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    • 146 - Managing Writing with a Full-time Career
    • 145 - Speech to Text and Back Again
    • 144 - Reaching the Right Readers through Email
    • 143 - Getting into the Mind of Your Audience
    • 142 - A New Era for Novellas
    • 141 - The Value of Collaboration
    • 140 - Troping Your Way to a Stronger Story
    • 139 - Mistakes Writers Make about Forensic Psychiatry
    • 138 - ROI for Authors
    • 137 - Using Podcasts to Support Your Book Launch
    • 136 - Looking Forward in Indy Publishing
    • 135 - The Importance of Specificity
    • 134 - How Horror is the Genre of Hope
    • 133 - Creating an AI-narrated Audiobook
    • 132 - From Big Idea to Book
    • 131 - The Color Wheel of Characterization
    • 130 - Outsourcing Your Content Creation
    • 129 - Moving for Creativity
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    • 127 - Mistakes Writers Make about PIs
    • 126 - Estate Planning for Authors
    • 125 - The Seven Most Common Mistakes of Non-Fiction Authors
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    • 123 - Building Engaging Worlds
    • 122 - Using Data to Guide Your Craft
    • 121 - Story Structure and Character Motivation
    • 120 - Draft2Digital Updates: Smashwords and Print
    • 119 - Metadata Is Your Brand
    • 118 - The Martial Art of Writing
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    • 110 - Making Meaningful Connections through Powerful Language
    • 109 - Wide Retailers and Aggregators
    • 108 - Writing Non-fiction from the Inside
    • 107 - Publishing Process #7: Selective Rights Licensing
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    • 104 - Publishing Process #4: Distribution
    • 103 - Publishing Process #3: Production
    • 102 - Publishing Process #2: Design
    • 101 - Publishing Process #1: Editorial
    • 100 - Becoming a Relaxed Author
    • 099 - Connecting with Fans through Merchandising
    • 098 - Redefining Indy Success through Short Fiction
    • 097 - Taking the Long View
    • 096 - Emerging Tech for the Writing Craft
    • 095 - Finding and Being a Ghostwriter
    • 094 - Debunking Writing Myths
    • 093 - Valuing the Creative Process
    • 092 - Finding a Crew for Your Creative Voyage
    • 091 - Creating Stellar Side Characters
    • 090 - Bringing a Creative Endeavor to an End
    • 089 - The Both-ness of Compelling Characters
    • 088 - How to Receive and Give Critique
    • 087 - Looking Back and Forward at Indy Publishing
    • 086 - Overhauling Keywords
    • 085 - Optimizing Your Keywords
    • 084 - Using Content Legally
    • 083 - Six Rs of Maximizing the Value of Your Content
    • 082 - Perspectives on Writer's Block
    • 081 - Human-Centered Marketing
    • 080 - The Force of a Brand
    • 079 - Making the Most of Your Short Fiction
    • 078 - Living Your Best Creative Life
    • 077 - Behind the Scenes of My Book Launch
    • 076 - BookFunnel
    • 075 - Key Book Publishing Paths
    • 074 - Perspectives on Personal Branding
    • 073 - Author Websites
    • 072 - Mentoring and Collaborating with Interns
    • 071 - Provider Side of Author Services
    • 070 - Copyright for Authors
    • 069 - Writing Memoir
    • 068 - Handling Difficult Topics in YA Fiction
    • 067 - Mistakes Writers Make about the FBI
    • 066 - From Indy to Traditional
    • 065 - X-raying Your Plot
    • 064 - Children's Books
    • 063 - Wide for the Win
    • 062 - Point of View
    • 061 - Google Play
    • 060 - Mastering Action Sequences
    • 059 - Newsletter Swaps and StoryOrigin
    • 058 - Author Newsletters
    • 057 - The Pros and Cons of Pre-orders
    • 056 - Crowdfunding for Authors
    • 055 - Costs of Self-publishing a Book
    • 054 - Futurist Trends We Can Prepare for Now
    • 053 - Learn from TV and Movies
    • 052 - Building a Resilient Indy Business
    • 051 - Podcasting as Content Marketing
    • 050 - First Responders
    • 049 - Ruminations on Book Launches
    • 048 - Protagonist and Antagonist Voices
    • 047 - Backstory and Flashbacks
    • 046 - Writing Coroners
    • 045 - Exercise
    • 044 - Using Aggregators versus Direct
    • 043 - Killing Suspense
    • 042 - The Importance of Metadata
    • 041 - Writing Convincing Villains
    • 040 - Storytelling Lessons from Investigative Reporting
    • 039 Building a Writer Community
    • 038 - Graphic Novels
    • 037 - How Cozy is Cozy?
    • 036 - Frugal Tips for Writers
    • 035 - Police Procedures
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    • 032 - Hybrid Publishing
    • 031 - ebook Pricing
    • 030 - Common Writer Wisdom: Is it Right for You?
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    • 024 - Three Hard Truths
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    • 016 - Drawing Back the Publishing Curtain
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The Craft and the Voyage

