I know so many writers who set their sights on a particular genre, publisher, agent, editor. Their entire life surrounds that. While it’s good to plan—and you should definitely do it—if you aren’t flexible, you’re going to set yourself up for horrible disappointment. For example, I know someone very well who dreamed of publishing for one House. They worked feverously to prepare their manuscript for just that pub house. That’s great but they weren’t even considering any other avenue. They were so caught up with the desire to publish for one particular house, others never even hit their radar. Then the unthinkable happened. That pub house decided to not publish fiction any more. For me, it was just a piece of publishing news. For this individual, it was the end […]
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Why You Must Write
On my Road to Freedom Bicycle Tour Across America, I’ve had the privilege of spending the last several days in and around the tiny town of Corinth, Mississippi. It is rich with history, particularly from the Civil War. I marveled as I read the journals and diaries of young men who witnessed the battle at Shiloh where over 23,000 men lost their lives fighting for the north or the south. As I walked through the railroad depot at Crossroads in Corinth, I wondered what story would have been told today if someone hadn’t written back then. We would be in the dark, or left to stories being handed down—and watered down—generation after generation. These young men who went into battle are the historians that we count on to give us […]
Read the RestWhere There Seems to be No Way
You’ve been writing, editing, writing and worrying that a door will open to get your prose into print. Every day that passes without Barnes and Noble making a place for your best seller on down their center isle lets a little more air out of your hope inspired bubble. It doesn’t bother you at first. Or at least that’s what you tell everyone through your veil of courage. But then you begin to question. At first, you wonder what in the world they’re thinking for not having purchased your manuscript. Then you realize it’s you. Surely, you are the worst writer on the face of the planet. It’s an emotional roller coaster that would make the thrill rides at Disney World look like kiddy rides. You finally stand right in […]
Read the RestWalk Through the Door
It’s there right in front of you. Staring at you. Driving you nuts! It’s the door. Your heart leaps at the excitement of what might be on the other side. But fear grips you. That’s the life of a writer. But I have some news for you. Contrary to what you’ve seen in the movies, there is NO monster on the other side of the door. Walking through the door—even if it is the wrong door—is not fatal. As a writer, there will always be uncertainty. You can’t see what’s on the other side. Here’s why you should walk through that door: 1) Good things come to those who wait, but the best things come to those who pursue it. 2) If you never do, you’ll never know. 3) The […]
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