Cyn

I was thinking today that although I love writing, writing is also work.  Just like a job, you have to prioritize different components of the work. 

The biggest priority I see is time.  If you were working a traditional job, you would work set hours.  We need to do this with our writing as well.  It is too easy for other things to steal into our writing time so we must make it an unshakeable priority.  No excuses.

With a lot of jobs, you need to prepare as well.  Sometimes this is taking refresher classes, or getting certifications, maybe meeting a new educational requirement.  In writing, we need to prepare also.  We need to prepare our characters, knowing them inside out, as well, if not better than we know ourselves.  We also need to seek out further education regarding our craft.  There is always something to learn, someone to read or study to find out more about how we can be better writers.  Right now I am reading Story by Robert McKee and am learning, or perhaps relearning some basic tenets that belong in the concept of story.

We also need to know when to quit for the day.  Just like punching out, quiting at 5 to go home, writers need to learn to set some limits on their time so they can get away from the computer, refill their wells of creativity and relax.  As writers we need to read and we need to keep expanding our experiences.  Can't do that fastened into the desk chair.

As writers we are lucky.  We are lucky because we love our jobs.  We love sharing in our particular way our own truths through the vehicle of story.  We have one of the best jobs in the world.

What are the biggest misconceptions people have about being an author?

There are several misconceptions people outside the writing community have about being an author. One is that we make oodles of money. Writing and selling is a lot like being an actor and acting. Most people aren't mega stars and need to supplement their writing with other work. A few are lucky and have a significant other that enables them to pursue their dream.

Another misconception a lot of authors hear is "I could write a book too, if..." I think for a lot of writers this is a real burner. Writing a novel is not easy. It takes a lot of perserverance to finish a story, a lot of bravery to let another person read your work, even more guts to send it off somewhere, and then to survive rejections. Even those fortunate enough to miss being told their work isn't right at this time have to go through the huge learning curve regarding contracts, edits, getting the next novel written and doing promotions. Writing takes a lot of time. And that's when you have a clue what you're doing. Terry Brooks, John Grisham and others, before they were "discovered" got up in the wee hours of the morning, wrote, then got ready for their 40+ hour work week.

A third misconception is that of the life of ease and that writing itself is easy. Sure, maybe some writers have it easier than others; perhaps they dictate to a secretary, a tape recorder, or maybe their computer, but those writers paid their dues getting there. They had to learn like the rest of us; had to find work arounds for carpal tunnel, they read books about the craft, maybe attended seminars and workshops and conventions. Writers don't sit at home eating bon-bons. Frequently, especially for beginning writers, the work is lonely. You don't realize there are organizations to help you connect with other writers, people who can be your friends, mentors, and role models.

Make no mistake. Writers work hard. It takes guts and perseverance to finish a work and submit it and even more work to promote a novel.