What should you write? Only what you’re passionate about!
I love this recent blog post from Dean Wesley Smith, part of his Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing series. I love this because it goes to the heart of what we love to write and love to read.
Don’t follow the crowd! Write like yourself! Can’t say that often enough.
Read the post, then read some of his previous ones. This series is great, and can really shake you loose of so many myths that might be holding you back. Be brave, be open, be smart.
Now off to write!
It totally worked, Robin!
Yay! I’m really glad I can read your blog ALL THE TIME in Google now. Thank you!
Also, I am a big fan of Dean’s blog. I don’t agree with everything he says, but I certainly listen to a lot of it & admire his honesty and openness.
I will definitely be pimping your blog next time I do a linky kinda blog post. You do great stuff here. <3
Kaz
Thank you, Kaz! I appreciate your help with the tech, and really appreciate your kind words about the blog!
I know not everyone agrees with Dean, but I love that he’s out there shaking us loose from so many of the misconceptions about publishing that hold us back. He’s saved me from passivity more times than I can say. He and his wife Kristine Kathryn Rusch (who blogs about the business of writing, too, at http://www.kriswrites.com) always challenge me to think in new ways, and I’m more than grateful for it!
I love Dean’s posts, and not always agreeing with them is part of the good part of them. Figuring out what he really means or why he says it is great fun and forces me to look at myself.
His latest post, the One and Two, never tell or let anyone read a work in progress. Well, that doesn’t work for me, but what he’s really saying is “Don’t ask someone if you should write book idea one or book idea two.” But in a round about sense.
If you can’t stop thinking about book idea two even though it seems like book idea one seems more ‘current’ or ‘commercial’, write book idea two. Don’t ask someone for permission or debate it. Just do it. It is your decision, only you can make it.
If you’re writing ‘book idea one’ and there is no disuading you from that, tell anyone you want.
If you’re writing ‘book idea one’ and an ill-timed frown will make you question what you’re doing, keep it to yourself.
I think a lot of writers fall into the latter category, which is why the advice seems universal and is so necessary.
Hi Robin!
Hi, Patrick! You know I’m always up for a discussion of Dean’s ideas.
As he always emphasizes, every writer is different, but man, he’s so right FOR ME about not sharing ideas about books until you’ve written them. I don’t want to debate characters, plot, themes, outcomes while I’m writing the thing–mostly because I’m the first reader as I write, and I don’t know how it’s going to turn out any more than anyone else does. So having something chime in on what my story is doing really ruins it for me. I need to be in the cave, away from humans, and just write it until it’s finished. Then if there are opinions, bring them, but not before.
But I agree that one of the values of his posts and his classes is making you rethink your own process and your own preferences and figuring out what works specifically for you, rather than just doing it the way you think it’s supposed to be done. There is no “supposed to.” It’s only what works for Patrick the Great and the rest of us.
Carry on with your method, P Man!
I LOVE to talk my stories out, but not because I want opinions. Sometimes trying to explain to someone what has happened so far helps me figure out what has to happen next. I’m never really looking for advice or opinions, just someone to talk at while I work my way through what ever I am stuck on.
Sometimes a “this part doesn’t work for me” from an early reader helps too, because it usually didn’t work for me either and I’m stuck because my brain can’t let go of the part that I know is wrong. Once someone else acknowledges it, I can move on. I supposed that’s weird. I don’t fix it until I finish though. I just know it needs to be fixed and usually fix it in my head, so the remainder will already have the fix in.
But I’m never looking for someone to make a decision for me or even a suggestion. I get really defensive if an early reader offers a “I think this should happen”.
It took me a long time to figure out that’s my process.
I could never do it the way you do, Patrick, but what I love is that you’ve figured out what works for you. That is the best thing ever.