The life of a writer-part 2

The life of a writer is a special one, and one that I wouldn't trade for the world. However, there are some things to consider about the writer's life that isn't exactly top of mind.
First you have to write and this is a big one for all of you aspiring writers. You need to write everyday, even when it's raining outside and you didn't get your cocoa pebbles today.
We all have set backs and the life of a writer is no different. What is different about the life of a writer is that you pretty much set when you work and when you don't. It can be a slippery slope and deciding not to write one day can lead to a week and then before you know it, your hyperventilating because your behind deadline and have to sit your but in the chair for twenty hours a day, just to hit it.
The life of the writer has a down point in that it is a very solitary position. That's why I recommend that you get out at least three times a week. Do something like excersise, watch a movie, visit with friends. Anything that would get you out of the office for a while and become social. I noticed that it didn't take long for my ficitonal characters to become my best friends, and I had forgotten how to make small talk to real people. (Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad, but it felt like it.)
These are just a few comments that I have found create a bit a snag in the life of a writer. However, if you're aware of them, they aren't as much an issue.

The Life Of A Writer

The life of the writer can seem like a very easy going lifestyle, and to some degree it is. I am going to talk about the easier side of the life of a writer in this post. I think that in the next post it should be the harder aspects to the life of the writer.
So for starters, there is getting up when you want to and going to be when you want too. Although I don't recommend doing this, you are your own boss, technically speaking, and you can go to be whenever you want.
The second great thing to the life of the writer is that the uniform is often very casual. I prefer to work in my pajamas as I normally get up first thing and start writing every morning. Quite often this is the cliche of writers, and many don't admit to doing this or actually don't. I see like this-if you are fortunate enought to work from home, why bother with the khakis and button down shirt? Go for broke-bust out the p.j.'s. You deserve it and it makes the whole writing process better when you can be comfortable in lounge wear.
The life of the writer lends to an extremely different lifestyle. Most people won't relate to how you are able to work, and keep working from home, however it is the mark of a professional that they can get pages written and copy out the door.
The life of a writer has its many perks and those are only limited by the ways that people like to spend their time and still be able to get the work done.
If you have specific questions you want answered about the life of a writer, please leave a comment and I will get back to you. Or leave your e-mail and I will write you back. I do know when I was struggling to become a published author, I was always curious about what made the pro writer tick and what they did to become successful-like what sort of breakfast they had.
Okay maybe not that weird, but you get the point.
The life of the writer-can't be beat.

Don't forget about the word count

The word count was one of my first posts on this site and it bears repeating. Don't forget your word count. Although it is a tool to keep you on track, you should not live and die by the word count. You need to understand that it is just one more metric to keep your scribbling little heart going down the right path.
I made the mistake of blindly following my word count in the first fictional book I wrote. I put down whatever I thought of next without a care to the fashion of sentences and the pick of choice words. It was a mistake that left my writing flat and stilted.
Don't make this mistake with your word count watching.
My second book, The Book Of Mengel, (which is due to be out shortly), is a fantasy story and I paid attention to my word count but didn't let it rule my writing. In the end, I came away with a book that I liked and the few readers of the second draft enjoyed it as well.
Soon I will make the book available here as well for those who would like to buy it. If you do, drop me a line in the comment section here to let me know. Always helpful to hear that people want your writing.
In addition, if you have your own comments about how you deal with your word count, let all of us know by putting it in the comments area here as well.
Best wishes

Writing the first draft

When writing the first draft, I like to let all the words just flow out. I even let the majority of the ideas flow out as well. Even though I have an outline that I am loosely following, I will still go with any idea that seems to have a relevant direction given what I know about the book so far.
So with that in mind, writing the first draft is probably one of the most enjoyable parts of the whole writing process for me. It is when my creativity gets to run wild and I can do almost whatever I want without having the evil internal editor coming after me and trying to clean up all of my ideas that don't seem to be working. You never know, that one idea that you start traveling down could be the one that leads to your new career.
Happy writing everyone.

Some of the best tips for writers

Look below at the last post. I suggested some great material for people to buy that I think is some of the best information for people who want to write and who want to become published and paid for their writing.
Check it out.

What do you like to write?

There are so many different things to write about and so many different genres that it is easy to not focus on any one group for very long. That is why I am trying to be a vague as possible in what I talk about, in order for the things I have learned to apply to just about anyone.

If you want more information about writing in different genre's like chic light, childrens books, horror, sci-fi....and more, then click here to find all the answers you could ever want. Rob Parnell is a vast treasure trove of knowledge and he gives away many of his secrets to writing the best sellers in his free e-books.

Check it out now!

The Writing Life

The writing life is a wonderful life. Although it is not as easy as people would think it it. How many authors do you know? Not too many I am guessing. There is a reason for that.
While the writing life does appeal to many with working in your pajamas and sleeping in if you want too, there are many aspects of the writing life that people seem to forget exist.
The main one is that you have to write. So many want to have written, but don't want to actually write. If the urge to write isn't with you, and I mean every day, than you have no right trying to think that you should live the writing life.
Having said that, I don't want to discourage anyone from trying to write. Far from it. What I am trying to say is that if you don't have the drive to sit down and write every day, than you are in for a long and agonizing road to nowhere.
The writing life does have its advantages, but it also is work.

Do you have to go to college to be a writer?

