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Informationen zum Autor Vicki Hambleton is a verbal tutor for students in grades 9–12. She was a project editor and writer or Benchmark Education , specializing in books for grades K–8. Her writing has appeared in numerous children's publications including Cobblestone , Calliope , and Footsteps . Klappentext Join a select group of authors--from Stephen King to Cameron Crowe--all of whom published their first works before turning 18. "So! You Want to Be a Writer?" is the only hip how-to book that walks budding writers through every step of the process! from generating ideas to marketing a book. So, You Want to Be a Writer? 1 What’s It Like to Be a Writer? You pull into the parking lot of your favorite bookstore, knowing that this time it’s not going to be just to meet your buddies. Someone else is expecting you—YOUR FANS! You keep your sunglasses on as you walk in the front door, head down, but the manager recognizes you anyway. You try to finish your last call as you are whisked away to the greenroom, offered your favorite drink, and escorted to the book signing table. It’s covered with a red velvet cloth, piled high with copies of YOUR book, and there are scores of fans jostling for position behind the velvet ropes to make sure they get their books signed by the author—YOU! Cameras flash, your smile dazzles. You whip out your favorite pen and start signing as fast as you can, murmuring words of gratitude in response to the exclamations of love and adulation from each reader. Is this what it’s like to be a writer? You bet! Okay, maybe it’s not always like this—but it does happen. And, believe it or not, it can happen to you, especially if you start thinking of yourself as a writer now and doing the things real writers do. This book will help you—we promise. Keep that thrilling, ultimate scenario in mind, but let’s get a bit more realistic for a few minutes. Look over the list below and circle what you really think it’s like to be a writer. 1. lonely 2. cool 3. strange 4. incredibly exciting 5. hard work 6. not like real work at all 7. boring 8. a life of riches 9. a life of poverty 10. people love you 11. people think you’re a geek 12. fun 13. frustrating 14. fantastic 15. scary 16. hilarious 17. eeeyew! Let’s see what you think about writing: • If you circled just even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8, etc.), we love you! You have a positive attitude about writing. And you’re right . . . being a writer can be all of those things! (Although, to be honest, not all the time.) • If you circled just odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, etc.), you’re right too. Being a writer can be tough, but it’s never as bad as that whole list. At least, not if you read this book first! • If you circled all the items on the list, you are right on target—being a writer is often like all of these things at one point or another. How One Author Got His Start Michael Crichton’s books have sold over 150 million copies. In 1994, Crichton became the only creative artist ever to have works on the bestseller lists in television, movies, and books (with ER, Jurassic Park, and Disclosure, respectively). Believe it or not, the creator of Jurassic Park and ER first got published when he was a kid. We conducted the interview below in 2001. He passed away in 2008. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? My father was a journalist, so I grew up seeing him type to earn a living. His example made writing seem like a normal th...
