Better Get Cracking

It’s been my experience that most people (even journalists) who decide to become novelists don’t understand the magnitude of their dream. They don’t know how little they know about the process of novel-writing, or the frustrations that come with it. Or the commitment necessary to turn good idea into a saleable book.

But Elmore Leonard knows it all well, and he offers these insights on his Web site:

John D. MacDonald said that you had to write a million words before you really knew what you were doing. A million words is ten years. By that time you should have a definite idea of what you want your writing to sound like. That’s the main thing. I don’t think many writers today begin with that goal: to write a certain way that has a definite sound to it.

(Hat tip to Campaign for the American Reader.)