Ten Commandments of Writing
"beautiful in the same way that J.D. Salinger's books are beautiful."
~New York Journal of Books
thoughts on day jobs & self-deprecation
There are a couple strange patterns I have noticed from that great scoop of earth that comprises the shabby fraternity of Aspiring Authors.
The first of these is a seemingly-compulsory tendency to publicly distinguish one's Writer Self from one's (more widely witnessed and more frequently visited) Day Job Self.
The second is a rip tide of self-deprecation that tugs away from the shoreline so many of these writers are aiming for.
"I'm a software analyst by day and a writer by night. Hopefully someday I will write something that somebody will actually want to read."
The first of these is a seemingly-compulsory tendency to publicly distinguish one's Writer Self from one's (more widely witnessed and more frequently visited) Day Job Self.
The second is a rip tide of self-deprecation that tugs away from the shoreline so many of these writers are aiming for.
"I'm a software analyst by day and a writer by night. Hopefully someday I will write something that somebody will actually want to read."
the worst query letter ever written
If you've ever felt bad about your query, this post is for you...
As most of you know, about a week and a half ago I posted what 50 agents said are the biggest mistakes writers make when querying agents. Last week, I noticed that I was getting a lot of traffic sent my way from Absolute Write Watercooler, and I discovered that an Absolute Writer had posted the link and started a discussion thread.
Somewhere along the thread, one particular Absolute Writer decided to compose a query that does everything wrong. And I mean everything.
This beautiful piece of humor was created by "Mr. Anonymous" (also known as Emil), and if you've ever written a bad query of your own...well, this will cheer you up:
As most of you know, about a week and a half ago I posted what 50 agents said are the biggest mistakes writers make when querying agents. Last week, I noticed that I was getting a lot of traffic sent my way from Absolute Write Watercooler, and I discovered that an Absolute Writer had posted the link and started a discussion thread.
Somewhere along the thread, one particular Absolute Writer decided to compose a query that does everything wrong. And I mean everything.
This beautiful piece of humor was created by "Mr. Anonymous" (also known as Emil), and if you've ever written a bad query of your own...well, this will cheer you up:
kill your darlings!
Dear Writers,
Today, I have a short (but ever-important) admonition for you.
You ready? You should prepare a pen and plan to write this down. Or, at least, you should commit these words to memory and turn them into a mantra that you roll over and over and over in your head until it becomes second nature to think about this no matter what you are doing...
Today, I have a short (but ever-important) admonition for you.
You ready? You should prepare a pen and plan to write this down. Or, at least, you should commit these words to memory and turn them into a mantra that you roll over and over and over in your head until it becomes second nature to think about this no matter what you are doing...
the trials of writing a work...after writing a work of art
All the time, we see filmmakers or musicians or - of course - writers who follow up a brilliant piece of work with something subpar.
This thought occurred to me as I began to plan for today's blog post.
This thought occurred to me as I began to plan for today's blog post.
the biggest mistake writers make when querying literary agents
[If you are wondering how to write a query letter, this post will help you quite a bit - as you approach literary agents. If you're serious about becoming a better writer and getting published, you should also check out the help! for aspiring authors page when you finish reading this post. And of course: keep writing, keep reading, and best of luck!]
Dear Aspiring Authors,
Brew a pot of coffee. Pull up a chair. Heck, grab a notebook and a pen – it couldn't hurt. Make yourself comfortable. You might be here for a while as you learn how to write a query letter.
This could be one of the most important things you'll ever read along your journey to publication. An exaggeration? You tell me…
A few weeks ago, I emailed about 100 literary agents, asking them a simple question: What is the single biggest mistake writers make when querying you?
Most of the responses began the same way: 'Only one? How about several!'
Over 50 agents found the time to respond, and I have compiled their thoughts for you within this post.
Dear Aspiring Authors,
Brew a pot of coffee. Pull up a chair. Heck, grab a notebook and a pen – it couldn't hurt. Make yourself comfortable. You might be here for a while as you learn how to write a query letter.
This could be one of the most important things you'll ever read along your journey to publication. An exaggeration? You tell me…
A few weeks ago, I emailed about 100 literary agents, asking them a simple question: What is the single biggest mistake writers make when querying you?
Most of the responses began the same way: 'Only one? How about several!'
Over 50 agents found the time to respond, and I have compiled their thoughts for you within this post.
my current work in progress is...
A while back, I mentioned the way that - early on in my pursuit of writing - I cut myself off from the Greater Writing Community. I still do that to some degree - after all, original thought is the spark that lights a story on fire, and groupthink is the wet blanket that smuggles original thought - but I have also come to learn the value of growing through others.
Of course, we all (or, that is to say, all of us who are truly passionate about literature) spend huge chunks of our lives reading and growing through others in that manner, but the telepathy generated by an author over a great gap in time does not replace the sort of intimate learning that can take place in face-to-face (or pen-to-pen...or computer-to-computer) interaction with a fellow writer.
Of course, we all (or, that is to say, all of us who are truly passionate about literature) spend huge chunks of our lives reading and growing through others in that manner, but the telepathy generated by an author over a great gap in time does not replace the sort of intimate learning that can take place in face-to-face (or pen-to-pen...or computer-to-computer) interaction with a fellow writer.
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