One of Angela's reasons why writers give up:
Reason #1: Writing is hard. It is. The writing process, at times, can be incredibly fun and rewarding. When the words flow and nearly write themselves, it's amazing. It's almost a high type of feeling. A rush. But there are other times, many times, in which writing just plain sucks--the words do not come; or the words DO come, but they are crap; editing (it's a pain in the butt, but SO necessary. Do not skip this step. Just saying); promoting and marketing (UUUGGGHHH); and then coming up with another great idea. Oh the pressure! No wonder I feast on lots of migraine pills, chocolate, and caffeine.And one of her reasons why you shouldn't give up:
1) Remember why you write. If you are writing for fame and fortune, then I guess you better get out now. But if you are writing because you love the written word, or you feel as though you have a story to tell and want to share it with people, however many that will be, THEN you must keep on writing. If it makes you happy, then do it. Nothing else matters. None of it. Not the rejections. Not the lack of readers. None of it. Write because you have to.She ends with an encouraging call to action:
I will be successful. I will taste it. Maybe not today or tomorrow or a year from now, but success will be mine. I'm pretty determined to find out what flavor success tastes like. I hope you want to find out what it tastes like too.It's a pretty great post. Go check it out.
Illustrate and Write On,
Lee
Thanks Lee. I checked out the article...good tips!
ReplyDeleteI believe Angela will indeed be a success. Even though she's not reached as many people as she should with her great work, her books are just plain excellent. I especially think EVERYONE 16 and older should read DESERT RICE an DESERT FLOWER.
ReplyDeleteDisclaimer: I'm her publisher and editor.
However: I'm also an avid reader, and I absolutely LOVE these books.
Her advice is sound: write because you must; pay close attention to quality; and be patient. :)
There are so many reasons to give up, and some days there seem to be so few reasons to keep going. Keeping in mind WHY you write to begin with is crucial--thanks for the reminder:>)
ReplyDelete