I’m excited to join Raimey Gallant’s #AuthorToolbox monthly blog hop (third Wednesday of each month) with the theme of resources/learning for authors. Post are related to the craft of writing, editing, querying, marketing, publishing, blogging tips for authors, reviews of author-related products, anything that an author would find helpful. We share our experiences as it relates to these topics. Interviews are also permitted as long as they provide valuable knowledge for authors (i.e. advice.) Straight book reviews are not permitted unless they are reviews of books about writing/publishing/etc.
This month: 12 Survival Tips for Writers
As I get ready to launch my next fiction book, Survival of the Fittest, I can’t help but wonder how we-writers survive–keep publishing one book after another, hoping for that blockbuster but settling for whatever fate doles out. Clearly, it’s not about getting famous or rich. It’s something else I can’t quite quantify.
Having said that, what keeps me going? Here are twelve tricks I use when I get stuck, blocked, discouraged, or f****** p****** off that nothing is going as planned:
- I HODL which is nothing like Yodel. It’s my husband’s acronym for Hold On for Dear Life. If I hang a sign around my neck saying, I’m HODLing. Leave me alone, he avoids me.
- I remind myself that writing is like a race car with blinkers. I must move the plot quickly and aggressively but with purpose. Every once in a while, I must alert the reader (that’s where the blinkers come in) to what’s coming next.
- Every book needs a Goldilocks character–one that is not too smart ( so s/he doesn’t overshadow the main character), not too dumb (so s/he doesn’t bore the reader), but extremely effective in keeping the plot going.
- When coloring between the lines doesn’t work, I try a bigger paintbrush. What I mean is, when those multitudinous rules about genre writing bog my story down, it’s time to try breaking the rules.
I never forget Mark Twain’s critique of the famous James Fenimore Cooper: “A tale should accomplish something and arrive somewhere. But the “Deerslayer” tale accomplishes nothing and arrives in air.” Good reminder–I’m not talking about the writing criticism. I mean that one of the most accomplished writers ever still fell short in at least one reader’s eyes.
- My husband used to kill flies by snapping them with his fingers. Then he got old(er), tired of his miss rate, and switched to a dishrag. Here’s what that metaphor means to me: If something that used to work no longer does, change it.
- Every once in a while, I sit in a hard chair and reflect. I don’t do this one often.
- Before I read reviews, I don my body armor. If it’s nasty, I dismiss it with, “Well there it is, the stupidest thing I’ll read all day.” Or, here’s a solution from one of my Tweeple: “Wisdom is difficult to define but I think I know it when I see it. I ain’t seeing it here.” Umm, if you wrote that, please tell me so I can give you credit.
- I pick carefully who I trust about my writing. That’s also my attitude toward trusting boneless fish. Or (as another efriend once wrote), gas station sushi.
- Few care whether I overcome or succumb. I just need to pick one and move on.
- Writing is entertainment. It doesn’t make me famous, sell books, or make people like me better. Well, maybe that last…
- For difficult days, I don my I Am a Writer t-shirt, take half a baby aspirin, and howl at the detractors.
BTW, I’d love help launching my book starting March 7th. Here’s the link to signup. I’ll give you everything you need. To promote you, I’ll post your blog and a link, to entice click-throughs. Here’s a link with more information.
If you RT, FB, or share, I’ll send positive thoughts your way for a full day!
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the Man vs. Nature saga. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, blog webmaster, an Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for TeachHUB and NEA Today, and a freelance journalist. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Quest for Home, Summer 2019. You can find her tech ed books at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning
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Very inspiring: love your HODL sign.
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Hi Jacqui – love your HODL sign – we need an emoji! We just need to wear flexible armour … always adjustable to whatever is thrown at us … husband must be getting scratchy as launch time is near … I may be emailing you … cheers Hilary
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I just got Survival of the Fittest up on Amazon as a print book–Yay! It’s a first. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be so will go back and get the rest up too.
Of course, that means I’m not writing.
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Yup – but you’re still frantic! that HODL will be doubled soon!! well done on getting the print version up … congratulations …
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Very helpful and amusing Jacqui. Taken the liberty to share on my blog.
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Thanks for sharing it, Ankur. I just had to get these off my chest!
