Today is going to be another day of putting work into my book. Last night I read The War of Art from cover to cover, and while it waded into some vague notions of spirituality here and there (angels, muses, and the like), it still was a worthwhile read. It's put together as a collection of little definitions or thoughts, each strung together by a common theme but also floating on its own (the book Monogamy was organized in a very similar fashion). This made it more digestible as I definitely couldn't take a "Here are the 12 steps to getting your book done" approach.
The main idea I got from the book is that I have to train myself to be a "pro." This means showing up mentally and physically to work on my book every day (or at least at regular intervals) whether I feel like it or not. I've got a book to write, and I'm going to write it, even if it's a painful experience. Indeed, the amateur approach is to be so in love with the idea of being a writer that it's easy to quit when things get tough. If the words don't start coming together right, if the "big idea" you had doesn't pan out, it's easy to give up because it's not what you thought it would be. A pro keeps going.
This blog has prepared me for the task I feel I have to carry out. I started off writing because I felt I had something to say. I had wanted to be a writer before I started blogging, true, but I never knew where to start. Instead I just felt that I had something in me that I had to put out there, and ever since I've started I've done my best to "show up" every day and write. Not everything that I write is gold, but I'm trying, and that's the most important part. Still, even though I spend much of my time writing I have never felt comfortable saying that I fit the "writer" archetype. I'm a man who writes, and when I've run out of things to say I suppose I'll stop. My sense of self isn't caught up with an idea of who I ought to be and how that does or doesn't match with my perceptions of other writers.
Anyway, enough of this nonsense. This book isn't going to write itself...
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If I may, I recommend Machiavelli's works as well: he wrote an 'Art of War' as well. His reputation from the The Prince doesn't quite match his other works and they are well worth the time to read.
I forgot who it was who said, "being a writer is like having homework every day for the rest of your life." Some days it's like pulling teeth, other days you can't type fast enough.
I'm looking forward to adding your book to my collection.
Everything I read about writing suggests writing every day, even if only for 10 minutes. I've tried that in the past and can't keep up with it. I guess I'm not ready to be a writer, yet.
I wish you luck in your quest to be a professional writer!
The other thing you've got to do is harden yourself against rejection letters and not take them personally. Unless you are astonishingly lucky, the first few agents or publishers you send your chapters and synopsis to will send a rather impersonal rejection note - that's when the need to persevere is most important.