9/1/2015

1 Comment

 
I recently participated in a writers group meeting that was attended mainly by traditionally published authors. One attendee mentioned that she had asked a self-published writer how she knew when a book was ready without the input of a publisher. The response was that she published when she felt she was sixty percent “done.”

Sixty percent?? That was horrifying, but I couldn’t come up with a way to express why.

Then I attended a charity event in Maine where one of the items being auctioned was a beautiful hand-built dory (that's David Rockefeller, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday, admiring it). And I found the metaphor that expressed why sixty percent was unacceptable, and that encapsulated my own approach to writing: writing is a craft in both senses of the word, and the author owes it to the readers to send them off on their journey in a well-built, seaworthy vessel.

Picture
Then, in a serendipitous coincidence, a link to this video--“Artistry on the water: Wooden motorboats”—appeared on my Facebook feed. Does the boat-building metaphor hold up? 

Sanding? Check. That’s every word I wrote and then had to strip away to allow each sentence to run smoothly.

Fastening? Absolutely. That’s ensuring that each chapter has a logical and solid place in the frame of the story, and links seamlessly to those on either side.

Varnishing? As they say in the video, many circumstances must align to ensure a high quality finish: not the least, a talented editor. (A gorgeous sheen can be most elusive without a second pair of eyes on the craft.)

That sounds like more than sixty percent to me.

So did I end up with the nautical Steinway that the “Artistry on the water” video rhapsodizes about? I think my books are more like the pleasing and trusty dory that earned Mr. Rockefeller’s approval.

I feel that there’s a lot of value to plumb with this boat-building theme. To provide a platform to do so, I have established The Indy Author Facebook page to engage with you--please Follow me on this voyage!

Whether you are an author, creating the craft, or a reader, making a voyage in it, does the boat analogy ring true for you? Please post your thoughts at The Indy Author!
1 Comment
Black Girls in Queensland link
12/12/2022 02:34:37 am

Thanks forr writing

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels and is the principal at William Kingsfield Publishers.