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Pingback: #AuthorToolboxBlogHop: 12 Survival Tips for Writers – darkofficehumour
Reblogged this on quirkywritingcorner.
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Thanks for sharing this!
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Such a serious, realistic but also light hearted post at the same time, Jacqui. There’s so many ways we can try to get motivated to write more. Really like the one where you say writing is like a race car with blinkers – aggressively but with purpose. That reminds me of how I like to write with intent; putting in enough detail so as to capture the reader but at the same time holding back some detail and saving that for the punchline or twist at the end.
The sitting in the chair point also resonated with me. I reckon I do it more often than you. Most of the time when I get stuck writing a sentence or a section I am drafting, I stop and sit back in my chair. I might then listen to my music more intently (I listen to music while writing) and let my mind wander. Sometimes I never come back to writing for that day lol 🙂
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Writing for me doesn’t necessarily arrive out of comfort. I need that rough chair that makes me wiggle for a better position.
Sometimes. Not always.
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Great Truth
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Several of them, don’t you think? Thanks for visiting!
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Damn! ON the floor 😂
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It’s good to be able to laugh at ourselves, innit?
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Absolutely! 😉
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What a fun and inspiring list of survival tips, Jacqui! When i reached the one about your body armour you had me giggling in the floor! 😄
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Don’t you feel that way at times? I have a wonderful critique group and still, I must gird myself when they are reviewing my work. Yikes!
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All the time! I think every creative person does, sharing our creations often resembles a step into the unknown void. And body armour helps to cushion the fall! 😂
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I really like #2. Don’t forget to give signals when your story is about to take a turn or you might lose the reader out the door! 🙂
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Yep–I think you stated that more cleanly than I did. I’m the race car. Need to install blinkers!
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I love this advice, Jacqui. I am going to print it out.
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Just to keep us-all humble, eh?
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Love the rules (especially the one about gas station sushi)!
Mark Twain’s comment is funny. It shows people have been over long, descriptive writing that goes nowhere for a long time.
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Different strokes I think. It’s an iconic quite innit?
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Great list, Jacqui! I love a lot of these, but #4 might be my personal favorite. I’m all for breaking some rules.
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Sometimes I break rules just because I haven’t for a while. But don’t tell my kids!
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I need one of those signs to hang around my neck. LOL. Thanks for the smiles and the ideas.
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I’m collecting a list of interested people. I’ll let you know!
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I love your truth. I love your honesty. Thank you. You help make writing and criticism human and doable again 🙂
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Thanks, Erika. I have long accepted I am not that blockbuster writer, simply someone who loves writing and is happy if it pays the bills.
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Mmm. At the end of the day all anyone else ever sees or knows is the story we share. How we get there, the tricks and scaffolding we use, are never known, unless we choose to share those as well.
In some cases I’ll write the bad, cliche story that I “need to write”, and then I’ll move on to writing the story that others want to read.
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Good points, Adam. That’s true, innit? No one gets to peek behind the curtain without our permission.
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“a race car with blinkers,” now there’s a colorful image.
I definitely agree with you about rules. One of my first writing instructors used to teach us that the point of learning the rules is knowing when and how to break them, so that only you do it intentionally, and with purpose. That way the audience will trust that there is a purpose, and look for meaning, instead of assuming that the writer just made a mistake.
And I have to agree that if something doesn’t work, try something else. I think that’s part of why blogging and reading books on writing is a good idea (in moderation). One never knows when the tried and true methods may fall short, and something new will be needed to reignite the writing fires.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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Most people I know (writers I respect) agree with that writing instructor of yours. It makes sense, doesn’t it?
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Great tips, Jacqui. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
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Thanks, Anna. They just all percolated to the top, wanted to be shared!
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This is great advice. My favorite is permission to abandon things that don’t work. Writing is not one size fits all. There are plenty of exceptions to every “rule.”
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I’m that person who never quits so “permission to abandon” is a big deal to me!
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Love #6! Good point. 😂
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I have to say, I was surprised the day he could no longer snatch those flies out of the air. But to him, it didn’t matter at all. Just a new reality.
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These are great tips – I can imagine they will particularly help nervous or new writers! Thanks for sharing!
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And thanks for visiting!
