Hard to swallow facts about writing.
If you’re not practicing your writing on a regular basis, you’ll lose ground – Really! Really-really!
I think of writing as a muscle but it’s a fine-tuned muscle and if you’re not using it, working it, developing it every day, it becomes harder to get back into the swing of things. That’s why I’ve been trying to keep up with my Steemit Blogs even when I’ve been tired and discouraged, weary, fed-up and wanting to do nothing more than curl up and watch television and crochet blankets.
I know, I’ve failed on a few days.
Writing will suck your free time like a pool drain
Because of that, you will have to set aside a pocket of time for your writing and ONLY writing. No “I’ll just vacuum the living room before I start…” Leave it! The housework will still be there when you’ve finished writing (and probably more besides).
You WILL receive comments like, “Oh you’re writing a book? How cute…”
We all get that (I bet even Stephen King got that). Ignore those that think it’s a nice little hobby or you’ll get bored and want to do something else, like model-making. Even when you’ve finished and published a novel, they’ll still believe it’s a phase or a sweet pastime.
You DO need an Editor!
Yes, I get that you’re intelligent, clever, wise and totally brainy, but your book is your brain’s baby and your brain can see no wrong in it. Your brain looks at your writing and thinks, “I wrote that! It is perfect!” – trust me, it isn’t.
A good Editor (yeah, I’m capitalising the word) is worth their weight in paper (at least!) If you’re fortunate enough to know someone that is a professional Editor and is willing to work for free (or at least until the book makes some money) grab them, care for them and make sure you keep them!
If not, you’re best to pay for an Editor and believe me, the better they are, the more they can charge. Hire the best one you can afford – you’ll thank me in the end.
Some readers will NOT like your work
So what? Some will! (Hopefully the readers that love it will vastly outnumber those that hate it).
Grow yourself a thick skin, listen to the advice from your editor and hold your head up high!
The work is not over once you’re ready to publish your novel!
You may find that the hard work starts when it’s ready to publish. There will be querying Publishers, and even if you get picked up by a Publisher, unless it’s one of the ‘Big Six’ publishing houses, you’ll have to do a LOT of work to market and promote your own work. You’ll get hints and tips on how to do this, but at the end of the day, it’s down to you. Oh and don’t forget to start work on your second novel – strike while the iron’s hot!
I left the best ‘til last…
Writing books for a living is NOT all it’s cracked up to be!
Sorry, it’s not.
My house isn’t beautiful, clean and paid for. I don’t have staff to take care of the housework, cooking, garden, pets etc.
Right now, I’m sitting in my dressing gown, just about to take a shower before I go to my physio appointment. My curtains are still closed and the fireplace needs to be swept, the floors could use a mop and my desk is cluttered with magazines, paper, notebooks, reference books and pens (no, I’m certainly not taking a picture of it!)
What I’m saying is this:
If you love writing, you’ll find the time. If you just like the idea of writing, you’ll find time sometimes and if you just like the idea of being the next JK Rowling without all that work, go buy a lottery ticket.
It’s hard work. It’s heart-breaking work when the story will not come, the characters have stopped talking to you and the computer feels like your enemy.
It’s hard work even when the stories flow like mead, the characters sit by your side and narrate their story at a pace you can cope with and the computer is purring like a panther.
I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up and I’m so very fortunate that my husband supports me in my ‘hobby’. I really do need a support network in my chosen career and believe me, even after almost two decades, I still not only want to write, I HAVE to write.
If you WANT to write too, come on, I think I can help you.
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Well said and spot on! We all know that life gets in the way sometimes and other priorities encroach on our writing time - that's just the way it is. Even when I'm totally "stuck" though, I still jot down ideas for poems; a line here and there that pops out of my mind, or even a list of words if nothing else comes. Usually I find that my main inspiration when I'm really facing a tough blank page is to go and sit by the lake and meditate by the water .... even if the poem doesn't automatically flow right then, I normally come up with more cohesive ideas. Everyone has something that works well for them; we need to make that work for us and our writing. Thanks for the valuable reminder!
Every passion in life has its warts. Nothing is ever handed to you on a silver platter. Working hard to achieve success is the most rewarding. Having up and down days is normal. There are days when we all want to throw in the towel but we don't because of this little inner voice that tells us we must carry on...
Thanks for mentioning the not so rosy side of this profession. Aim for the sky with your feet firmly planted on the ground.
Waiting for the next assignment for the story-mentor group, cap'n!
What an inspiring piece... Constant writing has been a hard jinx which seems unbreakable to me but write-up like this encourages one from giving up... Thanks for sharing
I just got back to writing today and I could barely get out 500 words. The consistency is easier than coming back after a long time.
This really got to me cos i had almost given up on writing cos of peoples comments and how they make me feel its a little hobby...but this has encouraged me
Well put truth!
Even those who love to write, it's not easy for them to write.
It's hard work, and it gets harder when you are stuck on something.
Nothing seems to be right, nothing works, but I know that if we keep hitting, we will break the wall and move forward to find a bigger and stronger wall.
Whenever I get stuck on something, I always try to move away from it for a bit, think for a while how could it be better and move back to complete it.
The passion in your words is palpable, keep on us.
I hear you and I know you are here to help, which is a BIG deal to me.
Thanks for the encouragement because yes, the world tries to take all our time and there is always something going on.
Thank you!
I hope no one takes my comment
too much to heart. I don't mean it as criticism, I know what it's like to want to do something and to feel like you'd like to do something - they are not the same things. One is knowing it would be fun, the other is all-consuming.
Take your pick, I'll help those that would like to write stories as much as those that feel like their head or heart will explode if they don't write stories.
No judgement :)
The instructions are really very important
When we write, we must follow scientific methods and we must develop from ourselves
Very wonderful article and very distinctive
Well you are a really successful person
Scientific methods? How so?
Anda saya bagus posting.
Very good @micheelle.gent
👍👍👍👍👍
I think that being writers is not an easy job as many may seem. But this is a noble work. You are the creator and, thanks to the power of thought, create another reality. You allow readers to dive into this reality and move away from everyday problems.
Thank you for such wonderful advice and for finding time to share with us and help us develop. It's It is appreciated