Comments on: The Unpubbed Writer’s 7 Deadly Sins

By: Therese Walsh

Therese Walsh — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:47:26 +0000

Glad to see you, Annette. Welcome. :)

By: Annette

Annette — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:53:40 +0000

The above is true for article writers too I think. Was in “throw in the towel mode” yesterday! :-) I wish I had the self motivation for writing that my daughter has… she’s still in the “it’s in my head and has to come out” mode which is enough for her to at least get it down in writing and press ahead.

Glad I “stumbled” here!
Annette

By: Therese Walsh

Therese Walsh — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 16:02:54 +0000

Philip, congrats on your nonfiction book. You’re right, though I’ve never thought of it that way, that authors are entrepreneurs.

Titus-Armand, I agree with you that back and forth writing and editing can slow things down, but I wonder if it can be useful, too?

Stephanie, thanks for your comment. Hang in there!

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 03:49:25 +0000

This was a great article. You addressed so well some of the things I am struggling with right now.

By: Titus-Armand

Titus-Armand — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 16:42:02 +0000

Really good and useful article.

Deadlines are extremely useful not only in writing, but in life in general. It’s amazing how our minds can expand a process to fit in a certain amount of time… you give yourself two hours for something, you’ll almost surely finish it in two hours. You give yourself two days, two full days it would take.
And the results are similar, even better in the case of a short deadline.

“Deadly Sin 8: Letting the pressure turn you into a neurotic, nibbling hermit.”
Deadly Sin 9: Writing and editing at the same time. When you write, just write. Never hit backspace while you write. :)

By: Philip Davis

Philip Davis — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 03:31:08 +0000

Great insight. Reading your post made me think of what I call the author’s mindset – I am focused, I am Independent, I am Innovative and I am determined. I just finished my first non-fiction book and I have to say that one of the biggest challenges was listening to my “critique group” and then making my own decisions. Getting feedback is great, but at the end of the day, you, the author, must decide. Authors are entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs are people not afraid to make the tough decisions.

By: Therese Walsh

Therese Walsh — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 03:29:46 +0000

LOL, Ruchika. I like that one!

Welcome, Amy P. We look forward to seeing you around here.

Ooh, I like that I inspired Twilight Zone music, Cath. :) Welcome!

By: Cath

Cath — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 23:05:44 +0000

So I’m going through some notes and came across the Writng Sucks note card and thought, hmmm, what was that site about? And I read this post, down to the very end: “Quitting”. Which, after a gazillion rejects in a row, I certainly felt like doing this week. But I’d made up my mind to keep at it…even before I heard the Twilight Zone music as I read your last lines. Because you are right. I cannot quit. I just can’t.

By: Amy P.

Amy P. — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 22:45:24 +0000

In a fit of lonely writerly despair of the am-I-an-idiot-to-think-I’m-a-writer variety, I googled “writing sucks fiction” and found this post first off. Leap and the net, and all that. ;) Thank you. Looks like I’ve found my people here; I’ll be popping in.

By: Ruchika

Ruchika — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 18:55:22 +0000

Deadly Sin 8: Letting the pressure turn you into a neurotic, nibbling hermit.

By: Therese Walsh

Therese Walsh — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:12:06 +0000

Thanks, DW!

Dan, sure, go right ahead; and thanks!

By: Dan O'Halloran

Dan O'Halloran — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:01:29 +0000

Great points and all so very true. Mind if I link to you from my site?

Dan O’Halloran
http://www.danomatic.com [i]- online resources for SciFi, Fantasy & Horror writers working in any medium[/i]

By: Desperate Writer

Desperate Writer — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:52:07 +0000

Loved this article! :)

By: Therese Walsh

Therese Walsh — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:37:41 +0000

Sympathies on your toxic critique group experience, MisterVader. I hope you’re out of that now.

Good tips there, Lisa! I have a calendar in my office just for writing-related deadlines, too.

Thanks for the comments, guys, and welcome!

By: Lisa Romeo

Lisa Romeo — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 20:52:21 +0000

All good.

Lack of deadlines, I think, is the hardest of all. Oh sure, an editor-imposed deadline that is connected to a paycheck is the best motivator of all. But the self-imposed deadlines for long-term works in progress — novels, short stories, even essays and book proposals, pitches, queries, etc. — are even more important.

Hooking up with a writing (or even another self-employed creative person) to exchange deadlines often works. It’s like making a date to meet a buddy at the gym so that you won’t sleep in (said, mind you, by a notoriously late-sleeper and gymophobe, but never mind).

Every month, I print out a clean calendar, mark it up and TELL someone to ask me about meeting my deadlines. It often works!