Milestones

Business Character Motivation Publishing Quincy Allen The Writing Life 1 Comment

I’ve crossed a number of milestones over the past few years: first short story published, first convention panelist, first novel in print, first teaching gig at a writing conference. I’ve managed to predictably repeat those achievements virtually at will, and as nothing more or less than an act thereof. Each and every one of those milestones felt like the success it was, but they were all, at best, minor-league achievements.

Make no mistake, though. To achieve them I’ve had to climb the highest, steepest mountain in my experience. And I have a long way to go.

My career-change from “IT guy” to “writer” back in 2009 set me as my own task master, and I don’t think I’ve ever worked harder. However, every milestone I’ve passed thus far has been small—insignificant when compared to the summit I intend to reach. Added up, however, the sum of those milestones made possible my most current opportunity… and crisis… from which I should be able to derive my greatest achievement to date.

I’m under contract to write a novel.

There is something both thrilling and daunting about committing to a novel under contract rather than selling a completed manuscript.

Daunting.

That word doesn’t quite cut the mustard. Frankly, I’m nervous as hell, hoping I can get Last Stand at the Gates of Heaven written within a somewhat aggressive timeline… and on top of everything else I’m committed to for the first half of 2014. As I type this, the publisher has nothing more in her hands than a title and the pitch I gave her back in November. I, on the other hand, have a deadline and a deliverable of roughly 100k words by the end of May.

What this represents is a first step into the major leagues. Granted, it’s a smaller publisher asking for a stand-alone novel, but the fact is that a publisher asked me to produce a novel. I’m on the hook for delivery. My reputation is at stake. My future is at stake. If I can deliver on this, I’ll know that I can cut it when a large publisher asks me to produce a body of work.

There’s a reason I’m telling you this, and it’s not to sing my own accolades. Quite the contrary. I’m humbled by these circumstances. I’m telling you all this because the path I’m on is one of the primary methods by which part-time writers become self-supporting authors.

The pyramids were not built in a day; each one of them started with a single block. Everest wasn’t climbed over a weekend, and every man or woman who reached that summit started with a single step at its base.

That’s what you have to understand in the writing business. Skill is a factor. So is practice and talent and luck and a lot of things. But if you’re not prepared to build upon your small successes and turn them into larger ones, you should hang it up right now. You have to be in this business for the long haul and grind away as much as you can without losing your mind. You have to invest in yourself each and every day in some fashion, gambling with your own future and the harsh reality that you might not make it.

If you can do all of that, your odds of success increase exponentially. And in the absence of it all, you are virtually guaranteed to fail.

So get to work!

Q

Creating a Sense of Urgency

The Writing Life 1 Comment

I stared blankly at the “30 before 30” list that my friend posted on Facebook. Run a marathon, go skydiving, visit 5 foreign countries, meet Dolly Parton, and buy a house are all popular choices that I have seen on many “30 things to do before I turn 30” lists, and these items were not excluded from my friend’s list, either. As a fellow goal-setter, I decided that I should sit down and make my own list.

Kristin’s 30 Before 30 List
1. Write 3 books
2. Read 500 books

… And that was it. I’ve visited Australia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and spent a semester in Yosemite. I’ve run a few 5K’s (and that was enough, thank you very much). I’ve owned two houses. I’ve met a few personal heroes. Okay, I haven’t met Dolly Parton yet. But I’ve driven by Dollywood, and I think that counts for something.

I lamely tried at a less ambitious #3 (like cook and memorize 5 “go-to” recipes), but realized that I didn’t really care about any other goals other than #1 and #2. I realized that, unlike some of my friends, my goals are not age-reliant. I can continue to write whatever my age, whereas some may choose to climb Mount Kilimanjaro while their knees are still relatively creak-free.

What a great freedom to know that I can do my loves (reading and writing) whatever the age!

Right?

Well. Not exactly.

Knowing that you can continue to work on your passions no matter your age comes with it a kind of comfortability. You find yourself in situations like: “Hm. So-and-so invited me to his board game day… I guess I can skip writing today for that.” Which eventually turns into: “This is a really busy month. I’m going to have to take a break from the novel until this month is over. Hell, I have the rest of my life to write that novel!”

