"I'm writing a book.
I've got the page numbers done.” ~Steven Wright, author
Ever have days like that? You stare at the blank
computer screen and nothing flows through your fingers onto the keyboard? Many
issues, mostly psychological, impede our creative process, sometimes for days
on end. The danger is in these roadblocks short-circuiting our careers.
What are some of the roadblocks in your writing
career? Chances are good that at least some of the things on this list have tripped you
up at some point. The following articles and video by some of our industry’s top
professionals will reignite your passion for writing and give you the encouragement
to get around those pesky roadblocks tossed in your path.
#1- Can you think of anything worse in your journey
to publication than rejection letters? We all get them, and they stink! Writing
is kind of like baseball in the sense that getting a hit only a small
percentage of the time is considered success. But sometimes rejections can be
debilitating, especially when you don’t know why you’re getting them. In this
blog post, literary agent Rachelle Gardner gives an agent’s insight into why a
rejection might not have anything to do with the quality of your writing:
#2 – Lack of productivity. How do you get started?
How do you stay on track without constant distractions like social media,
especially when you feel mired down already? In this guest blog post by Vincent
Nguyen, from Jeff Goins’ website, he outlines unconventional ways to reignite
your writing and avoid the pitfalls of wasting time and getting distracted.
#3 – Am I ever going to be a successful writer? Everyone wants to know how famous and
successful writers reached the top. What makes them tick? Are they doing
something I’m not? Max Lucado gives you an insider’s view of his writing
process.
#4 – Pacing. Ugh. Is this one of the great
mysteries of writing or what? You know it when you read a nicely paced book,
but you can’t always judge pacing in your own work. Becca Puglisi, who wrote
The Emotion Thesaurus (invaluable book for fiction writers, by the way), shares
some of the tricks of the trade in this post.
#5 – Lack of encouragement. Ever heard of Jack Canfield? Hmmm. Chicken
Soup for the Soul. Yeah, that guy. Here’s a 7-minute video he made that shares some
insight into how he became a published writer. There are additional videos you
can sign up for at the end of this video. (While I’m not offering a guarantee
or endorsement of his program, so far the free videos I’ve received via email
have contained very good information.) If nothing else, just listening to him
speak for a few minutes in this video will inspire you to stay the course and
rededicate yourself to honing your writing skills and getting published.
Okay, so what are you waiting for? Now that your passion and determination have been reignited, get back to the
keyboard and start writing! I want to hear about your latest work in progress
(WIP). Leave a comment about what you’re currently working on.
Happy Writing,
Laura J
Great tips. I can't wait to read #5!
ReplyDeleteThanks, TC. Even though I've been writing for a while, I learned something new from each one.
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