoy it and not despair, even if you are not recognized by critics.

What qualities does a writer need? Perhaps the most important things are imagination and the ability to figuratively express your thoughts on paper. But you won’t be able to find a job thanks to connections in this business. To become successful writer, you will have to first write to the desk, then send your imperishable papers to the editors, and then wait for months for a response. Whether you will be lucky or not, whether your work will seem not only interesting, but also in a format that is in demand by readers - the publishers will decide. Therefore, you need to be not only talented, but also very patient and active, because if you don’t sell yourself, no one will buy.

Love must be won

Of course, no one can formulate precise instructions that will help you become a writer. However, many readily talk about their path in this field, about how young talents can make a name for themselves.

To begin with, we talked with the author of romance and historical novels, detective stories and science fiction, Elena Arsenyeva. Elena Grushko (she took a pseudonym later) was born in Khabarovsk. She graduated from the philological faculty of the Khabarovsk Pedagogical Institute and by correspondence from the screenwriting department of VGIK. After that, she worked on Khabarovsk TV as an editor of programs for children and youth, in the literary and artistic magazine “Far East” and in the Khabarovsk book publishing house. Having moved to Nizhny Novgorod, she became a regional representative of the Young Guard.

Elena’s first work was the short story “Not a Wife,” published in the Far East magazine. Newspaper critic Literary Russia", which reviewed the creativity of young writers of Siberia and Far East, literally crushed the debutante, but she was not upset and took the collection of stories to the publishing house “ Last snow April." If at first Elena was a fan of realism and documentary, then later she began to be attracted to fairy tales and fantasy: this is how the stories “Blue Cedar”, “Athenaora Metter Porfirola”, “Constellation of Visions” and others appeared.

“Sometimes success comes to a writer quickly, and sometimes they wait for it for years. I have always taken an active part in public life: attended a seminar for young science fiction writers of Siberia and the Far East in Novosibirsk and many other specialized conventions,” recalls Elena. Soon fate gave her new gift- meeting the science fiction writer Yuri Medvedev during a trip to Moscow. For several years they co-authored books of an encyclopedic nature on the history of Rus', Russia and Russian life.

In the late 90s, Elena Grushko began writing historical works and detectives, and then acquired a pseudonym. Now she has more than seventy novels to her credit - detective, historical, romance, as well as collections of historical short stories. “The main thing in writing is to be passionate about this business, enjoy it and not despair, even if you are not recognized by critics. Love must be won,” the author summarizes.

I write for my desk, but I make money from journalism.

Unfortunately, not everyone who chooses the path of writing is so lucky. Here is Tatyana’s story: “While still studying at the Faculty of Philology of UNN, I began working as a journalist and at the age of 25 I became the editor-in-chief of a Nizhny Novgorod secular publication. But all this time I dreamed of writing books.” Tatyana was the editor-in-chief of three printed publications, but after 15 years she made the fateful decision to leave to work as a freelancer in order to have time to create her works. She herself sent proposals to Moscow publishing houses until one of them agreed to publish her book, which talks about the profession of a journalist. As a result, the fee for it amounted to 18 thousand rubles. The same amount was to be transferred for every 5 thousand copies sold.

Later Tatyana wrote two more historical novels, but for four years now publishing houses have been refusing them - “not a format.” “Now I have posted my novels on the Internet - I have my own fans, we correspond with them. “I’m not desperate - I think there’s still more to come,” she says. - The main thing is that I enjoy the process, which is very important. And I make money as a journalist in free flight.”

The writer creates a new Universe

Rising star of Eksmo publishing house Olga Volodarskaya- author of novels in the genres of melodrama and detective stories (“Bitch for Dessert”, “Murder in Retro Style”, “Ghosts of the Sunny South”, “Cry, the Loving Executioner”, “Don Juan’s Punishment”). Despite the creepy titles, there is fundamentally no crime bosses, arms dealers or drug dealers. Olga admitted that as a child she was a terrible dreamer and adored Volkov’s books about Emerald City and loved to imagine how one day she would end up in magical land. Her first work of her own was dedicated to the adventures of the girl Olya and her four-legged friends. Since then, she has been constantly composing something: either fairy tales, stories, or film scripts.

Olga decided to take up writing seriously at the age of twenty-five, after she completed her first a lot of work- historical melodrama “Bluebeard’s Wife.” “I didn’t let anyone read my books: I hid the manuscripts, put a password on the computer - in a word, I wrote on the table,” she says. “Only the first detective novel, “Bitch for Dessert,” saw its readers.” This genre was chosen five years ago only because of its popularity. When reading detective stories, Olga always immediately figured out the killer and believed that writing them was just as boring. But everything turned out to be much more interesting, and she took on the third novel with great passion. "Write new book“It’s like creating a new Universe,” Olga explains. - After all, you invent your own world, populate it with people and invent their destinies. Maybe I have delusions of grandeur, but I believe that a writer creates a new world."

