An editor once told me, “sometimes the story of the author is more important than the book.” Of course, he meant that for sales, the story of the author may be more compelling than the book itself. Many authors’ stories are fascinating. Today it may be less so, since anyone with a keyboard and wifi access can style him- or herself as a writer. Looking at Amazon and their number of self-published books, I wonder about the compelling stories. I read authors’ biographies from time to time. Some are fairly conventional “so-and-so always wanted to be a writer, etc.” but many are not. People like Edgar Allan Poe and Edgar Rice Burroughs struggled with personal demons all their lives. Experience comes through in stories. My best advice to authentic writers is not to major in English. If you major in English you may learn how to publish and how to craft conventional stories. My advice: major in life experience. Wit...
Blog of a struggling writer.