“Write stories like the ones you enjoy reading…”
“Find your voice….”
“Writing a shitty first draft is OK…”
“Write everyday…”
“Don’t write stories in first person present…”
“Follow the rules…”
“Words simply fall onto the page…”
“Writer’s block is real…”
“Anyone can write…”
“Writing can be taught…”
“Writing takes discipline…”
“Writing is a solitary pursuit…”
“Family, friends, and coworkers, will support your pursuit and understand why you write…”
“You will be rich…”
“You will be poor…"
“If you BLOG you will land an agent…”
“If you have a 1,000 followers on Facebook you will land an agent…”
“If you self-publish you’ll be labeled a loser…”
“If you write romance you’ll be labeled non-literary…”
“If you write literary fiction, you’ll be revered by 1,000 readers, and possibly the New Yorker…”
“If you write romance (any genre) your chances of discovery by the masses is far greater than if you wrote literary fiction…”
“If you write seriously and religiously, your bum will expand exponentially, as will your consumption of chocolate…”
“If you become a writer you will get lost in thought, be prone to staring at the wall, and will comb your life for snippets to write about…”
“As a writer you will become easily agitated if internet connectivity is lost for seconds…"
“As a writer you will need to choose between reality television and the blank page…”
“A writer’s best friend is the household pet—they LOVE everything the writer writes…”
“The writer’s worst enemy is the writer her/him self…”
“Fame and fortune will follow the first novel…”
“If you want it bad enough don’t stop believing…”
“Writing is hard…”
“Writing requires an investment of 10,000 hours…”
“A writer must keep journals…”
“Write honestly and authentically…”
“A writer must submit…”
“A writer must attend writing conferences to find an agent…”
“A serious writer requires an MFA…”
“A writer needs an outline to write a novel…”
“If you’re going to be a writer be prepared for rejection…”
Some, all, none are true. Each is relevant depending on the writer who is doing the writing.
The one item on this list I believe is fact for all writers: to be a writer requires an investment of time. Honestly, I wonder if ten thousand hours is enough. Other items on the list be aware of: chocolate or wine consumption might increase, your pet will adore you even if you split an infinitive here and there, and your ego will never, ever, except rejection gracefully.
Do you have anything to add to the list?
* * *
While she rides the agent query coaster for a women’s fiction novel, she’s working with The Wild Rose Press on the release of Luna Love, Loving is Good, a romance novella. When she’s not working on a story, she writes love letters to the universe, dead poets, and Mae West. You can find her at http://www.brendamoguez.com and https://www.facebook.com/BrendaMoguez, where she explores passionate pursuits in all its forms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey! I would add never be afraid to break the rules.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right about investment of time. That's the one rule that's absolute.
This post really cracked me up because you are so right--if you hear one thing from one speaker or read it on a blog, you hear the exact opposite advice from someone else. My advice that I always try to give when someone asks me is: Write what is in your heart. Then worry about the rest. Thanks for the smile this morning!
ReplyDeleteI love list type posts and this one is a lot of fun. I guess it's a reminder to forget about most of the rules and just write! :)
ReplyDeleteLoved your post and so true, especially consuming chocolate and ok, some wine, from time to time! I would only add "Be ok with spending the day in your pj's unintentionally."
ReplyDelete