Today’s post is courtesy of Jude Hardin, who blogs at http://judehardin.blogspot.com, where this post originated in February 2009. I loved it and wanted to share it with you here. Jude is a hard working writer, keeping the dream alive, and he has some truly outstanding posts on his blog, guest interviews, etc. Be sure to check it out after you read this teaser. Thanks to Jude for contributing!
Top Ten Reasons to Quit Writing
By Jude Hardin
10. The odds of landing a book deal right now are about the same as winning the lottery and being struck by lightning on the same day.
9. Even if you do manage to get a book deal, you can make more money bagging groceries.
8. Blank, white, rectangular thingies with the number 1 in the top right corner make you want to puke.
7. You could never write anything as good as {insert name of favorite author here}, so why even bother?
6. If you add one more rejection letter to the pile, the Earth might actually tilt on its axis.
5. There’s this abstract concept you vaguely remember called “a life,” and you’re starting to think you might need to get one.
4. You’re so preoccupied sometimes, complete strangers tap you on the shoulder and say, “Are you all right?”
3. You plan to make whoever was responsible for getting your order wrong at Hardee’s drive-thru yesterday a victim in your next mystery.
2. You have erotic dreams about the sales clerk at Staples.
And the number one reason to quit writing is...
Screw it. I'm not even going to waste my time posting the number one reason. If you’re really a writer, you’ll just ignore it anyway.
****
Thanks, Jude! Readers, be sure to visit Jude’s blog and share your feedback with him here or there.
On Monday, we’ll be returning to our usual blog schedule as my life returns to normal (kind of). I wish to send out a BIG thanks to Kiersten White, Erica Orloff, and Jude Hardin for filling in the cracks during this extra busy month for me. It’s been great to share some additional voices in here, and I hope you have all enjoyed the guest blogs.
Until Monday…. Happy reading!
Showing posts with label guest bloggers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guest bloggers. Show all posts
Friday, August 28, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
guest blog: how to be a writer
You’ve met the fantastically talented Erica Orloff during the author Q&A on July 22nd. I’m so excited Erica has offered up one of her past blog posts to share with us today. The following was originally posted on Erica’s blog here.
how to be a writer
by Erica Orloff
Despite the title of my post, I really have no idea. I can teach people all sorts of rules of writing. I can mentor, guide, critique, even heavily edit someone's material. But I can't TEACH someone how to be a writer. Not really.
However, I have come to realize the people who succeed, those that I know personally over the years who have gotten contracts, big and small, who are still in the game years later, who seem to have a fan following, all of that . . . they seem to share some common traits. I am sure you notice a few yourself if you read enough blogs and talk to enough writers.
I have come to the conclusion that persistence is overrated. [Before you shriek, wait for the rest of this.] If you persist in sending a steaming pile of meh out, the same steaming pile of meh, a hundred times, you might wear down some poor underling editor at a small house, but I don't think you'll embody success. I have seen bull-headed writers insist they are the next Hemingway or Salinger or Fitzgerald, and no amount of critiquing--gentle or otherwise--seems to stand in the way of their delusion. They are PERSISTENT. Persistence can be learned, but there is also a personality type that simply refuses to give up. Call it delusion. I used to know a woman married to an actor--a singularly unattractive man who could not act his way out of a paper bag, but refused to get a day job lest he miss his "big call" while she slaved away long hours supporting his dream. Nope . . . that is supporting a delusion.
So I think before persistence, there must be a willingness, an incredible OPENNESS to learn craft.
Then persistence.I think writers also have to have an understanding that this isn't easy. That's it's a marathon, not a sprint. That your first novel might sit in a drawer forever because it was like kindergarten and it might be your fifth or sixth or tenth novel that really gels.
The writers I know that I consider successful never stop learning.
Note these are all TRAITS more than "don't overuse adverbs."
So what would you add to the list? So far I have:
Openness
Persistence
Endurance
A mind open to learning
Maybe it's that there is a difference between learning HOW TO WRITE and learning HOW TO BE A WRITER. What do you want to add to the list?
*****
Be sure to visit Erica’s blog here and don’t be shy. Leave her a note, ask a question, and go ahead and follow her blog. You can also visit Erica’s website at http://www.ericaorloff.com/.
how to be a writer
by Erica Orloff
Despite the title of my post, I really have no idea. I can teach people all sorts of rules of writing. I can mentor, guide, critique, even heavily edit someone's material. But I can't TEACH someone how to be a writer. Not really.
However, I have come to realize the people who succeed, those that I know personally over the years who have gotten contracts, big and small, who are still in the game years later, who seem to have a fan following, all of that . . . they seem to share some common traits. I am sure you notice a few yourself if you read enough blogs and talk to enough writers.
