Pickle #1 - You don't have what it takes to write a book. This is only true if you take a good portion of your day and surf the interwebs. Or if everything must be your way and your writing is perfect. Or if you really can't be bothered with marketing and stuff like that. Or if you don't have a MFA, iPAD, connections... Or you don't have enough time to write. Or you have done everything you know... Come on. Either you want this or not. Make up your mind. Some Nike ad said it well: "Just do it!"
Pickle #2 - You can't write because your family doesn't support you.. Family wants to have Christmas turkey/tofu. They want birthday cakes, tons of hugs and help with the homework. They will be with you in the hospital, when you have the blues, and on your trip to Disney. They may not have time to read your WIPs. You need partners to support your writing! Here is my short list: Cathy, Conrad, Louise, Megan, Shelly, Marion, Stasia, Chris, Chris, Gail, Kevan, Vijaya, Eileen, Karen, Allyson, Jen, Lois, Susan, Susan, Katherine, Holly, Peggy, Janet, Dawn, Judy, Kathy, Susan, Robin, Andy and Ellen, I also think a cat can be very supportive.
Pickle #3- You are too old to write a book. Laura Ingalls Wilder was in her mid-60s when her Little House series hit the shelves. Mary Wesley published her first children's books in her 50s and in her 70s published her pièce de résistance,"Part of the Furniture." Richard Adams didn't publish a book until he was 50 -- "Watership Down." James Michner was 40 before his first book rolled off the presses. You're not to old.
I'm going to be at this for one more week.. Hope you come back for more exposed writer myths. Seize the day.
Here is my doodle: "Girl in Glasses."
Here is a quote for you pocket.
We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies. Pablo Picasso
9 comments:
Yup, just eat those pickles! The way I see it, the other responsibilities will always be there and time doesn't go backwards ... glad to see my name on your list. Miss you. V.
Good advice. Eat the pickles. Perfect.
Of course your name is on my list. Hugs, Vijaya! I miss you too.
I remember an aftershave commercial where the guy is slapped and says, "Thanks, I needed that."
That's my response to your post...and honored to be on your list. Blessings.
Nicely said. I love pickles. Sometimes they're sour and sometimes they're sweet.
Andy! Glad to be a help!
Candi! I love pickes too.
That's an impressively long short list!
The cats are on the keyboard a bit too much, though. :)
Yes, my short list is pretty lengthy. I'm really happy that is true.
Hahaha, cats on the keyboard.
I was quite terrible with procrastination when I was younger...everyone seemed so much more talented than me. My pickle was that I was intimidated. How could I, me!, write a book, when my workshop peers and colleagues were so much better? Luckily, I persisted--many of my classmates in college gave up writing long ago, and here I am, still writing every day. It doesn't matter how good everyone else seems (Harold Bloom calls this "the anxiety of influence"), you can have a killer work ethic and the strength to see it through to the end.
Jewell
Hi Jewell, I'm glad you persisted. This one gift that is not apparent early on. It may be the key to every writers success. I think those young dreamers called procrastinators are doing work. It is difficult to see but it is happening in all those starts , scribbled notebooks, napkins, wild journeys, odd jobs, lunch hours, etc.
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