When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These writer’s tips will come at you once a week, giving you plenty of time to go through your story and make the adjustments.
Nathan Bransford wears a variety of hats. He is a former literary agent for Curtis Brown Ltd., former social media manager at CNET, well-regarded how-to-get-published blogger, and author of the Jacob Wonderbar series as well as a variety of books on writing and getting published. The hat I like best is his blogger gig where he shares everything in a friendly approachable, believable voice.
So when I found his list of 10 Commandments for a Happy Writer, I stopped to read them, even though they’re a couple of years old. If you’re struggling with a novel, trying to bounce back from negative criticism, or wondering why you ever thought you could write, this is a good list for you:
Writers aren’t generally known as the happiest lot. As a recent Guardian survey of some top writers shows, even the best ones don’t particularly enjoy it all that much. And in case you think this is a new development, an 1842 letter from Edgar Allen Poe to his publisher recently surfaced in which he was found apologizing for drinking so much and begging for money. But believe it or not, writing and happiness can, in fact, go together….here are ten ways for a writer to stay positive:
- Enjoy the present. Writers are dreamers, and dreamers tend to daydream about the future while concocting wildly optimistic scenarios that involve bestsellerdom, riches, and interviews with Ryan Seacrest. In doing so they forget to enjoy the present. I call this the “if only” game. You know how it goes: if only I could find an agent, then I’ll be happy. When you have an agent, then it becomes: if only I could get published, then I’ll be happy. And so on. The only way to stay sane in the business is to enjoy every step as you’re actually experiencing it. Happiness is not around the bend. It’s found in the present. Because writing is pretty great — otherwise why are you doing it?
- Maintain your integrity. With frustration comes temptation. It’s tempting to try and beat the system, whether that’s by having someone else write your query, lying to the people you work with, or, you know, concocting the occasional fake memoir. This may even work in the short term, but unless you are Satan incarnate (and I hope you’re not) it will steadily chip away at your happiness and confidence, and your heart will shrivel and blacken into something they show kids in health class to scare them away from smoking. Don’t do it.
- Recognize the forces that are outside of your control. While it’s tempting to think that it’s all your fault if your book doesn’t sell, or your agent’s fault or the industry’s fault or the fault of a public that just doesn’t recognize your genius, a lot of times it’s just luck not going your way. Chance is BIG in this business. Huge. Gambling has nothing on the incredibly delicate and complex calculus that results in a book taking off. Bow before the whims of fate, because chance is more powerful than you and your agent combined.
- Don’t neglect your friends and family. No book is worth losing a friend, losing a spouse, losing crucial time with your children. Hear me? NO book is worth it. Not one. Not a bestseller, not a passion project, nothing. Friends and family first. THEN writing. Writing is not an excuse to neglect your friends and family. Unless you don’t like them very much.
- Don’t Quit Your Day Job. Quitting a job you need to pay the bills in order to write a novel is like selling your house and putting the proceeds into a lottery ticket. You don’t have to quit your job to write. There is time in the day. You may have to sacrifice your relaxation time or sleep time or reality television habit, but there is time. You just have to do it.
- More? Click here…
The ‘Ten Commandments’ advice approach is popular. Here are three more lists from experts:
Ten Commandments from Richard Bausch
Henry Miller’s Ten Commandments of Writing
The 10 Commandments of Fiction Writing
More on being a writer:
8 Things Writers Can Do No One Else Can
15 Traits Critical to a Successful Writer
It’s OK to Fail Over and Over and Try Again
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The #10 point to “keep writing” seems like the simplest one yet is the hardest one, I think, for many writers.
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Isn’t that the truth. I’m struggling right now. I know once I get going, entropy will keep me moving. It’s that first step…
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Jacqui!.
Great post… Tips #1 and #3 are perfect…
I wonder if they are related one to the other though… I think they are ⭐
Best wishes to you, Aquileana 😛
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Now that you’ve pointed it out, I can see you must be right. Nice connection, Aquilena
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As true for life as these are for writing.
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Good connection. And what is ‘happiness’ anyway?
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Excellent advice. 🙂
http://junetakey.wordpress.com/
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If only I could take credit for it. Someday…
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Great tips. I’m guilty of getting lost in my fantasy world, but it’s not Ryan I’m dreaming about – it’s all the fictional people I can’t get out of my head! I do, mostly, take time to come back down to earth, mainly because of my daughters who are a pleasure 🙂 It’s important advice – stay in the present as long as you can!
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When my kids were growing up, I had to avoid writing because I knew it would take over. I had no self-control. Now, I’m fine.
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I tend to neglect family in favor of writing. Thanks for the reminder that it’s not worth it. 🙂 Or is it? lol
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Absolutely. But truly, having read your blog, I doubt that you do… 😀
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Yep. I share that sigh!
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All true. And I think I’ve broken every one of them except 5….
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Commendable nevertheless. Imagine the dreamers who did invest their future in writing only to have the roof fall in.
Or, maybe, it worked. Sigh.
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Important reminders, all. I tend to lose myself in my little world and #4 is my bad. 🙂
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You’re wrong about #4–I never feel neglected by you. We chat more often than I talk to my neighbors!
Now write the next entry into your China trip–I’m entranced.
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😀 😀 😀
My cat feels I don’t do good by her. Thinks I should play with her more. The guilt is stressing me out.
I’ll get right on the China post but it’s not going up until Friday.
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I hide from the query letter but I know that I’m the one who needs to write it. When I get to that point, I’m probably going to search for examples like crazy so that I can be me in the letter with confidence.
Yes, I know someone who lied about their memoirs. Roseanne Barr. She grew up in Colorado where I did. At least that’s what is in her book. But for someone who has lived there, she sure doesn’t have the geography right.
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Definitely visit Janet Reid’s blog. She’s an agent who has a very active, helpful blog. She writes a lot about query letters.
Not that it helped me. She still turned me down (no worry–I fond someone else).
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Wise advice. I’ll check out the link. I haven’t visited his blog in awhile.
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I don’t follow children’s writers so I forgot about him when he switched hats to ‘children’s author’ from ‘agent’. But this reminds me why I used to read him weekly.
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10 Commandments for a Happy Writer by Nathan Bransford
Just ran into this fine list. This is great advice, and my favorite is point two:
2. Maintain your integrity. With frustration comes temptation. It’s tempting to try and beat the system, whether that’s by having someone else write your query, lying to the people you work with, or, you know, concocting the occasional fake memoir. This may even work in the short term, but unless you are Satan incarnate (and I hope you’re not) it will steadily chip away at your happiness and confidence, and your heart will shrivel and blacken into something they show kids in health class to scare them away from smoking. Don’t do it.
In essence: write you. Write what you write. Write who and what you are. Let the chips fall where they may. More solid advice I doubt you will ever find, ever.
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It’s easy to forget that many of us got into writing because it was fun. Not easy–but made us feel good. I’m at one of those low points so this helps to remind me that my perspective has become tilted.
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