Ask the Author: G.L. Morrison
Answered Questions (3)
G.L. Morrison
The most common advice given to new writers is don't give up; followed by don't quit your day job. Potentially contradictory, both useful points but essentially not really advice.
If you aspire to be a published writer my advice is work with people who work with writers. Network. Find local publishers, magazines, reading series. Support them. Support their works. Be the kind of writer that everyone wants to work with! I can't say that often enough... be the writer everyone wants to work with!
Talent is lovely but not as rare as you'd think. Editing cheerfully, following directions, meeting deadlines --this is what will get you remembered and have the editor championing your work when others fall on the chopping block. It is also what will get you called when they are looking for material.
Do you want to be a professional writer? Discover what it means to act like a professional.
Do you want to be a talented and published amateur? There is plenty of room for these writers as well but understand what you have to offer and what you are hoping for. The majority of publishing is finding the right fit.
If you aspire to be a published writer my advice is work with people who work with writers. Network. Find local publishers, magazines, reading series. Support them. Support their works. Be the kind of writer that everyone wants to work with! I can't say that often enough... be the writer everyone wants to work with!
Talent is lovely but not as rare as you'd think. Editing cheerfully, following directions, meeting deadlines --this is what will get you remembered and have the editor championing your work when others fall on the chopping block. It is also what will get you called when they are looking for material.
Do you want to be a professional writer? Discover what it means to act like a professional.
Do you want to be a talented and published amateur? There is plenty of room for these writers as well but understand what you have to offer and what you are hoping for. The majority of publishing is finding the right fit.
G.L. Morrison
The hours? The excuse to stay up all night because "I'm working". Shhhing people when you're thinking/writing. Words! Having an animated intimate relationship with words. Sexy words, argumentative words, consoling words, silly words. Job evolution. Writing changes (writing changes you!) you can swap genres, be different personas, write children's books or plays or t-shirt slogans.
The VERY best thing about writing is readers. Readers who say your writing touched, helped, influenced, inspired them or changed their minds.
It's like an olympic torch rally. You take something important to you and pass it on. But imagine instead you are at the center of a circle and dozens of people light their torch off the one you started. Then they all run in different directions, lighting other torches as they go. Suddenly the world is lit up in places you could never have imagined; illuminated by a blaze you started. It's mind-boggling.
The VERY best thing about writing is readers. Readers who say your writing touched, helped, influenced, inspired them or changed their minds.
It's like an olympic torch rally. You take something important to you and pass it on. But imagine instead you are at the center of a circle and dozens of people light their torch off the one you started. Then they all run in different directions, lighting other torches as they go. Suddenly the world is lit up in places you could never have imagined; illuminated by a blaze you started. It's mind-boggling.
G.L. Morrison
Suffer. Horrendously suffer. Although to be fair to my writer's blocks (of which I have many) they are usually not "can't write" as much as "can't write about that". I would say that writer's block for me is most often a subconscious protest. My brain says "but I had a really good idea about ____ and you want to go back to that novel I've reread so much I hate it. Ack why do you make writing such hard work?!"
So perhaps like me, you don't have writer's block. Perhaps you have writer's STRIKE. Maybe you need to sit down at the negotiating table with your creative side. Be prepared to listen.
So perhaps like me, you don't have writer's block. Perhaps you have writer's STRIKE. Maybe you need to sit down at the negotiating table with your creative side. Be prepared to listen.
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