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  • Home
  • About & Contact
  • Podcast
    • 178 - How to be a Writer if You Hate Writing
    • 177 - From Indy to Trad to Hybrid
    • 176 - Choosing the Tools for Your Author Career
    • 175 - Lessons Learned as an Author Podcaster and YouTuber
    • 174 - Choosing Your Social Media Platform
    • 173 - Don't Stake Everything on Your First Book
    • 172 - A Reviewer's Perspective on Audiobooks
    • 171 - Outside-the-Box Content
    • 170 - Creating a Winning Workbook
    • 169 - The Do's and Don'ts of Working with Book Bloggers
    • 168 - How to Write from Trauma
    • 167 - Good Habits and Accountability Groups
    • 166 - Plotting with an Unreliable Narrator
    • 165 - Strengthening Your Fiction with a Premise
    • 164 - What Writers Can Learn from Short Fiction
    • 163 - Year End: The Writing Craft And The Publishing Voyage
    • 162 - Book Marketing Lessons from Beyond the Book World
    • 161 - Choosing Your Publishing Path
    • 160 - Mistakes Writers Make about Police Roles
    • 159 - Backstory: Mountaintop or Valley
    • 158 - What Writers Can Learn from Remote Workers
    • 157 - Literary Citizenship
    • 156 - Character Development Through the Pain and Promise of Life
    • 155 - The Benefits (and Costs) of Membership
    • 154 - From Screenplay to Novel and Back
    • 153 - The Importance of a Professional Photo and Video Presence
    • 152 - The Three Stages of Story
    • 151 - Setting Your Creative Horizons
    • 150 - Hands-off Merchandising for Authors
    • 149 - Using Vulnerability to Feed your Creativity
    • 148 - Making the Most of In-person Events
    • 147 - Writing for Audio
    • 146 - Managing Writing with a Full-time Career
    • 145 - Speech to Text and Back Again
    • 144 - Reaching the Right Readers through Email
    • 143 - Getting into the Mind of Your Audience
    • 142 - A New Era for Novellas
    • 141 - The Value of Collaboration
    • 140 - Troping Your Way to a Stronger Story
    • 139 - Mistakes Writers Make about Forensic Psychiatry
    • 138 - ROI for Authors
    • 137 - Using Podcasts to Support Your Book Launch
    • 136 - Looking Forward in Indy Publishing
    • 135 - The Importance of Specificity
    • 134 - How Horror is the Genre of Hope
    • 133 - Creating an AI-narrated Audiobook
    • 132 - From Big Idea to Book
    • 131 - The Color Wheel of Characterization
    • 130 - Outsourcing Your Content Creation
    • 129 - Moving for Creativity
    • 128 - Lessons from Filmmaking
    • 127 - Mistakes Writers Make about PIs
    • 126 - Estate Planning for Authors
    • 125 - The Seven Most Common Mistakes of Non-Fiction Authors
    • 124 - The Rise of Subscription Models
    • 123 - Building Engaging Worlds
    • 122 - Using Data to Guide Your Craft
    • 121 - Story Structure and Character Motivation
    • 120 - Draft2Digital Updates: Smashwords and Print
    • 119 - Metadata Is Your Brand
    • 118 - The Martial Art of Writing
    • 117 - Tracking Sales Data and How ScribeCount Can Help
    • 116 - Creating Community, Content, and Creative Energy
    • 115 - Exploring Kindle Vella
    • 114 - Making Smart Decisions about Your Distribution Strategy
    • 113 - What Authors Can Learn from Theater
    • 112 - Being the Captain of Your Author Voyage
    • 111 - Using Engines, Anchors, and Hazards to Define Character Voice
    • 110 - Making Meaningful Connections through Powerful Language
    • 109 - Wide Retailers and Aggregators
    • 108 - Writing Non-fiction from the Inside
    • 107 - Publishing Process #7: Selective Rights Licensing
    • 106 - Publishing Process #6: Promotion
    • 105 - Publishing Process #5: Marketing
    • 104 - Publishing Process #4: Distribution
    • 103 - Publishing Process #3: Production
    • 102 - Publishing Process #2: Design
    • 101 - Publishing Process #1: Editorial
    • 100 - Becoming a Relaxed Author
    • 099 - Connecting with Fans through Merchandising
    • 098 - Redefining Indy Success through Short Fiction
    • 097 - Taking the Long View
    • 096 - Emerging Tech for the Writing Craft
    • 095 - Finding and Being a Ghostwriter
    • 094 - Debunking Writing Myths
    • 093 - Valuing the Creative Process
    • 092 - Finding a Crew for Your Creative Voyage
