Attributes of Stage 3 Fiction Writers

In Today’s Journal

* Quote of the Day
* Attributes of Stage 3 Fiction Writers
* Of Interest
* The Numbers

Quote of the Day

On the topic of whether writers should be paid for their work….

“Since books are to libraries what asphalt is to highway departments, I assume that Indiana is also asking donations from suppliers of asphalt for her roads. Or has it been decided that asphalt is worth good money, and that books are not?” Kurt Vonnegut, in a letter to Charles Ewick, Indiana State Library on 10 February 1983 (as reported in Letters of Note)

Here we’ve left behind young-in-craft writers and moved into the advanced stages.

Stage 3 Writers

Whether or not they realize it, this is the primary goal of all serious beginning writers. This stage is where they move to the adult table during holiday meals at family gatherings.

By and large, Stage 3 fiction writers believe themselves capable of writing a short story or novel at will. They are somewhat in control of their conscious, critical mind.
They are increasingly aware of Story and the autonomy of characters.
They are increasingly aware of the nuances of the language as it applies to storytelling.
Early Stage 3 writers are becoming more aware of readers.
They have a better-than-tenuous grasp of actual POV (not the critics’ and English teachers’ version of POV), and they have begun to notice and practice pacing and information flow and more.
They are beginning to understand that the writer can and should control the reading experience through POV, pacing (to include the intentional use of punctuation), and information flow. With practice, they become fully aware during this stage. Late Stage 3 writers are well on their way to mastering it.
A few still melodramatically complain about writing being a “solitary endeavor” while simultaneously believing it takes a team to write a story or novel (beta readers, editor, critique groups, etc.).
Stage 3 writers have come to understand that words and sentences are only tools. If they encounter a bent one, they pitch it out and write a new one.
By the time they’re nearing the end of Stage 3 and the beginning of Stage 4, they are so focused on Story they often no longer even notice the individual words or sentences until they’re cycling.
As they advance through this stage and learn more about recognizing the critical mind vs. the creative subconscious, they largely keep their own critical mind locked down while they’re writing.
Most of them also leave critique groups any other outside criticism behind, including “beta” readers.
As an alternative, most of them find a good first reader (“good” equals one who will not offer criticism but will only point out places where s/he was pulled out of the story and why)
If the Stage 3 writer can’t find a good first reader, s/he will either publish the story as-is (after running a spell check) or read the story aloud to himself or to someone else.
They more fully realize that one reader’s opinion is as good as another and they pay little or no attention to reviews.
They seldom revise except while in the creative subconscious (cycling) and they almost never rewrite.
As they advance through Stage 3 and gain personal confidence, they leave rewriting behind completely.
They’ve begun to recognize the difference between the writing slowing down and the writing being “stuck,” and they’ve begun to understand how to fix it.

Note: When the writing is suddenly “stuck,” critical mind is intervening. Take a deep breath, shove down the critical mind, and write the next sentence, whatever comes.

Note: When the writing slows dramatically, you’ve reached the end of a scene, chapter, story, or novel. Stop, read back a few lines, then wrap the scene or chapter and start the next one. Or wrap the story or novel.

When a story or chapter opening, scene, or subscene isn’t “working,” they trust their creative subconscious and their characters and recast the opening, scene, or subscene from the beginning.
When a story idea isn’t working, they either recast from the beginning or pitch out the idea altogether and start something new.
Stage 3 writers have established Amazon and D2D (or other aggregator) accounts, and they publish regularly. They might also pursue traditional publication with small and medium publishing houses as a hybrid author.
Depending on how much the Stage 3 writer practices (puts new words on the page), learns, and publishes, s/he might stay in Stage 3 for several months to several years.
Again, a few of these writers, primarily due to their own or their contacts’ skill in marketing or sheer good luck, are or will become bestselling authors. Go figure.
Some, especially if they attain some level of success, will still actually say they have learned enough and stop seeking or accepting new knowledge re the craft of fiction writing. As a result, they become stuck in Stage 3 and never advance.
Many writers never advance beyond Stage 3, but they still know a great deal more craft than those who are stuck and wallowing in Stage 2.

As writers move through the stages they mitigate or completely shed unnecessary traits.

Next up the traits and attributes of Stage 4 fiction writers. Then I might begin organizing and compiling all of this rough info into a nonfiction book.

Of Interest

Play Turns Readers into Ride-or-Dies

The Numbers

The Journal………………….. 870
Mentorship Words…………….. 0
Total Nonfiction…………………. 870

Writing of

Day 1…… XXXX words. To date………… XXXXX

Fiction for February………………………. XXXX
Fiction for 2026…………………………… XXXX
Nonfiction for February.…………………. 9900
Nonfiction for 2026………………..……… 29490
2026 consumable words………………… 29490

2026 Novels to Date……………………… 0
2026 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2026 Short Stories to Date……………… 0
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………….. 123
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 10
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 310
Short story collections……………………. 29

In Today’s Journal

Quote of the Day