Tag Archive: writing advice

Keep going, keep going, keep going

June 20, 2009 2 Comments

When it comes to writing, I obsess a lot about keeping productive. I do this because at heart I am a lazy, unmotivated person. People who see my list o’ projects might think otherwise, but believe me, if I could lounge around all day I would. That, and I am a horrible, horrible procrastinator. It’s not that I don’t love writing — I’m absolutely passionate about it — it’s that I’m allergic to work and obligation. I can jump into something with great vigor and tear through a project like it’s the only thing in the world, but once I decide it’s a Real Project and not a Fun Distraction it becomes work, and I don’t like to work. So needless to say, I struggle…
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Writing

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Aspiring writers, avoid bonehead moves

June 1, 2009 2 Comments

If you hope for writing to be more than a hobby, it’s a good idea to have a good sense for what is and is not good practice when it comes to dealing with editors and agents. Those people will be your doorway into the world of getting paid for your work and having readers who are not friends and family. It’s helpful to know what approaches work and, more importantly, what approaches DON’T. That’s one reason why I pay attention to their blogs. Literary agent Jessica Faust shares a story about a writer who got defensive when she asked for more information about the author’s manuscript. Way to shoot yourself in the foot! I’ve mention being overly defensive before and it’s worth repeating: you…
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Writing

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On writing, and failing

April 17, 2009 0 Comments

“Someday I’d like to write a book,” they say, as if it’s akin to taking a stroll or, at worst, a difficult five-mile hike. But it’s closer to scaling a mountain. Scaling a mountain with dozens of rest stops along the way, each with a sign that reads, “Sorry, mountain unclimbable. Turn around and go home.” Those with the notion that writing is some haven of ease and comfort, that it’s not a constant daily struggle of epic proportions, just. Don’t. Know. Of course, then you get those aspiring writers who are, to put it charitably, a bit delusional. They think their every word is gold, refuse to learn the business side of writing, and feel a sense of entitlement. They’re entitled to praise, they’re…
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Writing

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Rejection letters ain’t so bad

March 11, 2009 3 Comments

Rejection letters. If you’re a writer, aspiring writer, wannabe writer, whatever writer, you’re going to deal with them. I don’t care how good you think you are, you will. That’s just reality. But here’s the thing: They need not be painful. Not even a little. Rejection letters are many things, chief among them something no writer likes to get, but they are more than a necessary evil. They are a sign that you’re an active writer. Proof that you’re actually writing, not just talking about writing. I mean, let’s face it, how many so-called “writers” do you know who never actually write? For every person who puts pens to paper or fingers to keyboard, there are a dozen of these talkers, people who like the…
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Random Musings, Writing

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You want to write? Then read this

March 5, 2009 0 Comments

I spotted this post over at A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing and couldn’t walk away without passing it on, because it’s about as essential as essential gets. Confident or Delusional? ‘Tis a brilliant (and entirely true) entry. Some highlights: Confident writers expect to be periodically rejected. Delusional writers are shocked every time someone fails to recognize their brilliance. Confident writers take suggestion. Delusional writers believe their words are written in stone. Confident writers work even when it’s hard. Delusional writers believe they need to be inspired first. If you write or have any inkling of writing, you need to read this. Read it and ABSORB it. A lot of those lessons are hard learned. You need to set aside the naive arrogance of youth or,…
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Writing

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