I have come to the conclusion that persistence is overrated. [Before you shriek, wait for the rest of this.] If you persist in sending a steaming pile of meh out, the same steaming pile of meh, a hundred times, you might wear down some poor underling editor at a small house, but I don't think you'll embody success. I have seen bull-headed writers insist they are the next Hemingway or Salinger or Fitzgerald, and no amount of critiquing--gentle or otherwise--seems to stand in the way of their delusion. They are PERSISTENT. Persistence can be learned, but there is also a personality type that simply refuses to give up. Call it delusion. I used to know a woman married to an actor--a singularly unattractive man who could not act his way out of a paper bag, but refused to get a day job lest he miss his "big call" while she slaved away long hours supporting his dream. Nope . . . that is supporting a delusion.
So I think before persistence, there must be a willingness, an incredible OPENNESS to learn craft.
Then persistence.I think writers also have to have an understanding that this isn't easy. That's it's a marathon, not a sprint. That your first novel might sit in a drawer forever because it was like kindergarten and it might be your fifth or sixth or tenth novel that really gels.
The writers I know that I consider successful never stop learning.
Note these are all TRAITS more than "don't overuse adverbs."
So what would you add to the list? So far I have:
Openness
Persistence
Endurance
A mind open to learning
Maybe it's that there is a difference between learning HOW TO WRITE and learning HOW TO BE A WRITER. What do you want to add to the list?
*****
Be sure to visit Erica’s blog here and don’t be shy. Leave her a note, ask a question, and go ahead and follow her blog. You can also visit Erica’s website at http://www.ericaorloff.com/.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Guest Blog: Querying Grief
Kiersten White, a fabulous YA author who blogs at http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/, was kind enough to share this previous post of hers with us today. Please welcome our guest blogger and make Kiersten feel at home!
The Five Stages of Querying Grief
By Kiersten White
Stage One: Denial
This can't be happening to me! Novel is so good! I was supposed to get an agent within days of sending out that first query! There must be some sort of mistake--it's already been three weeks. Sure, everyone else has to go through a long, drawn-out querying process, but not me! There's going to be a request for a full in my inbox RIGHT NOW, I just know it.
Stage Two: Anger
What?!? [Insert Author Name Here] got an agent on her first try! And my book is at least as good as hers! And WHY won't anyone get back to me? I personalized and everything! Don't they understand I'm checking my email every twenty minutes? I HATE THIS! QUERYING IS THE WORST THING EVER! JUST READ MY FREAKING BOOK ALREADY!
Stage Three: Bargaining
Okay. It's okay. If I can just get a request for a full, if an agent will just read the whole thing, I'll be happy. No matter what, I'll be happy then. No? A partial. Just read a partial, I swear then I'll be happy, I won't complain or freak out or want to give up. Just a partial? No? Just respond. Anything. Just respond, and I'll be okay, really, I promise. Just a response? Please?
Stage Four: Depression
It's been three weeks. This is it. No one is going to want Novel. They'll never read it, so they'll never know how much fun it is, how well-written it is, how much potential I have as a writer. I'll never get an agent, which means I'll never get published, and there's nothing I can do about it. I suck. I suck, I suck, I suck I suck I suck. And the worst part is that I don't suck, but it doesn't matter, because no one will ever know. I'm never going to be an author. It's over. I'm going to bed. And I'm not getting up again.
Stage Five: Acceptance
Well, it is what it is. I’ve put in the work, I’ll keep at it, and I know I'll be published someday. Maybe an agent will fall in love with Novel. Maybe not. It's more luck than anything else at this point, and I can accept that. Either way, I'll keep writing, and someday, someone will represent me. In the meantime, I’ve got this shiny new idea over here just begging to be written…Of course, eventually you will make it out of this cycle. But that leads us to the stages of agented submission grief and there’s like 87 of them. One step at a time, right?
****
Thanks to Kiersten for sharing this post with us today. Please check out her blog at http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/ for more wisdom and wit.
Until next time… happy reading!
The Five Stages of Querying Grief
By Kiersten White
Stage One: Denial
This can't be happening to me! Novel is so good! I was supposed to get an agent within days of sending out that first query! There must be some sort of mistake--it's already been three weeks. Sure, everyone else has to go through a long, drawn-out querying process, but not me! There's going to be a request for a full in my inbox RIGHT NOW, I just know it.
Stage Two: Anger
What?!? [Insert Author Name Here] got an agent on her first try! And my book is at least as good as hers! And WHY won't anyone get back to me? I personalized and everything! Don't they understand I'm checking my email every twenty minutes? I HATE THIS! QUERYING IS THE WORST THING EVER! JUST READ MY FREAKING BOOK ALREADY!
Stage Three: Bargaining
Okay. It's okay. If I can just get a request for a full, if an agent will just read the whole thing, I'll be happy. No matter what, I'll be happy then. No? A partial. Just read a partial, I swear then I'll be happy, I won't complain or freak out or want to give up. Just a partial? No? Just respond. Anything. Just respond, and I'll be okay, really, I promise. Just a response? Please?
