Why does everyone have to write a book?

I tried to join the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers Scheme last week. For those of you in the US, the RNA‘s a British association for romance writers, although a lot of their authors seem to write more chick-lit than what American readers would consider romance.

I hadn’t heard from them (not surprising, since you have to apply via snail mail), and last night I saw on their website that the scheme’s full for 2010. I emailed to find out if they’re received my application in time, but my name’s not on the list.

They must’ve received 250 applications in the first ten days or so of January. I’d read that, in previous years, they usually filled up by mid-February. I wonder why so many people this year were eager to join.

The Rejectionist and Nathan Bransford are both suffering from query deluges (would the ‘s’ be pronounced in ‘deluges’? This question for my French friends). Nathan comes up with several possible reasons. I have one to add: Everyone’s fed up – whether with family, work, economy, whatever – and they feel the need to do something different, like get published.

I’m guessing lots of the people who are trying to submit manuscripts to RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme, to agents like Nathan, and to agents’ gatekeepers like the Rejectionist all started their manuscripts around the time the economy tanked. I started when I was assigned the World’s Most Difficult Project at work, and I needed to do something creative in my free time to give my brain a happy place to escape to.

Who else has noticed an increase in the number of people trying to get published?

RWA–British style

(Manuscript #1 word count: 53,947)

This week I’ve been trying to focus on getting the words down on the page. Not easy with a big self-imposed deadline looming; hubby and I are going to India for two weeks on Friday, and I want to have 60,000 words of my draft done by then. Since I’ll be gone for most of September and will only have my little notebook with me in India, I want to have my manuscript 75% done so it’ll be easier to come back and write the climax and HEA.

The more determined I was to come home every night and sit my butt down, the fewer words I actually wrote. Oh, well. I did find two very interesting things this week. I’ll save one of them for a post of its own.

Apparently, there’s something similar to the Romance Writers of America (RWA) in Britain. It’s called the Romantic Novelists’ Association. The main difference that I can see is that full membership is only open to published writers, which clearly leaves me out (it does have associate membership for other people).

However, they also have a New Writers’ Scheme where you can have your manuscript appraised. For a price. Now, I’ve seen and read about companies that will charge you to read your manuscript and give you editorial advice. I’ve always said I would never do this. What’s the point? You might as well submit your manuscript to agents and, if none of them take it, try to figure out what’s wrong with the help of your other writer contacts.