Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
I’ve noticed that when entering the writing and publishing journey, people have a lot of assumptions that aren’t necessarily true. Here’s a little true/false quiz to pinpoint some assumptions you may have. Do they need to be challenged?
True or False:
- The best time of day to write is the morning.
- In order to write anything good, I need large chunks of time.
- I should probably start telling people about my book, to keep me accountable.
- I probably shouldn’t talk about my book because someone might steal my idea.
- I shouldn’t read other books in my genre because I don’t want to imitate them.
- The fact that my personal story is so tragic will make it interesting to others.
- Book marketing is all about self-promotion.
- Every writer needs a website.
- Writer’s block doesn’t exist or is just an excuse.
- If I’m a real writer, it should be easy.
- I can only write on the days I feel inspired.
- I should probably quit my day job as soon as possible to be a successful writer.
My thoughts:
- False. While morning works best for most writers, the best time of day to write is the time you’ll actually do it. We are subject to family schedules and work schedules, so we don’t always get to write at the ideal time.
- False. Large chunks of time are helpful and typically lead to productivity, but you can write an entire book in less than four months writing only 500 words a day.
- False. While it’s a personal decision whether to talk about the book you’re writing, there’s a funny psychological trick we play on ourselves, in which “talking about something” makes us feel like we’ve already done it — making us less likely to truly get it done. So beware talking about it.
- False. It’s not entirely unknown for someone to steal a book idea. But the chances are so slim that it’s not typically worth worrying over. In any case, two people can write a book on the same idea and come up with entirely different books.
- False. You might not want to read other books in your genre while you’re deep in the trenches of writing your book. But before that, you should have spent years reading other books in your genre.
- False. Sadly, there are many tragic stories, so that fact alone won’t necessarily make it interesting. It will need to be beautifully written and have a strong sales hook.
- False. If you’re thinking book marketing is “self promotion,” then you’re doing it wrong. It’s really about sharing something valuable with the world.
- True! A website is the beginning and the foundation of your online presence.
- False. Some people claim writer’s block isn’t a thing; those suffering from it beg to disagree.
- False. Writing is hard. Full stop.
- False. Writing, like any discipline, can be done with or without “inspiration.”
- False. It’s a good idea to keep your writing completely separate from stresses over paying the bills, for as long as possible.
How’d you do?
When I began my wayward writing trip,
I thought the road had another turning,
but I was callow, and quite a drip,
oblivious to God’s own yearning.
He let me know that there would not be
an easy path to a starry height;
He broke my life to His humility,
and forced an unwilling heart to write.
Each fading day, I cry out, frustrated,
“Please, don’t send me here, once again,
to sort through what disease obliterated,
and then put heartening truth to pen.”
And every day, He steels my soul
so that words for others make me whole.
Great post, Rachelle. I did pretty well on the quiz. Question: When should a writer invest in creating a website?
I’d like to know too!
I did fine until #9 (Writer’s block). I understand that many writer’s lay claim to this ‘malady’, but it typically means they’re stuck and they want an “immediate” solution. When that immediacy is not forthcoming, they get frustrated, which leads to less ability/willingness to step away and relax so they can think clearly. Or they claim writer’s block when they discover, subconsciously, that the stupendous story they’ve worked on for months is actually dull and boring and not at all what their plan told them it would be. Or they have so much other stuff going on in their lives that they just can’t include the writing portion right then. And of course, the more they convince themselves that they’re suffering from “writer’s block” instead of a “stumbling block”, the harder it is to move forward.
Yes, there actually is a condition called agraphia. Rarely is this what writers get. What writers get are the same things that millions of non-writers get – fear of failure, failure to acknowledge a mistake (too stubborn to start over), impatience, loss of self-confidence, etc etc. But by giving it a name – writer’s block – writers don’t have to sit back and actually figure out why they’re having a problem with their writing and dealing with that. Instead they claim writer’s block and get all kinds of sympathy and advice and eventually they either decide to get on with it (and whatever advice they were following last becomes the “cure”) or they give up on writing.
And I know this isn’t a popular stance in the writing world. But – been there, done that, and often enough to recognize that the problems were the same ones that stopped me from doing other non-writing things, and the solutions were the same ones that got me moving again. It won’t always be the same reason, it won’t always be the same solution, but it will always be something you have dealt with already in other areas of your life, whether it’s a stuck spigot or a burst water pipe. Look for the cause, not just at the symptom.
False. While it’s a personal decision whether to talk about the book you’re writing, there’s a funny psychological trick we play on ourselves, in which “talking about something” makes us feel like we’ve already done it — making us less likely to truly get it done. So beware talking about it.
This is a good observation. Some of the writing mojo leaks out when we talk about what we haven’t finished.
Worse, for me at least, would having people meddle with my thinking about the story while it’s still gestational. I don’t talk about what I’m working on until I’ve finished and reviewed the first draft. As one noted author wrote, there’s the door-closed stage, and the door-open stage.
Ha ha! After 18 years of serious writing, my assumptions have been thoroughly slaughtered and replaced with good solid facts.