10. You read.
9. You read a hella lot, in all sorts of genres. Quit whining.
8. You write. All. The. Damn. Time.
7. People read what you wrote. They hate it. They give advice. They usually tell you to get a job. Something not in writing.
6. You read a hella lot more to figure out where you can improve.
5. You're still writing. All. The. Damn. Time.
4. A few people sort of like some parts of what you wrote.
3. You repeat all of the above steps until you can substitute "few" in #4 with "most" and "sort of like" with "freaking love" and then you...
2. Keep writing.
1. You might sell. You might not. Odds are, people look at you weird when you say you're a writer, or they start telling you how they could be one, like, in an afternoon, if they just wanted to, and you try not to kill them (with witnesses around) and then you drink a lot and probably cry, and then you start to burn everything you've ever written and then this one piece, this one sentence, catches your eye and you start readng and you think, "You know, this is pretty good. I could do something with this." And so while they cart you off to jail or to the insane asylum, you start thinking just what you're going to do with your next story.
Posted by toni at April 24, 2006 01:19 AM"You're a writer," I hear. "You should write about me. My life has been so interesting." My answer? "Sorry. I don't write fantasy."
Kidding. I hate those folks - especially the literati types who don't (sniff) "read genre fiction" who claim they could create a Pulitzer Prize winner, between dropping off their dry-cleaning and hitting the next wine tasting - if they really wanted to. At that point I either hit the bottle, or hit *them* with the bottle.
Butt. In. Chair. Every. Damn. Day. Write. Write. Write. That's the real advice, Toni, you hit it on the head today :) Thanks for showcasing the glamorous side of this business...
Posted by: Lori G. Armstrong at April 24, 2006 10:58 AMThank you. Thank you. Thank you. This was EXACTLY what I needed to read, PRECISELY at this moment on this day. Truer words may have been spoken at some other point in time, but none ring truer to me than these right now. I will press on through more writing, reading, writing and revising. Cheers.
Posted by: callie at April 24, 2006 01:37 PMThanks Lori & Callie. I've seen a few others floating around the 'net which were good, too, but a lot more detailed. Butt in chair. Pretty much the only way. ;)
Posted by: toni mcgee causey at April 24, 2006 02:49 PMIt amazes me when I actually follow the BIC advice how much I get accomplished, not only word count wise, but with plot and characterization stumbling blocks, and it makes me remember how much I like the process of writing (instead of the flip side "having written"). Even if it gets tossed in the trash, I've made forward progress and I can usually create something that works.
Posted by: Lori G. Armstrong at April 24, 2006 04:12 PMLori, that is so perfect. So absolutely true. I find that when I've been working and creating and solving problems, delving deep into the characters and trying to find a way to make them really work and be memorable, I end up with such a satisfying feeling.... much more than just seeing the pages pile up or seeing something in print. It's an accomplishment that's mine, and I know how hard it was to get there. It may not be perfect. Hell, it may not even be good, but it's me moving forward, and that's what makes it worthwhile.
Posted by: toni mcgee causey at April 25, 2006 12:25 AMI envy people who can write and just seem to flow effortlessly across pages. I read anything I can get my hands on.. How does one keep from plagarizing due to reading SOOOO many books. How does one stay original? I imagine that it can be hard..
Posted by: NPs Save Lives at April 25, 2006 07:53 AM