Stage Four: Depression
It's been three weeks. This is it. No one is going to want Novel. They'll never read it, so they'll never know how much fun it is, how well-written it is, how much potential I have as a writer. I'll never get an agent, which means I'll never get published, and there's nothing I can do about it. I suck. I suck, I suck, I suck I suck I suck. And the worst part is that I don't suck, but it doesn't matter, because no one will ever know. I'm never going to be an author. It's over. I'm going to bed. And I'm not getting up again.
Stage Five: Acceptance
Well, it is what it is. I’ve put in the work, I’ll keep at it, and I know I'll be published someday. Maybe an agent will fall in love with Novel. Maybe not. It's more luck than anything else at this point, and I can accept that. Either way, I'll keep writing, and someday, someone will represent me. In the meantime, I’ve got this shiny new idea over here just begging to be written…Of course, eventually you will make it out of this cycle. But that leads us to the stages of agented submission grief and there’s like 87 of them. One step at a time, right?
****
Thanks to Kiersten for sharing this post with us today. Please check out her blog at http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com/ for more wisdom and wit.
Until next time… happy reading!
Friday, August 7, 2009
rolling out the well-read carpet
You may recall I mentioned August is going to be a particularly busy month for me. Rather than take my chances that I may or may not be able to commit to my thrice-weekly blog posts I am pleased to announce I have recruited some fantastic guest bloggers and interviews for the entire month. Not only does that give you a break from me (ahhhh), but you’ll also have an opportunity to meet and interact with some very cool authors.
You may have noticed Kiersten White in the comment sections before and you’ll certainly notice her now; she’ll be a guest blogger on August 10th and 17th and will also be my interview subject for the author Q&A on August 26th. Perhaps you’ll recall the Q&A with mega-talented Erica Orloff? She’s contributed a guest blog scheduled to appear August 24th. Author Jude Hardin will be guest blogging on August 28th. In addition to these guest posts, the regularly scheduled Q&As will be appearing, featuring interviews with authors Daphne Uviller, Lydia R. LeRoy-Williams, Abby McDonald, and Renee Miller-Johnston. So while I may not be here all the time, you shouldn’t notice an absence in activity this month. Plus, I’ll try my darndest to come by and check on your comments and questions, so don’t feel like you’re being left in the dark!
What the heck is keeping me so busy this month, anyways? Well, I am wrapping up some edits on my work-in-progress. I’m also knee-deep in promoting and marketing my latest book, stains: early poems, which is out now and at a really great discount at Barnes & Noble. There are a few editorial meetings I need to hit out of town in addition to meeting with some venues for future readings and signing events. Plus, I’m doing some behind-the-scenes work that is a bit consuming (but fun!), since I have recently been recruited to act as Managing Editor of Marick Press, a not-for-profit publisher of literary non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. So… it’s a busy month and I want to make sure I take care of what I need to take care of, but not let this blog gather dust. Thus, I hope you will enjoy the bounty of authors I am leaving in your care and I’ll look forward to sharing all sorts of news upon the return to my usual ‘schedule.’
You may have noticed Kiersten White in the comment sections before and you’ll certainly notice her now; she’ll be a guest blogger on August 10th and 17th and will also be my interview subject for the author Q&A on August 26th. Perhaps you’ll recall the Q&A with mega-talented Erica Orloff? She’s contributed a guest blog scheduled to appear August 24th. Author Jude Hardin will be guest blogging on August 28th. In addition to these guest posts, the regularly scheduled Q&As will be appearing, featuring interviews with authors Daphne Uviller, Lydia R. LeRoy-Williams, Abby McDonald, and Renee Miller-Johnston. So while I may not be here all the time, you shouldn’t notice an absence in activity this month. Plus, I’ll try my darndest to come by and check on your comments and questions, so don’t feel like you’re being left in the dark!
What the heck is keeping me so busy this month, anyways? Well, I am wrapping up some edits on my work-in-progress. I’m also knee-deep in promoting and marketing my latest book, stains: early poems, which is out now and at a really great discount at Barnes & Noble. There are a few editorial meetings I need to hit out of town in addition to meeting with some venues for future readings and signing events. Plus, I’m doing some behind-the-scenes work that is a bit consuming (but fun!), since I have recently been recruited to act as Managing Editor of Marick Press, a not-for-profit publisher of literary non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. So… it’s a busy month and I want to make sure I take care of what I need to take care of, but not let this blog gather dust. Thus, I hope you will enjoy the bounty of authors I am leaving in your care and I’ll look forward to sharing all sorts of news upon the return to my usual ‘schedule.’
Remember, while I am running around this month, I’m not that far away. So you can still feel free to email me, find me on twitter, leave comments in the blog, or find me on facebook. I’ll be sure to check in any moment I can spare. Oh, and the contest for a personally signed copy of one of my books is still on, so if you haven’t yet clicked to ‘follow this blog’ go ahead and do so now. I’ll be randomly drawing a winner from the list of followers at the end of September.
Until later… happy reading!
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