Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The One True Way

Writing is hard.

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, no matter who they are. They might be other writers who, after a certain amount of success, have forgotten all of the blood, sweat, and tears it took to get where they are. They might be scornful family members that don't understand your "silly little hobby". But we all know better. We know how difficult it is to be a writer, how draining it can be on both your energy and your emotions.

There are lots of "writing courses" that you can take online to "write a novel in 30 days with just one easy payment!" Most of these courses are scams. There is no secret to writing a novel quickly and easily... the only way to do it is through hard work, practice, and perseverance. If it was easy, everyone would have a published novel.

A few of these courses are genuine writer's tutorials that explain how any given author achieved their own success. Reading these can be useful, but eventually you realize that all the research in the world will not help you finish your own novel any faster. Every writer has their own way of writing and every writer has their own ways to be productive. It is good to research these ways, many of them are useful, but you also need to do some soul searching and find your OWN tricks.

There is no secret formula. There is no One True Way. There are no guarantees. All you can do is keep on writing.

There is one thing that all successful writers have in common, however. They surround themselves with a support network. Those friends that think you are wasting your time? Ignore them. Find yourself some new friends. Seek out other writers. Build communities. Find others like you. Offer and receive encouragement as well as constructive criticism.

Write for yourself, but when the writing gets hard, the support of good friends and colleagues is invaluable.

2 comments:

Lauren said...

-applause-

Knightmare said...

Well said. There's nothing more discouraging that a close friend or family member dismissing your writing as a little hobby.

I see tons of those "Write your novel in 30 days!' ads too, and sometimes I just want to yell at the people who publish them. That's like saying, hey if you use this pen, you can draw like an anime artists in a month!

To be a writer is like having any other job, it takes true dedication to succeed, and depending on the author, the definition of success varies greatly. Some people are content with just finishing a novel, others want to see their book in Borders, while others want a book tour or a movie based on their baby.

That said, it's often difficult to stay on that path and supportive friends, who are honestly interested in your work is definitely the right step.

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