tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post2655458236764736055..comments2024-03-20T02:49:17.606-07:00Comments on Between Fact and Fiction: The Cart Before The HorseNatalie Whipplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09978251567306345129noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-87218022651919546952012-04-22T08:13:31.992-07:002012-04-22T08:13:31.992-07:00I'm hooked on your blog now. This post rocked....I'm hooked on your blog now. This post rocked. When I break down my writing time, the biggest chunks seem to go to planning which publishers I'll submit to and comparing my unfinished work to the best of the best sellers. Why do we do this?! Now - officially logging off and doing some of the actual "writing" part of writing.sheplehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03114495957669079105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-54603250701249461592010-09-15T09:09:17.651-07:002010-09-15T09:09:17.651-07:00Spot on, Natalie! The hard part is that all that o...Spot on, Natalie! The hard part is that all that other stuff can be so much more fun than slogging away at a novel, word by word. Takes so much discipline to put first things first! But it's true--we won't be remembered for the number of times we tweet, but for the number of excellent novels we write.Julianne Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10190332417986785920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-16887336479378169532010-09-13T11:07:24.763-07:002010-09-13T11:07:24.763-07:00Wow, this one hits so close to home for me.
I re...Wow, this one hits so close to home for me. <br /><br />I recently wandered from the writing path to do a lot of things I convinced myself needed to be done. <br /><br />While I was gone, weeds grew along the way--almost consuming the whole darn thing--and it took me twice as long to get back on the straight and narrow.Lisa Pottshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11676087488599338569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-63487925194828112032010-09-11T13:36:33.453-07:002010-09-11T13:36:33.453-07:00Mmm... cake...
No seriously, excellent analogy. W...Mmm... cake...<br /><br />No seriously, excellent analogy. When I graduated college, I spent a year flailing. The year after that, I gorged on the publishing industry, The Stuff. This past year, I've worked towards balance, between being a writer and acting like one. You're right: it's a huge difference, and I'm MUCH happier being than acting.Kristanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04771013578685419826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-73357368072406879862010-09-11T08:07:09.290-07:002010-09-11T08:07:09.290-07:00I agree with you 100%. I've met people who spe...I agree with you 100%. I've met people who spent major money on their website, but have no publishing credits yet. I feel like I fight this in my own writing life because the trend now is - "Get out there and build your platform NOW!" I think being business savvy is important, but it all has to come back to the writing in the end.Dawn Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065998860801658132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-34674588536567376902010-09-11T06:59:12.420-07:002010-09-11T06:59:12.420-07:00You said, "Funnily enough, the more I think a...You said, "Funnily enough, the more I think about The Stuff the more I hate writing! The less I get done! It's because I put the cart before the horse."<br /><br />This is so true for me - I had to examine over the last few weeks why I wasn't feeling the excitement over the 4th book as I did with the others, but when I sat back, I realized I was feeling burned out - all the social networking and worry over sales and etc etc etc was taking me to a place that wasn't as enjoyable or didn't feel as wonderful as the creating on its own does.<br /><br /><br />Honest and apt post.Kathryn Magendiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12863595228298349863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-5784497842561663752010-09-11T00:50:59.324-07:002010-09-11T00:50:59.324-07:00This post makes me feel so much better....have bee...This post makes me feel so much better....have been feeling guilty about just writing and reading, and not networking at all.<br /><br />Everything makes sense once we remember why we write, because we enjoy writing, and because we want to write well.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04283371140346602856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-25023562664164847662010-09-10T22:12:27.048-07:002010-09-10T22:12:27.048-07:00Natalie, thank you for putting a label on what I&#...Natalie, thank you for putting a label on what I'm feeling right now. My first query went out via snail mail about two weeks ago. I know that I should get to work on another book, but instead I've been lurking around author and agent blogs, to learn more about the writing industry.<br /><br />Tomorrow, I'll take my crazy self and my iPad back to my writing desk!Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00511147911400797398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-1922124098351793572010-09-10T21:58:30.249-07:002010-09-10T21:58:30.249-07:00natalie, from across the vast pacific ocean you ha...natalie, from across the vast pacific ocean you have read my mind. i often find myself more caught up in the intricacies of the publishing world, more than I do in my writing. when i catch myself thinking that the life of a blogger would make a good story, i cut myself off. spending time off-line for a couple of days (or hours)kick starts the creative juices again no problems.tanya bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11675926010129702369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-21147218299665323792010-09-10T20:37:07.901-07:002010-09-10T20:37:07.901-07:00What Claire Dawn said.