From the old life - in parts

Olga Volodarskaya advises aspiring writers to be patient and stubborn. At one time, she took several books to the publishing house: “And when I was finally invited to a meeting, I wasn’t even happy - I waited so long. In 2008, the contract was finally signed, and before that I stayed afloat only thanks to the Podvig publishing house, which paid little, but still helped me survive. I was working at a computer center at the time. Every day I came home and wrote.”

After the long-awaited conclusion of the contract, Olga left old life“not entirely, but in parts.” I didn’t quit my job right away - at first I took administrative leave: I was afraid to say goodbye to the team, my usual routine and way of life. But when it left completely, it began completely new life: there was no need to get up at six in the morning and rush headlong to the morning train - you could have been lazy. “Now I can’t imagine how you can go back to the past. I like freedom, and in this regard I happy man. My workplace where there is a laptop. It’s so great that you can work in a taxi, on an airplane, or at a party.”

Heroes are sought at resorts

According to Olga, today the story about how people raise the plant will clearly not be popular: “We need to write about glamorous life, detective stories are also good reads. True, now the market has become more diverse, but just five years ago there was a frantic demand for them.” On average, Olga writes three books a year. This is an energy-intensive business, so after completing each manuscript she goes on vacation, “recharges,” and often it is at the resorts that she begins to think about a new plot.

This, for example, happened with the novel “Don Juan’s Cara,” conceived in 2003 during a vacation in Adler. Olga was sitting by the sea, and a black-haired, dark, serious girl was playing next to her. She picked up pebbles and threw them into the water, trying to hit the swimming children. This is how the heroine Kara appeared. And the author met the prototype of the main character Sergei on the embankment of Abkhazia. He lived in this country, but left it during the conflict with Georgia. “I worked on this novel for about six months, not counting the gestation period. It takes me a long time to come up with a plot, and then I quickly start writing it down. At the same time, the result often turns out different - not as originally planned.”

Olga admitted that famous writers less successful colleagues are jealous: “I don’t understand how you can criticize someone, but people here like to slander: “They paid for this, that’s why he is published, slaves write for this, and this is generally mediocrity, she just has a famous husband.” An absolutely untalented person can make his way through money, but he still won’t last long.”

The writer believes that it is always more interesting to try something new. She herself balances on the brink of detective and melodrama, but there are those who master one genre and become unsurpassed in it. “For example, Agatha Christie - what a great fellow she is! All the works are brilliant, there are no passable ones among them,” she admires.

Believe in yourself!

What advice can you give to aspiring writers? Olga Volodarskaya emphasizes: be prepared for a long and thorny path. Her first book was reprinted three times and only 25 thousand rubles were paid. “I started working with a literary agent,” she shares her experience. - If you take an agent, then definitely a “shark”, who should have an excellent understanding of this business. I can't say anything - mine was decent person, much was simply based on word of honor. And you can wait endlessly for an answer regarding an agreement with a good, honest publishing house.”

Our heroine waited for two years. Debut writers may be told that they liked the book, but a lot of time will still pass before they sign a contract. When she came to a meeting with the editor-in-chief of the publishing house, it turned out that he knew her books very well. For example, he asked Olga how she was able to describe Rio de Janeiro so plausibly. But she never went there: she simply gets information from the words of friends or looks at magazines and various almanacs.

So, be patient and submit several books to publishers at once. It is also very important to believe in yourself: if your loved ones, friends, colleagues treat your activity as self-indulgence, you should not listen to them, go your own way. “My mother is very proud of me, but my husband, a famous translator, doesn’t take me seriously as a writer,” says Olga. - In his opinion, anyone who writes worse than Hugo has no business taking on this matter. This doesn’t offend me, and my readership is female, not male.”

Is it good to be Leo Tolstoy?

Olga is sure that creative crisis, in which ideas really dry up, can overtake any writer: “I feel that when I run out of inspiration (and this usually happens in the middle of a novel), heavy thoughts overwhelm me, and several days of panic set in. I think in these cases it is best to take a break, live for yourself, or even better, change the environment. It’s not for nothing that Hollywood stars take a break, which sometimes lasts for several years.”

Olga's only and main income is writing. She admits that if she lived on rent or was married to a millionaire, she would publish one book a year, but she put all her energy into it. There would be no mad rush and no specific deadlines for delivery. “It’s good to be Leo Tolstoy, when you can walk around in bast shoes and write your four volumes for a long time,” she argues. - I do not at all belittle the merits of our classic, but I don’t think that an artist should be hungry. Still, it’s better to be well-fed and at the same time not lose the desire to create.”

As a rule, the author begins to receive substantial royalties after three or four publications with a high circulation. The first reward averages 20–30 thousand rubles, and the book can take months or even years to create. The publisher prefers that the aspiring writer bring several works or a series with a continuation for viewing.

The number of women authors in Russia is growing every year. To become a successful freelancer, you need to be disciplined, committed and responsible. Elena Arsenyeva admitted that she writes at least 7–8 hours a day, including weekends. In addition, you have to spend a lot of time in libraries to study archives and find out the necessary information.

Olga wishes all readers good and different books: “I understand what it means to experience literary hunger. Previously, it seemed to me that I had already read all the books worthy of my attention and was constantly looking for one that would make me happy. O greater impression than, for example, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Marquez.”