Curl Up and Write » writers

Gone Begging

Trina — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:09:34 +0000

It’s that time again. Yep, the asking (begging) of fellow authors to read Unbeweavable and give it a blurb. This is a busy time of year for a lot of people, and the fact that people have taken the time out of their busy schedules to read my novel sends me to the moon.

It’s hard to approach virtual strangers and ask them to say something nice about my book. I don’t have a lot of contacts in the writing world, so e-mailing someone and asking them for a favor sort of feels like asking a guy out on a date. A guy that you’ve had a huge crush on for years. A guy that you know most certainly will say no.

But surprisingly, my fellow writers have not let me down. And now I feel like a child peeking into the oven door waiting to get some kind of delicious treat that Mama made.

“Is it ready yet? Is it ready yet?” I want to ask. The time flies by and I know I’ll have to wait another day, until I know what they think.

Until then, I’ll just wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

“Now, is it ready?”

Stop, Brain Stop!

Trina — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:24 +0000

Source: swarthmore.edu

I’m trying to get my brain to stop dissecting books while I read and to just enjoy them like I used to before I started writing. Back then, when I read something I might know it was bad, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. Now, my brain is screaming–”Don’t show, tell!” “No, don’t go into another flashback scene…Nooo!”

It works in a good way too. Like the book I’m reading now, my brain screams, “Why can’t you write like this?” “That scene was great! How did they do that?” My fingers itch for my yellow highlighter but I shake the feeling away and just keep reading.

For all you writers out there, how do you tell your brain to shut up so you can just read for pleasure? Or is telling our brain to hush something us writers are not supposed to do?

It Takes a Village

Trina — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:19:21 +0000

Source: trekearth.com

We’ve all heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child. I think it’s the same for writers.

It takes a village of people to help us cope with the trials and tribulations of being a writer. Last week I talked about how my husband helps me endure this business. But I think it takes several people to keep you going and growing with your writing. People play different roles and I’ll share the three that I think is important.

The Point Person–Your point person is just that–the person that keeps you on point. The point person is also the one that you trust to read your manuscript (more on that soon), the first one that you call when you are having a problem with your book. This person has to be an avid reader so they can be able to distinct what’s good and what’s bad in your novel.

The Cheerleader–The cheerleader hypes up your spirit. They’re the one you call when you want to give up, when you just want to throw your hands up in the air and say, “I’m done!” They always know what to say to lift your mood and they have your back when you’re feeling down. They root for you no matter how terrrible your book is–they believe in you.

The Realistic–The realistic is the person that brings your mind out of the clouds. They’re the ones who tell you that your book probably won’t be on the New York Times List, that Oprah won’t pick your book for her book club, and that you won’t be seen on the Today show. They remind you that a seven figure advance won’t be coming your way and that you should be grateful that you are a published author. This person can come across as a Debbie Downer, but remember they aren’t telling you that you can’t write–they’re just reminding you to stay realistic so you don’t get disappointed.

I feel very fortunate that I have all these people in my life that I can call when the going gets rough. Tell me, who do you call when you need a little pick-me-up?