Tuesday, March 29, 2011

This is good advice

Because it's true.

The difference between the writers who make it and ones who don't is often not measured by the quality of their writing.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ms. Reid,
I'm honored for the link today. I don't know if you saw that I linked to your post a few weeks ago in my Twitter tips series advising writers not to Tweet about the query process when they're in the middle of it. Like many writers, I'm a fan of your blog, and I appreciate your frank advice.

Thanks again,
Nina B

Loree Huebner said...

Read Nina's post. Awesome advice. Thanks for sharing it.

Anonymous said...

Awesome and inspiring advice from (although she'll never admit it)a talented and hard-working writer.

Unknown said...

Wow! Thanks and eye opener. It's probably what I spend 99.5% of my time worrying about.
"Am I a good enough writer for my stories?"

I'm still not sure of the answer, but I'm giving it an honest try.

Thanks for the share :o)

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

Yes, which explains why I feel viciously guilty when I don't write. If you're a writer, you write. Plain and simple.

There is one guarantee in the publishing world: If you're not working hard at your craft, you will not get published. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean if you are working hard you will get pubbed, but at least you stand a chance. Thinking about writing, or writing whenever the mood strikes does not make you a serious writer. Writing, reading, and improving your skills does.

(Gets off high horse and clicks back to WIP.)

Joelle said...

Very true. I have noticed that when you talk to people who have sold their first novel, they very often fall into the category I do - at it for ten years or more, on their second agent because they chose too hastily (or it didn't work out for other reasons), have a drawer full of unpublished books, and they work at it every day.

jesse said...

Once more unto the breach, and twice more unto the bar.

Leira Carola said...

True, Stephenie Meyers made it big with Twilight.

Phil Hall said...

This is inspirational! Thanks, Janet! You rock. :)

Melissa said...

Perseverance = Time, time and more time.

So few people have it to spend on "try, try again." I often wonder how many wonderful novels would have been written had time not been a luxury for a lot of very talented folks I know ....

Elizabeth Michels said...

How strange that you would post this when my husband gave me the same advice only last night. I was bummed over yet another form rejection and he told me that my hard work would pay off one day. He said I would only fail if I quit...I want to grace the shelves of my local supermarket one day with my historical romances just down the isle from the peanut butter. And I refuse to quit. Thanks for the encouraging post. :)

Anne-Marie said...

Funny how this resembles the advice I give my grade 5/6 students about hard working being more of a factor than just being smart.

Shelly said...

This is great. And I needed it today.

Thanks.

Joelle said...

This discussion reminds me of that letter Dear Abby used to reprint every once in a while. Very loosely - A forty-five year old person says, "I was thinking about becoming a doctor, but it would take me ten years to get all the degrees and everything. I'd be FIFTY-FIVE by the time I finished." And the answer/advice was, "And how old will you be in ten years if you don't go to medical school?"

Simon Hay said...

Yes it's hard work being a writer, but it's also rewarding and we love it, right? The online writing community is generous and supportive, and it's exciting and invigorating to know that you're not alone. Happy writing, everyone.

Unknown said...

That one statement made me ponder its veracity.

Carolynnwith2Ns said...

The best advice.

Nike

JUST DO IT !

Joanne Levy said...

Yes. Thanks for sharing.

Shannon Heather said...

Here's my favorite quote:

If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one.
-Dolly Parton

Another brilliant quote by Dolly Parton (completely unrelated):

You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap!

"Mom, it's show not tell, not tell not show." My 10 yo daughter.

"Mom, if you give up on writing can I stop doing my homework?" My 12 yo son.

That's all the inspiration I need.

ryan field said...

With all this talk and hype about .99 self-pubbed e-books and potential authors getting the wrong impression about what it takes to actually be a writer, this was a nice link to read. And though it's hard to tell sometimes, it's also nice to know there are still people willing to work hard and get it right.

Jo-Ann said...

I need to continually remind myself that it's 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

And just imagine how hard one would need to type to lather up into a sweat?

Anonymous said...

You know, I just made the same point at my blog. There are many good books that go unpublished because they don't fit into the latest trend. Be it, Paranormal Romance or what not.

Anonymous said...

Pray tell, what is making it? I suppose that means starting off with the artistic ideals that make up your soul and then selling those ideals to the highest bidder.

What a traditionally capitalist approach, every damn thing is for sale! Well I won't do it.

Edward Gordon
http://independentauthor.blogspot.com

Kyler said...

You told us not to give up until we had 100 rejections. Well, I don't know how many I had, but it was at least twice that. I just couldn't give up...and lo and behold, I got an offer and an agent! Rejection is easy, it's truly believing in yourself that's the challenge.

Lumino Perseid said...

Thank you for that

Just as i am searching for agents to qeury
exactly what i needed to keep working on my stories

Dr. Cheryl Carvajal said...

So glad I read this. I've added her blog to my blog roll, too.

I need to get to work!