Langizo: Idyani fano lalifupi, ngakhale mtundu womwe mumaganiza kuti simumakonda. Phunzirani momwe nkhani zimagwirira ntchito komanso chifukwa chake amagwira ntchito.
2. Ndinalemba. Zambiri. Poyambirira, malingaliro anali opanda malire. Zinali ngati chitsime cha pansi pa nthaka chinali chosatsegulidwa, ndipo ndinali chidziwitso chodabwitsa. Ndipo ngakhale kuti ndinayamba kulemba nkhani zochepa kuti ndipitilize buku langa, ndinayamba kukondana ndi mawonekedwe okongolawa, omwe anandilola kuti ndizitha kumaliza nkhaniyi pasanathe zaka zisanu.
Langizo: Ngakhale mutagwiritsa ntchito buku linalake kapena ntchito yayitali yaitali, kupuma pang'ono kuti mulembe nkhani yaying'ono nthawi zambiri kungakuthandizeni kuti muchotse vutoli lomwe timalitchula olemba.
3. Ndapereka nkhani zanga zochepa kumabuku olemba mabuku . Nthaŵi zina ndinkatumiza nkhani posachedwa, asanakhale ndi mwayi wothamanga ndikukula, ndipo ndinkakana zambiri. Koma ndinali nditaphunzira za kuchuluka kwa kukanidwa (98% pamagazini ambiri) ndipo ndikudziwa kuti iyi inali masewera a manambala. Ndinkadziwa kuti sindingatengepo chilichonse. Ndinali wamakani. Ndinapitiliza kubwereza ndikugonjera, ndipo ndinayamba kulandila.
Chaka changa chopambana kwambiri-pamene zidutswa zisanu zinasindikizidwa-Ndinanso zotsutsidwa 125.
Langizo: Musataye mtima. Zovuta. Njira yokhayo yolephera ndiyo kusayesa. Ngati mutalola kuti gwedelo liziyenda chifukwa ndi lalikulu komanso loopsya, limapitirizabe kuphulika ndi kukula ndi kuwonongeka pamene mukukhalabe. Musakhale chete.
4. Ndinalonjeza kulimbikitsa chitukuko changa ku gulu la olemba anzawo komanso maphunziro apamwamba , kumene ndinayamba kugwira ntchito ndi aphunzitsi monga Steve Almond ndi Aimee Bender ndi Charles D'Ambrosio ndi Anthony Doerr ndi Jim Shepard (sikoyenera kuti Phunzirani ndi anthu awa muzithunzithunzi zamakono; chifukwa chachilendo, izo zangogwira ntchito mwanjira imeneyo kwa ine).
Langizo: Musagwiritse ntchito kachitidwe ka mphunzitsi mmodzi, ndipo musaganize kuti ndinu apamwamba kwambiri kuti muphunzire zambiri. Pali zambiri nthawi zambiri.
5. Ndinayamba kulabadira mitu yomwe ndinabwerera mobwerezabwereza kuntchito yanga. Kutaya, chikondi, kuphwanya ndi kuyesa kukhala watsopano kachiwiri. Ndinalemba maganizo amenewa pamene ndinayamba nkhani yatsopano. Ichi chinali sitepe yanga yoyamba kuwona zochitika zazing'ono zomwe zimangokhala zolemba zambiri.
Langizo: Lembani kulikonse chomwe chimakusungani usiku, chilichonse chomwe chimayendetsa mtima wanu ndi mutu wanu.
6. Ndinaika (zomwe ndimaganiza kuti ndizo) nkhani zanga zabwino pamodzi, mulemba limodzi, kuti ndiwone momwe zinayendera. Zina mwa izo zinali zitasindikizidwa, ndipo ena analibe. Sindinali kufunafuna momwe nkhaniyi imakhudzira, payekha, koma momwe iwo amamvera monga gulu.
Langizo: Dzifunseni chomwe chidzayambanso ndi owerenga pamene akuwona ndikuwerenga nkhani zanu pamodzi.
7. Ndinakhala maola ambiri ndikukonzanso dongosolo. Kuyika nkhani zatsopano, kukoka akale kunja, kuika akale mmbuyo kachiwiri. Ndinasintha dzina la msonkhanowu nthawi zambiri. Anali "Zinthu zakuthambo" komanso "Iye Sanaperekenso Kwa Inu Moyenera," ndi "Ndikukuonani M'tsiku Lowala" ndi "Mwana Wotentha."
Langizo: Pambuyo mutenge mndandanda wanu ndi nkhani zanu zamphamvu. Musaganize za momwe ayenera kulamulidwa pamene bukhu lanu likufalitsidwa; mmalo mwake, imbani masokosi a mkonzi pomwepo. Adzakhala okonzeka kukhululukira nkhani zofooka pambuyo pake ngati akukonda kale.