    • 091 - Creating Stellar Side Characters
    • 090 - Bringing a Creative Endeavor to an End
    • 089 - The Both-ness of Compelling Characters
    • 088 - How to Receive and Give Critique
    • 087 - Looking Back and Forward at Indy Publishing
    • 086 - Overhauling Keywords
    • 085 - Optimizing Your Keywords
    • 084 - Using Content Legally
    • 083 - Six Rs of Maximizing the Value of Your Content
    • 082 - Perspectives on Writer's Block
    • 081 - Human-Centered Marketing
    • 080 - The Force of a Brand
    • 079 - Making the Most of Your Short Fiction
    • 078 - Living Your Best Creative Life
    • 077 - Behind the Scenes of My Book Launch
    • 076 - BookFunnel
    • 075 - Key Book Publishing Paths
    • 074 - Perspectives on Personal Branding
    • 073 - Author Websites
    • 072 - Mentoring and Collaborating with Interns
    • 071 - Provider Side of Author Services
    • 070 - Copyright for Authors
    • 069 - Writing Memoir
    • 068 - Handling Difficult Topics in YA Fiction
    • 067 - Mistakes Writers Make about the FBI
    • 066 - From Indy to Traditional
    • 065 - X-raying Your Plot
    • 064 - Children's Books
    • 063 - Wide for the Win
    • 062 - Point of View
    • 061 - Google Play
    • 060 - Mastering Action Sequences
    • 059 - Newsletter Swaps and StoryOrigin
    • 058 - Author Newsletters
    • 057 - The Pros and Cons of Pre-orders
    • 056 - Crowdfunding for Authors
    • 055 - Costs of Self-publishing a Book
    • 054 - Futurist Trends We Can Prepare for Now
    • 053 - Learn from TV and Movies
    • 052 - Building a Resilient Indy Business
    • 051 - Podcasting as Content Marketing
    • 050 - First Responders
    • 049 - Ruminations on Book Launches
    • 048 - Protagonist and Antagonist Voices
    • 047 - Backstory and Flashbacks
    • 046 - Writing Coroners
    • 045 - Exercise
    • 044 - Using Aggregators versus Direct
    • 043 - Killing Suspense
    • 042 - The Importance of Metadata
    • 041 - Writing Convincing Villains
    • 040 - Storytelling Lessons from Investigative Reporting
    • 039 Building a Writer Community
    • 038 - Graphic Novels
    • 037 - How Cozy is Cozy?
    • 036 - Frugal Tips for Writers
    • 035 - Police Procedures
    • 034 - Connecting through Video
    • 033 - Barriers to Creativity
    • 032 - Hybrid Publishing
    • 031 - ebook Pricing
    • 030 - Common Writer Wisdom: Is it Right for You?
    • 029 - Fostering Creativity through Digital Minimalism
    • 028 - Writing the Killer Query
    • 027 - Why to Stop Blogging
    • 026 - Weaving Your Day Job into Your Books
    • 025 - Mastering Book Descriptions
    • 024 - Three Hard Truths
    • 023 - Reaching New Readers through Translations
    • 022 - SEO for Authors
    • 021 - Building Communities in Podcasts and In Person
    • 020 - Working with Libraries & Bookstores
    • 019 - Judging a Book by Its Cover
    • 018 - The Importance of Masterworks
    • 017 - Story a Day
    • 016 - Drawing Back the Publishing Curtain
    • 015 - Five Things I Wish I Knew Before I Was Published
    • 014 - Collaborating on "Taking the Short Tack"
    • 013 - Writing in Time
    • 012 - Top Firearms Mistakes Writers Make ...
    • 011 - Making the Move to Full-Time Writer
    • 010 - Update from The Indy Author
    • 009 - Craft and Business of Short Fiction
    • 008 - Screenwriting
    • 007 - Faster Fiction
    • 006 - Importance of Storytelling
    • 005 - Image-intensive Books
    • 004 - Using Media Outlets
    • 003 - Small Press Publishing
    • 002 - Creativity Tips
    • 001 - Introducing The Indy Author
    • For Guests of The Indy Author Podcast
    • Podcast Guest and Topic Proposals
  • Services
    • Services - Author Consulting
    • Services - Podcasting for Authors
  • Podcasting for Authors
  • Short Fiction
  • Creating a Story Frame
  • Resources
  • Tools
  • Affiliates
  • The Craft
    • Getting Past the Fear of (First Draft) Commitment
    • Scalability
    • Professionalism
    • From Dead in the Water to Favorable Winds
  • The Voyage
    • Reading Your Work Aloud
    • Preparing to Request an Author Blurb
    • Navigating Indy
  • For the Armchair Sailor
  • Events
  • For Libraries
  • Blog
  • William Kingsfield Publishers
  • Patrons of The Indy Author
  • Press Kit
  • Enter