Thursday, June 28, 2012

Survive and Thrive As Writers




I like to read.   Okay, so I Love to read.    EVERY writer Must be a Reader.   Everybody says so!
I haven’t figured out how to make it a paying job though.
Not that I’ve made writing a paying job so far either.   But that’s a whole different tangent.  For now anyway.
It’s so much easier to read than write.
Just like it’s so much easier to spend time reading other writers’ blogs than writing on my own.   WAY much easier.   Huh.

But you should be glad!   Since it gives me lots of fodder for posting here.   ….when I get around to actually posting it….. Instead of just reading it, and copying it….and pondering it all myself….   
So for your pondering self  —  I give you a link to a great list I discovered on another blog :






There are some really good thoughts here.    Some aren’t exactly new of course, but they are put in a different enough way that you should go at least look at it.
Which is what we are doing as writers, letting our own voice tell our stories.  No matter how similar or how often told, we are different, so our voices of how we tell will be.

Interesting thoughts, and I agree with the list where it talks about believing in yourself and not depending on others for that belief and all.  But writing is lonely enough to do, and while yes, we have to believe in and depend on ourselves for that belief, it can really help to have a group of friends, especially writers who will understand, to reach out to when we are feeling a bit….’delicate.’       We all have those moments.  I’m sure we do.    Don’t you?     I don’t think I’ve ever met a writer, no matter how successful they are, or were, in their career, that didn’t at some time have a bit of insecurity and doubt.
So it helps to have some kind of support somewhere.   Yeah, I agree that we really have to depend mainly on ourselves, and not let other’s unbelief become a detriment holding us back…. But it does make the lonely hours spent writing a bit easier when you know that at least sometimes, you can reach out and there will be others reaching back.
Besides sometimes our biggest fighter, pro and con, is our own selves.  We beat ourselves up so much is there any reason for anyone else to join in?    (Yes, I have my own bruises.   No, you can’t see.)

There are fellow writers out there that will offer you words of encouragement.
If you need to find some of those people, check out James River Writers in Richmond, Virginia.
In fact, there just so happens to be a Writing Show tomorrow, Thursday, night.  Where there will gathering all kinds of writers to hear, and talk about, how to get published.
And the second Wednesday of Every Month, JRW has a casual meet up that you can come and, well, meet up with other writers!      Just remember to cut some of us some slack, some of us are used to spending time alone with characters.  So real conversations can be a little different for us.

Do go check out the List and see what you take away to help you Survive and Thrive as a Writer.

And come back and give me your thoughts on it.


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