8. Ndinayamba kutumiza zolembedwera ku makina aang'ono. Ndinakondwera kuti zofalitsa zosindikizidwa ndikuziwerenga. Sindinakhalenso ndi wothandizira nkhani yanga (nkhani yakale komanso yachibadwidwe), ndipo zimakhala kuti kunena kuti "Ndili ndi kusonkhanitsa nkhani zosafalitsidwa" sikungakhale mzere umene umakupangitsani inu-makamaka popeza sindinayambe ndakhalapo losindikizidwa ku New Yorker , kapena osamaliza maphunziro a Iowa Writers Workshop . Koma mukudziwa zomwe ndachita m'malo mwake? Ndikanakhala gawo lalikulu la olemba omwe akufuna kwenikweni kuthandizana.
Langizo: Funsani anzanu omwe ali olemba (omwe mwakumana nawo panjira, m'magulu anu olembera ndi magulu olemba anzanu) omwe mkonzi wawo / wofalitsa ali, ndipo ngati ndi bwino kugwiritsa ntchito dzina lawo pamene mutumiza mndandanda wanu ku mkonzi / wofalitsa.
9. Mpikisano amawoneka ngati njira yabwino kwa ine, kotero ndinalowa ochepa.
Izi zikhoza kukhala zonyenga: nthawi zambiri mumayenera kupereka malipiro olowera ndipo zina zotsutsana zingakhale zowonongeka pa maloto a olemba osadziŵa zambiri. Koma palinso nkhani zambiri zochititsa chidwi zomwe zimakhala zofalitsa zabwino kwambiri (olemba monga Antonya Nelson, Gina Oschner, Amina Gautier, Hugh Sheehy, Nancy Reisman, ndi Anthony Varallo onse ali ndi zolemba zazifupi zofalitsidwa monga zotsatira za kupambana mpikisano).
Langizo: Musapitile mipikisano yonse, koma onetsetsani kuti mukuchita homuweki yanu pamasamba ngati Olemba Alemba & Olemba, ndipo musamalipire ndalama zowonjezera zomwe zikuwoneka kuti sizikugwirizana ndi mphotho (mwachitsanzo: $ 75 ndalama $ 500 mphoto zimveka wokongola scammy).
10. Ndondomeko 53 inalengeza kuti ndine Top 10 Finalist ya mphoto yawo mu Short Fiction! Ndinakhumudwitsidwa kale (onani ndondomeko yotsutsa 98%), ndipo sindikufuna kupeza chiyembekezo changa. Koma chiyembekezo changa chinali chokwera. Ndinkafuna izi. Msonkhanowu udakanidwa nthawi khumi ndi zitatu, ndipo ndinali ndikuyamba kudzifunsa ngati kuli koyenera, ngati ndikanakhala koyenera.
Langizo: Kukhumudwa ndi kudzikayikira ndi gawo lachilengedwe polemba ndi kusindikiza. Musalole kuti zikulepheretseni. Bwerani phokosolo, ndiye mutenge nokha ndi kuchotsa mchengawo, ndipo yang'anani kuti mumve.
11. Pano pali mapeto otsutsa: Sindinapambane Phindu 53. Wopambana adalengezedwa, ndipo wopambanayo sanali ine. Ndinadzimva kuti ndine wotsimikiza. Patatha theka la ora, ndinalandira e-mail kuchokera kwa Kevin Morgan Watson, wofalitsa Press 53 akuti, "Ndinu wachiwiri kwambiri," ndipo ngati ndingakonde kukambirana zokhudzana ndi kusintha, angakonde kuti ndifalitse zosonkhanitsa zanga chaka chotsatira.
Langizo: Sungani malingaliro osowa chiyembekezo ndi chiyembekezo. Nthawi zina zinthu zimayenda ndipo nthawi zina sizidzatero, koma nthawi zambiri zimadabwa.
12. Ndidati, "Ponya! Ngati safuna kuti ndisonkhanitse ndendende momwemo, ndiye kuti sakudziwa kapena kuyamikira zenizeni zanga. "Kidding! Ndinawerenganso ma e-mail maulendo khumi ndi anai, ndikuonetsetsa kuti sindikuganiza, ndikuperekanso kwa mwamuna wanga ndi bwenzi langa kuti ndiwonetsetse kuti akuwona chinthu chomwecho, ndipo ndikulemba kubwerera kwa Kevin ndipo anati, "EYA!"
Langizo: Musataye mtima. Kulemba n'kovuta ndikufalitsa ndi kovuta ndipo palibe "zosavuta." Zimene mukuchita ndikupanga luso, ndipo nthawi zonse liripo mu moyo wanu. Zimakhala zosatha monga nyanja, pamwamba mpaka pansi, m'mphepete mwa nyanja.
Liz Prato ndi mlembi wa * Baby's On Fire: Nkhani * (Press 53), ndi mkonzi wa * The Night, ndi Rain, ndi River * (Forest Avenue Press). Nkhani zake ndi zolemba zake zawonekera mochuluka
mabuku, kuphatikizapo The Rumpus, Subtropics, Hayden's Ferry Review, The Toast, Hunger Mountain ndi ZYZZYVA. Amalemba ku Portland, OR, ndipo amaphunzitsa pa zikondwerero zolembedwa m'mayiko onse.