Blogging is hard for me be...What Claire Dawn said.<br /><br />Blogging is hard for me because it is easy for me. I get an instant reward. A fix, if you will. I can splat my post right out there, call it writing practice (which it actually is), and feel productive.<br /><br />Then I remember my WIP. Oy.<br /><br />Thanks, Natalie, for the reminder. Very honest. Very true.Janiel Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06602421917187944457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-25239104696060659292010-09-10T19:06:23.255-07:002010-09-10T19:06:23.255-07:00This is the very reason I've decided to drop T...This is the very reason I've decided to drop Twitter and blog way less and only what I want to because writing is what I want to do, what I've always wanted to do, just for the sake of it. It's what makes me happy. <br /><br />Life is too short to ever settle for being less happy than you can be and especially over something like social media for crying out loud!<br /><br />I've even gone so far as to pull the plug on my personal process of seeking an agent for the foreseeable future because there are things in my life- family, trying to preserve my remaining eyesight and health, and writing itself, that mean more to me than that frosting.<br /><br />Like you I want to 'make really great cakes', even if they're just little cupcakes that are only ever noticed by a few people. They'd still be mine.<br /><br />Thank you for this.<br /><br />~bruFebruary Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01078037856070486022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-33178172502167152992010-09-10T17:54:01.239-07:002010-09-10T17:54:01.239-07:00Good stuff, Natalie! As a freelance manuscript edi...Good stuff, Natalie! As a freelance manuscript editor, I've occasionally had clients ask me to have a quick look at their second book because they want to start marketing it along with their first book. So I go to their website and read the excerpts from their first novel, which they're already hyping there. It quickly becomes obvious to me that they should have done a lot more revising on that first novel, and contacted me or another copyeditor before they started putting that one out there. They definitely put the cart before the horse! But by then they don't want to bother with that one, because they want to start marketing the second one -- fast! Then they wonder why they're not selling. Hmmm...Jodie Rennerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-32113666456271289852010-09-10T14:51:26.441-07:002010-09-10T14:51:26.441-07:00This is so me, and I'm fully aware of it. At l...This is so me, and I'm fully aware of it. At least it's a tiny bit comforting to know I'm not the only one. I phrase it as - 'Sometimes I like the idea of being a writer more than actually writing.' Yeah. I gotta snap out of that. Thanks for the reminder!Gretchenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01132576974564001603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-52935195292939496672010-09-10T12:01:12.554-07:002010-09-10T12:01:12.554-07:00I love the cake analogy and everything it stands f...I love the cake analogy and everything it stands for. Thanks, Natalie!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-49999046394862066722010-09-10T11:59:16.751-07:002010-09-10T11:59:16.751-07:00Great post! I love the cake analogy. It's so...Great post! I love the cake analogy. It's so true! Thank you for reminding me, why I started writing in the first place. :DJ.A. Soudershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17460557430817566294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-60570280521551103482010-09-10T11:55:15.827-07:002010-09-10T11:55:15.827-07:00I LOVE this post.I LOVE this post.hannah moskowitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02347576280638165266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-46892067233655930642010-09-10T11:44:24.730-07:002010-09-10T11:44:24.730-07:00To me, blogging is writing. I use my blog to prac...To me, blogging is writing. I use my blog to practice, but I do try to spend 15-20 hours a week on my MS. I am a writer. Tapping into that is what gets me up every morning, so I have to believe it. Some may question if I am, but that is okay. We all do what we have to do. :)JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352490496472818264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-11464514731369940842010-09-08T06:52:30.439-07:002010-09-08T06:52:30.439-07:00this is so true :)this is so true :)Shelli (srjohannes)https://www.blogger.com/profile/17123227845032402600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-22090520921674711252010-09-07T14:47:34.994-07:002010-09-07T14:47:34.994-07:00This is so true and the cake analogy is excellent....This is so true and the cake analogy is excellent. Lots to think about. Thanks for sharing.srublehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09258955808195282768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-62996334765458825142010-09-07T08:39:32.653-07:002010-09-07T08:39:32.653-07:00This is so true. I'm guilty of doing the same ...This is so true. I'm guilty of doing the same thing at times. We have to take everything a step at a time, relish that step, and know that with patience and hard work the horse and the cart will come. Great post.Anita Saxenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12444339735834716979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-4966130967866889772010-09-07T08:09:51.630-07:002010-09-07T08:09:51.630-07:00Sing it, sister! :) Great post.Sing it, sister! :) Great post.Renee Collinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08170818341212519937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-66394290783897558722010-09-07T05:03:11.486-07:002010-09-07T05:03:11.486-07:00I had one of those moments today, where I thought ...I had one of those moments today, where I thought 'This story is so good. I believe in it.' And right away my mind went to envisioning the physical book, and signing copies over and over, and doing interviews, and casting for the movie, because of course it will be a movie! Then I wasn't happy at all. I felt like crap. So I reminded myself that liking my story (Me. Liking. My. Story.) is what really truly matters. the grass is pretty dang green, right here in Hawaii.Dayana Stockdalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03732725838165251900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-36501665972625100062010-09-06T22:06:41.588-07:002010-09-06T22:06:41.588-07:00You're totally right. I think that's why s...You're totally right. I think that's why so many people say they want to write books without actually writing anything, because they think it's easy. But as you said, it's a lot of hard work, but it's worth it once you produce some good writing.Neurotic Workaholichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06775298184138766683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-70662628786693442742010-09-06T20:52:48.425-07:002010-09-06T20:52:48.425-07:00In this post, are you saying it's bad to write...In this post, are you saying it's bad to write for money, or fame? <br /><br />It seems like you are. Well I definitely disagree. All you need is a reason to want to write. It doesn't matter what that reason is. Be it money, fame or personal gratification.<br /><br />I really like your blog though!Taylor Napolskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11642731675608944651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5774363178370829558.post-13066543034445972212010-09-06T20:22:26.851-07:002010-09-06T20:22:26.851-07:00Great reminder of why we write! Sometimes I feel t...Great reminder of why we write! Sometimes I feel the same way, and it usually gets me discouraged. Usually the best thing to do is jump back into my story and remember-- oh yeah! I'm writing this because I want to tell this awesome story.<br /><br />Good luck with your own writing!Shalleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09907680428735740943noreply@blogger.com