Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Why?

Why do unpublished writers worry so much about things that don't matter? If you haven't written a book yet, designing a book mark is sort of pointless. If you haven't finished a book, but you have eleven on again/off again projects, who cares what your pen name is?

I understand the excitement of that new idea, the one that takes over your brain and woos you with whispers of greatness, but if you let every new idea take you away from the book you're currently writing, you're never going to get anywhere. The key is finishing. Even if the book sucks. Finish it anyway. Push through, get to the end, then set it aside. I guarantee you'll have learned something. I've gotten better with every book I've written. You will too. That's just how it works.

Focus on the now, not what could be. Write the book. That's how you get published.

12 comments:

  1. Amen. For years I dabbled with writing but never finished a thing. Then I started getting serious and I experimented with this and that. Once I actually finished somthing it felt so good! That is the biggest hurdle. You MUST finish. You definitely learn something new with each book.

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  2. Very true. Git 'r done. It's the only way to move forward.

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  3. Absolutely. You've got to finish one thing first, then you can do the other stuff and pursue the new ideas you had while working on the first thing.

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  4. So true, Kristen. There are enough distractions in life to get in the way of writing. We don't need to create any distractions.

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  5. You are absolutely right.

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  6. You nailed it.

    And, I would venture to say that designing the bookmark is procrastination fluff that takes you away from the REAL work of writing.


    huh-
    UNLESS collaging is a tool you need to help you coalesce(sp) your idea. I could see how a new writer might misplace that need becuase they don't understand their processs.

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  7. This speaks to me! I really do finish my WIP's, but I have one in particular I like and would love to see to publication. I'm trying to focus on that one right now.

    BTW, Sorry about your sick cats.

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  8. Oh my gosh, that is HILARIOUS. (Because it's so true)

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  9. Exactly. Focus on the writing. The rest is just distractions and amusements.

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