The biggest thing separating people from their artistic ambitions is not a lack of talent. It's
the lack of a deadline.
- Chris Baty
When I saw this quote, I had to stop and think for a moment. I knew the name Chris Baty was familiar. But why? After a quick Google search, I had my "A-ha" moment, seeing that he was the founder of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). And the quote certainly fits in that context.
It's easy to set aside the things you want to do or to work on them at such a slow pace that little progress is possible. I'm not sure I'd be quite so dismissive or talent as Baty seems to be in this quote, but I agree with the general point that many people don't chase those dreams because there's nothing prodding them to do so. It certainly was true for me for the first 20 years of my adult life. I've learned to build my own goals and deadlines and it's allowed me to have a very productive year (plus!) of writing since I got back into it last summer.
If you're saying you want to write "someday" then start today. After all, today is indeed some day.
Showing posts with label Monday Motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monday Motivation. Show all posts
Monday, August 27, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Monday Motivation: Take Your Shot!
You miss 100% of the shots you never take.
- Wayne Gretzky
Oh, come on. You knew I'd have to sneak some hockey in here sometime, right?
This is a great quote, though, to think of when you consider submitting stories/novels/poems/articles for publication. If you don't try, if you self-reject either by not sending your work out at all or skip sending your work to high-end markets because you feel like you're not at "their level", then you're "missing" those shots. Maybe you would get rejected. Heck, at least in the world of pro spec-fic short fiction markets, probably you're going to get rejected. Some of these places get a hundred or more submissions for every one slot available in their publication.
Yes, your chance may be small. But unless you go ahead and submit, you've got no chance of getting that publication credit. And (at least metaphorically, if not mathematically) even a small chance is infinitely greater than no chance.
- Wayne Gretzky
Oh, come on. You knew I'd have to sneak some hockey in here sometime, right?
This is a great quote, though, to think of when you consider submitting stories/novels/poems/articles for publication. If you don't try, if you self-reject either by not sending your work out at all or skip sending your work to high-end markets because you feel like you're not at "their level", then you're "missing" those shots. Maybe you would get rejected. Heck, at least in the world of pro spec-fic short fiction markets, probably you're going to get rejected. Some of these places get a hundred or more submissions for every one slot available in their publication.
Yes, your chance may be small. But unless you go ahead and submit, you've got no chance of getting that publication credit. And (at least metaphorically, if not mathematically) even a small chance is infinitely greater than no chance.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Monday Motivation: Get Started!
The secret of getting ahead is getting started.
- unknown (attributed often to both Mark Twain and Agatha Christie)
So we don't know who said this, but it's often attributed to one of two writers, so that will have to be good enough for this writing-related blog!
One of the things that paralyzes many people (not just writers) is fear, and one way that fear paralyzes people is by keeping you from getting started. After all, if you don't start -- if you don't try -- well, then, you can't fail! Of course, you also can't succeed. And there are many, many ways that writers can identify success, depending on their own personal goals. Even if it's not "getting ahead" in the way that people might traditionally think of that phrase, you can be a success, but only if you first get started.
- unknown (attributed often to both Mark Twain and Agatha Christie)
So we don't know who said this, but it's often attributed to one of two writers, so that will have to be good enough for this writing-related blog!
One of the things that paralyzes many people (not just writers) is fear, and one way that fear paralyzes people is by keeping you from getting started. After all, if you don't start -- if you don't try -- well, then, you can't fail! Of course, you also can't succeed. And there are many, many ways that writers can identify success, depending on their own personal goals. Even if it's not "getting ahead" in the way that people might traditionally think of that phrase, you can be a success, but only if you first get started.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Monday Motivation: Making Things Happen
Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.
- John F. Kennedy
This quote feels very timely coming on the day of the successful landing of Curiosity on Mars, both since that certainly is something that was made to happen and since the same speaker famously challenged the US space program to land a man on the moon in a decade.
It applies to our writing, of course, as well. Our stories can't write themselves. We have to be the ones to sit down and do the work. Make the time to make the things you want to see happen, happen.
- John F. Kennedy
This quote feels very timely coming on the day of the successful landing of Curiosity on Mars, both since that certainly is something that was made to happen and since the same speaker famously challenged the US space program to land a man on the moon in a decade.
It applies to our writing, of course, as well. Our stories can't write themselves. We have to be the ones to sit down and do the work. Make the time to make the things you want to see happen, happen.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Monday Motivation: Hard Work, Hard to Surrender
The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.
- Vince Lombardi
This is one of the reasons that I, personally, write every day and why I think many writers benefit from some sort of structured approach to their goals, whether it be a daily writing routine or some other routine.
There were times in the past twelve months when it would have been really, really easy for me to get frustrated at a lack of visible success with my writing and give up. I could have gone back to watching more movies each month rather than writing. And, if I'd timed my giving up just right, I might never have known what was coming around the corner.
The thing that kept me moving forward each day was in large part having built up the long daily writing chain and the inertia that this gave me to keep on writing. Between that and the encouragement I received from friends I'd made through various social media and my occasional initial acceptances, I made it through that time when I could have easily given up.
I'm certainly pleased with how things have worked out in my case, but there also could be a dark side to this quotation -- it's the same reason that people press on sometimes with an absolutely futile effort, ignoring the concept of all the work before as a "sunk cost." Sometimes there's something -- maybe a specific story/novel, maybe something else -- that you simply have to let go of and acknowledge that it wasn't going to work out, at least not at that time. And, yes, the harder you've worked on that thing so far, the harder it would be to give it up.
- Vince Lombardi
This is one of the reasons that I, personally, write every day and why I think many writers benefit from some sort of structured approach to their goals, whether it be a daily writing routine or some other routine.
