Should auld writing habits and beliefs be forgot?

It's the end of the year and the end of a decade.

Which means it's a perfect time to review what's working for you and what's not working for you when it comes to your writing!

I'm not going to focus on technical things - you can google that til the cows come home - but thought I would focus on internal things we do to ourselves as writers.

Stop thinking you are the only one who hasn't figured out this writing thing.

You are not. Heck, my third book is coming out in March and I'm currently revising two more and still I don't have a clue. Every book wants to be written differently. You are different at the beginning of each book.

And that's okay. 

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If you don't start every writing project with unbridled enthusiasm mixed with unmitigated fear, you are the one writer who's got it all figured out. 

But somehow, I suspect you don't. And that's okay.

Stop comparing yourself to wildly popular authors and thinking you're coming up short.

We all do it. But it isn't helpful.

How do you become a wildly successful author? 

1. get published (cause I don't know about you, but everyone who was published when I was not seemed wildly popular!)

2. get lucky. Oh timing!

3. write a glorious, wonderful, book that somehow catches the attention of the zeitgeist.

It's that easy.

So let that go and focus on YOUR book, YOUR work. Maybe you will win awards. Maybe you will make the bestsellers list. But in the end, focusing on writing the best book you can that kids are going to love, is the goal here. Everything else will make you crazy.

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Stop judging the time it's taking you to get published.

I know from experience that it is hard to wait for your big chance. 

And I know that me telling you if you just work your guts out it will eventually happen won't make you feel better.

But do one thing for me, okay? Don't judge yourself because it's taking you longer than you thought.

YOU are doing something that most of the world's population can't even imagine: you're writing a book. You're trying to get published. 

Be kind to yourself. Start another project. And try, try, try again.

You will get there.

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Start Writing for Yourself.

In the end, it's only you and the blank page in this together. 

So write what you love, what you'd want to read. 

Write with joy and abandon and no self-criticism (till you start revising).

Because in the end, unless you enjoy yourself, what is the point of writing anyhow? There are parts of every job that can be a slog, but that should be your exception, not your rule. 

You've got something to say, and I think the world is waiting for you to say it.

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So this next decade, try being kinder on yourself and others, and focus on you and your writing. 

Let those auld habits and beliefs go, and sally forth into a new decade with a mix of chutzpah and peace.




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I wish you a happy new year and hope that all your writing dreams come true!

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10 Lessons From a Decade on the Roller Coaster

With the decade drawing to a close, I'm seeing lots of 2009 vs 2019 selfies, and a number of tweets reflecting on changes, dreams, or achievements since 2009. Which got me thinking: I signed with my first agent in 2009, but (surprise, surprise) my writing life and career hasn't all been smooth sailing since then. The roller coaster, it seems, is a constant. But you know, over the past decade, I've learned to be okay with the roller coaster, and even to enjoy the ride (mostly).

For my last post of the decade, here are ten lessons I've learned (and am still learning), and for me, they've made a huge difference in my well-being and productivity. Free bonus! Dog pictures, because why not? Dogs are awesome.

1. Write every day...or don't. You might've heard the idea that "real writers" must write every day without fail. If it works for you, great; absolutely draw up a schedule and stick to it. But as a shiftworker and mother of four, I was glad to discover that books can be written in 15-minute chunks of time at hockey arenas and swimming pools, in cafes and cluttered kitchens.

2. Write what you know...or what you want to know. Following that old "write you know" advice, I could easily get stalled, because hey, how much interesting stuff do I really know? But it turns out, my best writing often comes when I'm writing what I want to know--what makes me curious or fascinates me--and when I'm passionate about the topic or theme.

3. Set goals...but be flexible. I knew it was important to set realistic goals for the things that were actually in my control, but life happens (and some things are more important than writing, no matter how much we'd like to give priority to our writing time). When I stopped beating myself up and started giving myself a little grace, I was happier and healthier.

4. Listen to feedback...but trust your gut. This is something I'm still learning--to trust my instincts. It's tough. I need feedback, for sure (but there's definitely a "too many cooks" line I try not to cross). When the feedback is consistent, and when it resonates, it's easy. But when it doesn't resonate, trust your gut. The gut knows.

5. Write badly. I have a hard time setting aside the desire for my words to be good, but oh, it's so freeing when I'm able to take the pressure off. Creativity flourishes when we give ourselves permission to write badly, even to fail. So maybe, don't take your work too seriously.

6. Write well. Write a lot. Rewrite. Study craft. Keep getting better. Keep reaching for your personal best. Keep stretching yourself creatively. (Those stories that feel daunting and beyond your abilities? See #5 above, and write those stories.)

7. Use whatever tools get the job done. Try all the "hacks" and embrace whatever helps: drafting in comic sans, writing longhand in colorful ink, building playlists, Scrivener, Word, yellow legal pads in cafes. (I've discovered that cheap notebooks and expensive pens make the perfect combo for me, for brainstorming and free-writing.) If you get stuck, mix it up -- a change of scenery, a switch to longhand, working on a different scene or project. Whatever it takes.

8. Write the next thing. In this industry, there will always be more waiting. And the waiting often ends in rejection. So when you finish one thing, start the next thing. For me, focusing on a shiny new project makes me less invested in the old project, which both takes my mind off the wait and lessens the blow if it does end in rejection.

9. Find your people. I'm so thankful for my community of writing friends. Can't imagine riding this roller coaster without them! We need people who "get" us, and who understand the challenges of writing and publishing. Encourage, and be encouraged; support, and be supported. Find your people.

10. Hang onto joy. A while back, I decided if there was no joy in the writing, it wasn't worth it. Creativity should be fun. We need to play, to make the things our heart wants to make, to find our worth and our joy within us, rather than having it all hinge on things that are largely out of our control. Remember what you love about writing, and nurture that.

So that's what I've been learning this past decade. Maybe you can relate to a few of these things, or maybe some will offer a bit of help or encouragement as you step into a new year--and a new decade--of life as a writer.

What lessons or truths about the writing life have you discovered over the past years?

Happy writing...