Unless you’ve been in seclusion or living under a rock, you’ve probably been aware of the mania surrounding the release of the film Twilight.

Twilight (which stars Robert Pattison and Kristen Stewart) is based on the first in a series of books by author Stephanie Meyer. The books feature a love story between two high school characters, with a dramatic twist: one of them, Edward, is a vampire.

I wondered how writers like Meyer tap into a career in writing, and what someone working as a writer can realistically expect along their career path.

Vance Briceland is a prolific writer who’s had 14 books published for both adults and teens. He’s written a series of books as J.D. Warren, and has an upcoming book for young adults, The Glass Maker’s Daughter, that will be released by Flux in April of 2009. Briceland was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about writing as a career.

THE WORK BUZZ: Tell me a bit about preparing for writing as a career path. What choices should a writer make in education, and what are some of the jobs or internships a beginning writer should think about taking on to get their foot in the door?

BRICELAND: Good writers come from every imaginable educational background. Not every novelist chooses to get an Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Your favorite authors have been lawyers, scientists, liberal arts graduates, and high school dropouts. 

Regardless of what degrees they may or may not have, writers need to be readers, first and foremost. They need to absorb as much as they can about storytelling and its techniques, so that they can share their unique perspectives with an audience. They also need to write, every day, and what’s more, learn how to market what they’ve written to agents and publishers.

There are no real internships available for aspiring authors. Much of a writer’s career path relies on self-starting and keeping up one’s motivation without much in the way of feedback, so it’s important to ask oneself tough questions, like, “Am I willing to stick to it?” Or, “Am I strong enough keep sending out what I write, even after dozens of rejections?”

TWB: There are several authors, including Stephanie Meyer (the author of the “Twilight” books) who are offered a chance to write a series of books (based on the same set of characters). How did that opportunity happen for you?

BRICELAND: Way back in 2002, I had set a personal goal of breaking into the young adult market, and had obtained an agent on the strength of two fantasy novels I’d written. My agent was enthusiastically talking me up to a New York editor who said she loved my writing style, but was looking for contemporary novels for a new line she was starting.

Knowing an opportunity when I saw one, I quickly wrote up a proposal that the editor loved, and it became my first published novel, You Are SO Cursed! (which appeared under the pseudonym of Naomi Nash). Its sequel, I Am SO Jinxed! followed later.

Series novels are especially popular in genre literature–young adult novels, science fiction, romance, or mystery are examples–because readers very much enjoy following across the course of several the adventures of characters they’ve grown to love and with whom they identify. Publishers like them because they invite a particular title’s readers to pick up the sequel to see what happens next.

If you’re a new writer trying to market your book, a publisher will be interested to know that a story is intended to have series appeal. However, be careful–they don’t want to be saddled with a proposal of a fourteen-book behemoth of a series when they don’t know you and have no guarantees that you can follow through on your grandiose plans. Make certain the first book of that series is as good as it can be, can stand on its own, and yet can make readers want to return to its characters and world.

TWB: What’s the average paycheck a writer just starting out in the field can expect when their novel is published?

BRICELAND: Aspiring writers often come to me with dollar signs in their eyes because they’ve read of some six-figure contract a new author has signed with a big-name publisher. It’s painful to remind them that their chances of getting a similar deal are vanishingly small. Their chances of their book being selected for Oprah’s Book Club are even smaller than that.

Many writers are able to write full time because they have, over the years, produced good material, grown their audiences and established a loyal following. Most of them, however, kept their day jobs when they started out. New writers should expect to keep their day jobs as well.

The initial advances for new authors can be shockingly small–sometimes a mere four-figures. The writer who has a plan for staying afloat financial while they work for more contracts and wait for their audience (and royalties) to build, however, is the one who will succeed in the long term.

TWB: Any specific recommendations, warning or suggestions you have for any of our readers who are contemplating a writing career?

BRICELAND: If you’re serious about writing, learn to write good query letters and synopses of your books. Once they’re complete and polished, send your queries to reputable agents–that is, one who is recognized by the Association of Author’s Representatives or its equivalent. A good agent is one who is enthusiastic about you and your work, and will give his or her all to obtain the best possible deal for you.

Sometimes it’s tempting for new writers anxious to see their works in print to succumb to the immediate gratifications of self-publication or e-published books. While these venues may satisfy their craving to see their name on a book cover, it’s extremely unlikely to build a sustained career, or to gain the respect of either legitimate agents or established, traditional publishers.

Finally, when trying to sell that first novel, persistence is the key. If you’ve completed your first novel and have begun to send it out to agents, continue to work on another book while you wait for replies and suffer through the inevitable rejections. (Yes, everyone gets rejected.) After you’ve started to market the second, work on your third. A manuscript in circulation could be your first step to success. One that is unwritten or unfinished, or simply never is sent out, can never make it to a bookstore shelf.  

You can learn more about Briceland’s writings by visiting his website.