There were times in the past twelve months when it would have been really, really easy for me to get frustrated at a lack of visible success with my writing and give up. I could have gone back to watching more movies each month rather than writing. And, if I'd timed my giving up just right, I might never have known what was coming around the corner.
The thing that kept me moving forward each day was in large part having built up the long daily writing chain and the inertia that this gave me to keep on writing. Between that and the encouragement I received from friends I'd made through various social media and my occasional initial acceptances, I made it through that time when I could have easily given up.
I'm certainly pleased with how things have worked out in my case, but there also could be a dark side to this quotation -- it's the same reason that people press on sometimes with an absolutely futile effort, ignoring the concept of all the work before as a "sunk cost." Sometimes there's something -- maybe a specific story/novel, maybe something else -- that you simply have to let go of and acknowledge that it wasn't going to work out, at least not at that time. And, yes, the harder you've worked on that thing so far, the harder it would be to give it up.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Monday Motivation: Are There Rules?
There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.
- W. Somerset Maugham
Every writer has to find their own way to write, which this quote humorously illustrates. Though I would say that there is one rule -- "You have to put words on the page."
- W. Somerset Maugham
Every writer has to find their own way to write, which this quote humorously illustrates. Though I would say that there is one rule -- "You have to put words on the page."
Monday, July 9, 2012
Monday Motivation: Writing Something You Love
If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.
-Toni Morrison
Of course, the word "book" could be substituted with "poem" or "story" or "play."
I think virtually every writer comes to writing because they love experiencing (typically by reading) what author writers have produced before them. And I also think that most writers will write at their best when they are writing something which they feel a connection with in some way.
Are you feeling stuck? Think about what you would love to read but haven't found yet and try writing that.
-Toni Morrison
Of course, the word "book" could be substituted with "poem" or "story" or "play."
I think virtually every writer comes to writing because they love experiencing (typically by reading) what author writers have produced before them. And I also think that most writers will write at their best when they are writing something which they feel a connection with in some way.
Are you feeling stuck? Think about what you would love to read but haven't found yet and try writing that.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Monday Motivation: Avoiding Discouragement
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
-Mark Twain
One of the greatest challenges many writers face is discouragement. And some of the most painful discouragement comes in the form of negativity from people when you talk about what you're doing with your writing. Even well-meaning friends and family members can take the wind out of our sails with questions and comments like "Is there really any money in that?" or "So, I went to Barnes and Noble, but they said they didn't have anything by you..."
Maybe you can't (or shouldn't) truly "keep away" from those people. After all, we all have our flaws. But you can try to keep their words away from your mind and heart. Seek out the people -- writers and non-writers -- who are encouraging and supportive. Let their words be the ones that take root within you.
-Mark Twain
One of the greatest challenges many writers face is discouragement. And some of the most painful discouragement comes in the form of negativity from people when you talk about what you're doing with your writing. Even well-meaning friends and family members can take the wind out of our sails with questions and comments like "Is there really any money in that?" or "So, I went to Barnes and Noble, but they said they didn't have anything by you..."
Maybe you can't (or shouldn't) truly "keep away" from those people. After all, we all have our flaws. But you can try to keep their words away from your mind and heart. Seek out the people -- writers and non-writers -- who are encouraging and supportive. Let their words be the ones that take root within you.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Monday Motivation: What You Can Control
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
-Reinhold Niebuhr
If there’s a remedy when trouble strikes,
What reason is there for dejection?
And if there is no help for it,
What use is there in being glum?
-Shantideva
I used both those familiar quotes to open a blog post several months ago. Monday on this blog will typically feature one or more motivational quotes for writers. These two fit, as writers are often dealing with things they cannot control (whether their work is accepted, whether they get good reviews) and need to try to move past stressing about those things and focus on the things they can control (writing more, writing better).
Getting frustrated can make it hard to feel like writing, though. Having a daily writing routine to provide a structure for your writing efforts can help you push through those rough patches. And it also helps with the "writing more" portion of the things you can control.
Speaking of things you can't control...
I had hoped that today's blog post would focus on the rollout of "Write Every Day." Alas, even though I uploaded it in the very early hours of Sunday morning and even though Amazon sent me an email claiming that it was available for purchase, it is not available yet in many parts of the world. (Edited to add: As of mid-morning Monday in the Eastern US, it was available on amazon.com as well as the other Amazon sites. Hooray!)
It is available on amazon.co.uk and other European sites. So, if you are a Kindle user from that part of the world, you may well be in luck. I'll post an update here as soon as the book is available for the rest of the world.
Thanks for your interest and your patience.
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
-Reinhold Niebuhr
If there’s a remedy when trouble strikes,
What reason is there for dejection?
And if there is no help for it,
What use is there in being glum?
-Shantideva
I used both those familiar quotes to open a blog post several months ago. Monday on this blog will typically feature one or more motivational quotes for writers. These two fit, as writers are often dealing with things they cannot control (whether their work is accepted, whether they get good reviews) and need to try to move past stressing about those things and focus on the things they can control (writing more, writing better).
Getting frustrated can make it hard to feel like writing, though. Having a daily writing routine to provide a structure for your writing efforts can help you push through those rough patches. And it also helps with the "writing more" portion of the things you can control.
Speaking of things you can't control...
I had hoped that today's blog post would focus on the rollout of "Write Every Day." Alas, even though I uploaded it in the very early hours of Sunday morning and even though Amazon sent me an email claiming that it was available for purchase, it is not available yet in many parts of the world. (Edited to add: As of mid-morning Monday in the Eastern US, it was available on amazon.com as well as the other Amazon sites. Hooray!)
It is available on amazon.co.uk and other European sites. So, if you are a Kindle user from that part of the world, you may well be in luck. I'll post an update here as soon as the book is available for the rest of the world.
Thanks for your interest and your patience.
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