This is a question that I get a lot. The person who askes is almost always someone who hasn't gone to college or at least hasn't graduated. It boggles my mind how people think that just because someone writes for a living that they are somehow better or more intelligent than anyone else. Maybe this is true for the literary, literature type folk, but for me it's just another job-albiet it is one that I truly love and would probably do up until the day I die.
I went to school for written communication with a major influence in fictional writing. I didn't graduate. I had had enough of the technical writing courses and all the rest that were anything but classes on how to write better fiction.
The way I figured it, was that college was trying to give me a well rounded education in all areas of writing. That's fine if I wanted that, but I didn't. I wanted to learn how to write the best fiction that I could. So instead of wasting thousands of dollars are went my own way and started reading books on how to write better fiction. You know what? I learned more by reading books pertaining to what interested me and then writing fiction, than I ever did in three years of college.
So, for those who think you have to go to college to be a writer, I would have to say no without a doubt. It wouldn't hurt, but then again...
If you want to be good at writing, you need to write a lot. Before anything else you need to write and learn the craft. Second to that is reading a lot. You need to immerse yourself in the world of reading and read voraciously.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you would like more specific answer by leaving comments.

Do you have to go to college to be a writer?

This is a question that I get a lot. The person who askes is almost always someone who hasn't gone to college or at least hasn't graduated. It boggles my mind how people think that just because someone writes for a living that they are somehow better or more intelligent than anyone else. Maybe this is true for the literary, literature type folk, but for me it's just another job-albiet it is one that I truly love and would probably do up until the day I die.
I went to school for written communication with a major influence in fictional writing. I didn't graduate. I had had enough of the technical writing courses and all the rest that were anything but classes on how to write better fiction.
The way I figured it, was that college was trying to give me a well rounded education in all areas of writing. That's fine if I wanted that, but I didn't. I wanted to learn how to write the best fiction that I could. So instead of wasting thousands of dollars are went my own way and started reading books on how to write better fiction. You know what? I learned more by reading books pertaining to what interested me and then writing fiction, than I ever did in three years of college.
So, for those who think you have to go to college to be a writer, I would have to say no without a doubt. It wouldn't hurt, but then again...
If you want to be good at writing, you need to write a lot. Before anything else you need to write and learn the craft. Second to that is reading a lot. You need to immerse yourself in the world of reading and read voraciously.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you would like more specific answer by leaving comments.

Do you have to go to college to be a writer?

This is a question that I get a lot. The person who askes is almost always someone who hasn't gone to college or at least hasn't graduated. It boggles my mind how people think that just because someone writes for a living that they are somehow better or more intelligent than anyone else. Maybe this is true for the literary, literature type folk, but for me it's just another job-albiet it is one that I truly love and would probably do up until the day I die.
I went to school for written communication with a major influence in fictional writing. I didn't graduate. I had had enough of the technical writing courses and all the rest that were anything but classes on how to write better fiction.
The way I figured it, was that college was trying to give me a well rounded education in all areas of writing. That's fine if I wanted that, but I didn't. I wanted to learn how to write the best fiction that I could. So instead of wasting thousands of dollars are went my own way and started reading books on how to write better fiction. You know what? I learned more by reading books pertaining to what interested me and then writing fiction, than I ever did in three years of college.
So, for those who think you have to go to college to be a writer, I would have to say no without a doubt. It wouldn't hurt, but then again...
If you want to be good at writing, you need to write a lot. Before anything else you need to write and learn the craft. Second to that is reading a lot. You need to immerse yourself in the world of reading and read voraciously.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you would like more specific answer by leaving comments.

Journaling

I've wrote about this in the past, but it bears repeating. First thing in the morning I like to kickstart my brain and my writing by doing some simple journaling. It is an easy way to get the blood flowing in the creative part of the brain since there should be no pressure on what you write or how you write it for that matter.
Journaling should be simple observations or thoughts that you may have. Possibly even write about what you plan on writing later in the day. That has two fold effect of helping you brainstorm for your main writing of the day and it gets you writing first thing.
Try journaling and see if it helps you. I know it is essential my writing routine everyday.

Writing Motivation

I've noticed that from time to time when I was starting out writing that my writing motivation would drop. Usually this was due to writing a part of the book that wasn't thrilling me at the moment. Another reason was a I was stuck on a part of the novel and wasn't sure where to go with it.
My writing motivation was to get online and read interviews with successful authors. Writers wh had made it already. I leaned towards writers who I had read and were in the same genre of writing as me, but that wasn't always the case. I just wanted to read about authors and what they liked to each while writing, the schedule they kept while writing, the list goes on.
Learning about these authors was my writing motivation. Often, I would read one or two interviews and that was all the writing motivation that I needed and I would get back to work.
It really helped keep the fires burning for me when I wasn't getting paid for my writing.
I highly suggest that you find your writing motivation. Maybe it will be reading about successful authors too.

Write everyday

One of the things that sets the good writers from the mediocre or worse is that fact that the good writers write everyday. Even when they are tired and don't feel like it, they sit their butts down in the chair and put fingers to the keyboard or pencils to paper.
The mark of a professional is that they write everyday no matter what they are feeling like or what they are going through in the moment. In fact, for some writers it is the only thing that gets them through the day.
So think about how much you are writing each day and think about how serious you are at your writing. Could you be writing more than you are? Is that television calling you when you should be writing?
Sometimes you just really, really, really, don't feel like writing and in that case, I suppose you can make an exception, like once a year. Just don't get into the habit of taking time off from your writing or that will become more prolific than your writing.
Good luck and keep writing.