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I like number 12 🙂
Ronel visiting on Author Toolbox day How to Set Up Instagram to Grow Your Author Business
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I’ve had a few of those lately. The neighbors are complaining…
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Jacqui, these are terrific and should be on every writer’s wall! I have a feeling you’ve starteda HODL movement here on WP, an acronym that should/will be widely adopted!
You’re doing great … soon the release of your new ‘baby’ … and time off for a little celebration, I hope.
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It has a ring to it, doesn’t it–HODL? Now that people know about it, I think lots of us will realize that much of every day is simple HODLing.
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Someday, we’re going to meet in person, and we’re going to fall into each other’s arms, and just cry for a while. 😉 12 is my favorite. I just need the t-shirt. You could probably manufacturer those HODL signs. 😉
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I get that sense too. Maybe a future writer conference? I am skipping them this year because I have a long and expensive trip coming but next year? Hmm?
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These are such good tips, I think I’ll post them in my office. And I’m making a HODL sign – for when all I want to do is huddle under the covers.
I think you’re getting a tougher skin, Jacqui – probably serves you well in this business. Ignore the bad reviews – why does anyone bother to write something like that?
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You were part of the inspiration for HODL–be honest, that’s what you had to do for a while there!
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I’m just a blogger and I thoroughly enjoyed your articles and tips. Thanks for sharing this. You just earned a new follower.
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No ‘just’ attached to blogger. It is a noble and worthwile profession (albeit unpaid. Sigh).
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Love your sense of humor in your tips. Yes, we aren’t in this biz to make money. Hard to explain to non-writers. Thanks for making me smile. I shared.
JQ Rose
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Writing is somewhere between ‘profession’ and ‘hobby’, and where it sits varies for all of us. I simply enjoy it.
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Love #2 and #3! I’m still trying to get over how anyone might even consider eating gas station sushi… 😉
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I scowled at that one too. Yuck!
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I need to wear the Hodl sign good idea and I love #2 race car analogy. Thanks Jacqui
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I have mine on right now!
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I like #7 and #8. May I add, writing heals, it absorbs all the hurts and yes joys too…isn’t that part of survival? 🙂
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Oh that’s a great addition. It does heal doesn’t it? Many people write memoirs for that very reason.
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Love these survival tips, Jacqui! I might have to make my own HODLing sign 😀
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It will certainly get people’s attention!
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Another method I use is to go to my woodshop, turn on loud machines and create noise, sawdust and turn large pieces of wood into small pieces of wood.
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That would be comforting I believe. Of course, one requires a woodshop.
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Well, there is that …
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Great tips, particularly about protecting our writing time, and how to deal with the naysayers. What we do is important and worthy of our respect at least. 🙂
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So well said, Diana–“worthy of our respect”. That’s easy to forget.
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Great tips as always Jacqui. Sharing on Twitter as always. Loving the positive thoughts!
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Thanks for the share, Brigid. I’ve been struggling with Book 2 in my trilogy so this (my own post!) is reminding me to soldier on!
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Hi. Good suggestions. I especially like Number 6. And number 5 shows that everybody has an opinion, so you can’t take every opinion to heart.
Bye till next time, Jacqui!
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Change is good, right? I hate it but no pain no gain. Sigh.
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Great list, Jacqui!
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Thanks, Jill. I’m HODLing right now. My Book 2 is such a struggle this week!
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Some very useful thoughts in this list. I’m more and more inclined to think that the most important is 11. I turn to fiction firstly for entertainment – anything else after that is a bonus.
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I didn’t even ever consider it as anything else. Maybe that’s why it took me so long to publish.
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I love your advice with all of these, Jacqui – the metaphors and the explanations. I particularly love this one: “Wisdom is difficult to define but I think I know it when I see it. I ain’t seeing it here.” Best wishes for your launch. Keep on writing!
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Yeah, that’s pretty funny. I think that often as I read literary fiction that ends up pretentious (books that never make it to my blog).
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That’s wise. 🙂
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I need a HODL sign 🙂
Awesome tips here, particularly the reminder that a tale should accomplish something and arrive somewhere! I need to remember that as I try and sort out my plot!
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Good ol’ Mark Twain. That man had it all going (well, except for that particular review maybe)
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