Truly, you should enjoy the moment. If you are given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I will be the last person to say you shouldn’t because you should be at home writing. (Hey now… I see those cogs working. “Well, isn’t everything technically a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?” NO. I have to add that in because if you’re anything like me, you’ve told yourself that excuse.) But the trap always set: Sure. You can put off writing, reading, painting, or whatever your true passion is. And it’ll sit quietly, very patiently (way too patiently). It won’t make a fuss or demand attention, while everything else around you bangs pots and pans for every minute of your time and attention.

In 2014, I’m gonna turn up the heat a little. This year, I’m going to get myself into the habit of putting my passions first.  I don’t want to finally feel like I’ve had enough experience as a writer at 40 when I can have enough experience by the time I’m 30. Because I don’t want to have a book published eventually. I want to have a book published as soon as possible.

I’m all about “30 Before 30” lists. And “40 Before 40” and “90 Before 90” lists as well. Whatever list or other motivation helps you develop the sense that if I don’t do it now, then maybe I never will.

 

Finding the Time for You

Matt Jones Motivation The Writing Life No Comments

2283676770_6b53f8b77f_b[1]Today is the first day of the New Year where many people will be doing something that they rarely do: actually manage their time to do something that needs to get done. It could be working out, taking the stairs, balancing their checkbook, or writing an hour a day. Somehow, they’ll have time to do it… and for many it’ll fade away in a couple weeks.

You can go to a dozen different websites and find a dozen different methods on how to combat the odds and stay productive as the year progresses, but there lies the problem. People are complex beings, and it’s very rare that the simple solutions are the ones that actually work. People can tell you what worked for them, but there is no telling if it would be beneficial for you as well. The real solution is to look at your life, decide what you want, and figure out something that works for you.

As far as writers go, the advice seems to be pretty consistent. Choose a goal and make sure you reach that goal every day. It can be time based, word count, or page count. The advice is simple, but you need to figure out what will make it most likely that you’ll follow through with that goal. Are you more likely to complete it if you get it out of the way first thing in the morning or before bed? Some people have a reward system where they allow themselves to play a game, have a treat, or watch a show after writing. Others spend an hour destroying people on the virtual battlefield as a method to relax before they write.

Even if you can’t do it every day, find a goal that works for you and makes you ready and happy to write. Some writers will write every day for 20-30 minutes during their lunch breaks. Others will go off to a mountain retreat and lock themselves away from the world for a couple months, emerging with their new masterpiece.

The main takeaway here is to know yourself. If you can make writing a habit, things will be easier. Some people will easily develop the habit and will feel lost if they miss a day. Others will have to fight the urge to do something else every day. Remember that you have friends and allies in writing who are cheering for you and waiting to read your novels. The one advice I can give you that I think that works every time is to never give up!

The Year of the Revolution

Business Conventions Evan Braun Motivation Publishing The Writing Life 2 Comments

Well, here we are: 2014. Normally this is the time of year to re-evaluate our objectives and set new goals—dare I say, make resolutions? In this context, “resolutions” has become a bit of a bad word, a trite one, and rightly so. Today’s post is not about resolutions so much as revolutions.

My revolution began in 2010, as I finally started to understand what it was going to take to become successful as a writer, as a professional. It goes without saying that blossoming into a successful writer requires a phenomenal grasp on the craft of writing—on character, on story, and yes, on grammar. Well, if it doesn’t go without saying, then at the very least it goes without me needing to devote a blog post to it. What doesn’t go without saying is that you need to think like a small business owner. You need to think like a publisher, like an agent, and perhaps even like a book store owner—all at the same time. You need to understand how the business of publishing functions—or perhaps more importantly, how it’s changing—and then conceive of how you can fit into that world and find your niche.

You are a writer, and thus a business owner. You have a lot of important considerations in addition to what you jot down on the printed page. You have resources, and you must apportion them in the best way possible. There are so many places to put your resources, so many competing demands fighting for your attention. January here at the Fictorians is all about helping you make good choices. This month, we’ll be talking about the very best cons and seminars, where you can learn from the professionals who have gone before you. These provide key, potentially career-changing opportunities to network. They are important.

When I talk about resources, I’m not just talking about money. Perhaps the greatest resource of all is time. How are you going to spend it? We’ll also be talking about productive ways to allocate your time, ways to get things done.

In short, what’s important to you in 2014? If you don’t have a firm plan for the next twelve months, then I’ve got good news: this is exactly where you need to be. The Fictorians have your back.

Let the revolution begin!