Book Writers

Authors seem to have a social stigma surrounding them. People tend to shun the occupation, as they are afraid of being a "starving artist". However, successes like J. K. Rowling, who published renowned Harry Potter, and Stephanie Meyer, the author of the acclaimed Twilight, have defied the odds, and proven that it is indeed possible to create a sustainable living out of book writing.

There are two main ways to classify book writers. Authors are those who write articles or books geared towards the general public. These are the best sellers, the thrillers, the books that people flock to read for pleasure. Authors are usually associated with the works that they write. Technical writers, on the other hand, are high specialized in a specific field. They produce works such as textbooks, reference books, and manuals, that translate technical gibberish into what is comprehensible to the common man.

In 2006, the yearly salary for authors averaged around $48,640. The range was fairly wide, with the middle 50% earning anywhere from $34,850 to $67,820. The middle 80% earned anywhere from $25,430 to $97,700. On the other hand, technical writers earned slightly more, with an average of $58,050. The middle 50% of technical writers ranged from $45,130 to $73,750, while the middle 80% ranged from $35,520 to $91,720.

There is no systematically proven way to write a book. Rather, there are a variety of different strategies that work for different authors. For fictional novels, there is the snowflake method. Others describe book writing as a step-by-step process. Yet others simply sit down and write, even disregarding the chronological order of the novel until they finish important scenes.

The snowflake method is a strategy to plot the back story and general plot of the book. The concept is to plan out the general outline, and then build up to something that has enough detail and depth to make a story. The snowflake is an analogy to this general buildup of detail. First, envision a triangle. This will be the most basic story line, that can be described in a sentence. Then, picture a star of David, essentially two triangles placed on top of each other. This is the next layer of the story, with the main plot still underneath, but essential details on top. Lastly, there's the snowflake, a structure derived, but certainly much more complex than the original star of David, or the inherent triangle. This is the actual story in its full glory. It has much more detail and depth than the other steps, but is important to acknowledge that without the triangle and the star of David structure, the snowflake, with its many points and shards would be extremely difficult to compose. With this, it is clear that the snowflake method is a gradual buildup from simplistic to complex. This way, a complex plot can be made, without the writer being overwhelmed by the extraneous details, or losing sight of what is essential to their story.

Other strategies are much more liberally structured. Some authors get a "general sense" of what will happen, and let their characters and plot take them where they may not have intended to go before. Others simply write whatever scenes come to mind. They focus on especially vivid and crucial scenes in their novel and plot these out. Then, later, they write the chapters or scenes that connect the ones previously written, having, at least, an anchor for their novel that pins their plot down. Both ways though, still require at least a very basic concept of the book's plot. Without such an idea, a person can write themselves into a dead end, wasting both time and effort without any spoils for their hard labor.

Writing a book is not as exhilarating as it is made out to be. Though some parts will flow easily, other parts, will inevitably, want to make the author give up. The strategy here, is to keep going, and never give up. Not all chapters will be easy or interesting to write, but it is only by trudging through all of the chapters, that a book can be completed.

It is a common misconception that children's books are easier to write because of the simplistic nature of the books. However, simplistic nature of the book actually makes it rather difficult to write. Children's books must be simple enough for a child to understand, yet complex enough to capture the child's attention. Some children even require pictures to keep their attention. In order to be successful in this market, is important to familiarize yourself with the elements that make well-known children's books so popular. Avoid coming off as too "preachy" or "cliché", as there are already plenty of other books that fill the niche in the market. Most importantly, remember that children are intelligent people too. Interacting with children, and observing what they are interested in, can really help build a book that will pique a child's curiosity.

The popularity of literature, both for children, and adults, have prove that it is indeed possible to become at least partially self-sufficient through writing. With confidence, effort, and perseverance, anyone can write a good book.