Girls Write Out
Sunday, January 17, 2010

Every job teaches life lessons and writing is no different. Here are a few things I've learned--and am still learning.

1. Baby steps. Writing a novel can feel like a monumental task when you're staring at a blank page. When I first started writing, my kids were little, and I wrote 1 page a day. It doesn't seem like much, but in less than a year I had a finished novel. Chop big projects down into digestible, bite-sized chunks. What giant task are you avoiding?

2. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Lots of things in life are scary, and for me, the creative process is one of those things. What if it's not there today? What if it's never there again? What if this book tanks my career? I've learned to pray, then plow through the writing. Somehow it'll all work out the way it was meant to. Is fear preventing you from doing something?

3. Persistence pays off. Most writers have garnered enough rejection slips to wallpaper a small office--I'm one of them. You learn writing by doing it, and some of my early stuff? Not so good. Thomas Edison said success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. I agree. Have you quit something prematurely?

4. Don't believe your own press. Riding the wave of public opinion is a roller coaster ride I can do without. If I get kudos, pride can rear its ugly head. If my story gets criticized, I question my ability to write. I can learn from the criticism, but in the end, if I wrote the story God gave me and did it to the best of my ability, I did my job. Are you putting too much stock in other peoples' opinions?

5. In everything, balance. Writing is an important part of my life, but so are my boys, my husband, my church, my family, and my friends. It takes constant checking to keep priorities in line, but it's so important. Is your life in balance? Would your family agree?
Denise Hunter  
posted at 7:05 PM  
  Comments (8)
 
 
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8 Comments:
At 9:34 AM, Blogger Colleen Coble said...

Great post, D! Especially the advice to break up a big task into small chunks.

 
At 11:13 AM, Blogger Sarah said...

Thanks for the great reminders! Often, the large scope of a project overwhelms me very quickly after that first burst of enthusiasm wanes. :)

 
At 11:16 AM, Blogger Denise Hunter said...

And all the other projects seem so much more inviting! LOL I know, I know.

 
At 12:29 PM, Blogger Judy Gann said...

Denise, thank you. I SO needed to read your wise words.

 
At 12:50 PM, Blogger Kristin said...

As I'm on a two week deadline, I really needed this too. One of the ways I'm out of balance is saving things, procrastinating, and then the project overshadows life in the end. That is not good time management, and definitely something I need to work on. That and staying seated.

 
At 4:04 AM, Blogger Pam Sanderlin said...

Thanks for the words of wisdom. I needed them this week.

 
At 11:20 AM, Blogger Courtney Walsh said...

Wow. I really needed to read this today. Thank you for the reminders. It's so helpful just to know that I'm not the only one trying to muddle through the self doubt and that it doesn't all just spill out of you, one of my favorite authors. :)

Just a really helpful post today. Thank you!

 
At 2:48 PM, Blogger Diann Hunt said...

I just have to ask, WHO goes rock climbing in a SKIRT???????????

 

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The Authors
Kristin Billerbeck
Kristin Billerbeck is a proud Californian, wife, mother of four, and connoisseur of the irrelevant. She writes Christian Chick Lit; where she finds need for most of the useless facts lulling about in her head.

www.KristinBillerbeck.com

Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble writes romantic suspense with a strong atmospheric element. A lovable animal of some kind--usually a dog--always populates her novels. She can be bribed with DeBrand mocha truffles.

www.ColleenCoble.com

Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter writes women's fiction and love stories with a strong emotional element. Her husband says he provides her with all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too.

www.DeniseHunterBooks.com

Diann Hunt

Diann Hunt writes romantic comedy and humorous women's fiction. She has been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her friends, chocolate, her dog, and well, chocolate.

www.DiannHunt.com

Hannah Alexander

Cheryl Hodde writes romantic medical suspense under the pen name of Hannah Alexander, using all the input she can get from her husband, Mel, for the medical expertise. For fun she hikes and reads. Out of guilt, she rescues discarded cats. She and Mel are presently taking orders from four pampered strays.

www.HannahAlexander.com

 
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