I wish I could say I was the kind of person who learned a lesson once and then never made the same mistake again. But well, I'm not. I'm constantly learning and relearning things along this whole writing path. Thought I'd share a few of my current ones:
• Write what you are absolutely 100% in love with. It's the only way your writing will have that spark, and the only way you'll have enough passion to see the project through.
• My characters are not me, and thus they often do things I don't want them to and certainly wouldn't do myself. This is okay.
• Have the courage to tell the story the right way. If that means going places that scare you, do it. If that means major revisions that scare you, do them. If that means writing a genre that scares you, do it.
• A messy first draft doesn't make you a bad writer—it just makes you normal. Don't compare your raw writing to another author's finished novel. It's like comparing a 4-year-old gymnast to an Olympian. AKA: Totally unfair.
Feel free to comment about what you've been reminding yourself of lately. I am always in need of reminders.
What great reminders for all of us! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI've been reminding myself that, no matter what others may say, I'm doing something that's HARD! I'm doing something so hard millions of people only _think_ about it and never really attempt it!
ReplyDeleteSo, when I get down, I remind myself that it's okay. I'm ahead of the game because I'm actually writing book instead of talking about writing a book.
Very, very timely post for me, Natalie! Thanks!
PS- Your ARCs are gorgeous all stacked up like that!
So very true, all of it! Esp. "...Write what you are absolutely 100% in love with."
ReplyDeleteHaha, I'm the same way. Gotta learn things the hard way, over and over again.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest one for me is: Take your time. Life and art are not races.
Great reminders...all four of those. I needed that today.
ReplyDeleteNumber 2 is what I struggle with... well, and the third bullet as well. People keep telling me my writing is "sad." I feel the urge to back up and write something happy, but I need to just write the story that needs to be written.
ReplyDelete"My characters are not me, and thus they often do things I don't want them to and certainly wouldn't do myself." -- This one has me thinking about things we have our characters do in YA books that maybe go against what we, the writers, would have young adult readers do. And is that okay at times? Are there instances when this is not okay? And does it depend on the circumstances and the consequences of actions. Hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I agree that I'm also reminding myself of things all the time. One of the biggest ones is not to leave regrets behind. There are so many things I want to do and too little time, so it's often hard to know what is best for me. At the same time, it also means that I'm always rushing to get things done. I'm constantly telling myself that it's okay to postpone some things and to take the time to take a walk merely to take a walk and not to rush somewhere :)
ReplyDeleteI got some really positive feedback today from writer's group. I want to remember what it feels like to be able to write something like it again, because I feel like I'm losing sight of why I wanted to be a writer in the first place now that school obligations have completely taken over my free time.
ReplyDeleteI love your reminders! :)
I just have to keep reminding myself to keep writing. When I fall away from it, I find it daunting to come back.
ReplyDelete"Like comparing a 4-year-old gymnast to an Olympian." I sooo needed this reminder today. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteIf you loved it when you wrote it, then it's worth revising.
ReplyDeleteI really like this list, and it helps me to read it. I also have to remind myself that it's okay to feel envious of other writers who are more successful than I am, as long as I don't let that envy keep me from writing.
ReplyDeleteYour comment about having the courage to tell your story really resonated with me. It can be very easy to shortchange a story by taking the easy way out.
ReplyDeleteStephanie @ Read in a Single Sitting
Great list. The messy 1st draft reminder is timely for me as I push to finish nano.
ReplyDeleteI have to constantly remind myself that there are other things in my life that make me just as happy as writing makes me. I am the sume of many things, not just books.
ReplyDeleteI remind myself that I'm just at the beginning of my writing career. The book I'm writing isn't the ultimate finish line. That takes the pressure off all the perfectionism I put on myself.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Thanks for posting, Natalie.
ReplyDeleteJust because things were challenging or took a long time in the past doesn't mean they're bound to get easier in the future. PATIENCE. (P.S. I'm on submission...)
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post! It definitely made me feel that I'm not alone in experiencing "I am a bad writer" moments. Lately, I've been reminding myself to get out of my comfort zone (write a different genre) and to allow myself to make mistakes. I'm working on turning off my internal editor every time I write and it feels so good to just enjoy what I love to do. :)
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