Girls Write Out
Wednesday, August 03, 2011



When you tell someone you're a writer, almost daily, you'll hear, "I was going to write a book."

That's just it. It has to be more than intention. You have to sit down and write it. Don't worry about the rules up front. Tell your story the way it comes to you. If that's with a plan you follow, do it that way. If that's a first line that comes to you (ie., J.R.R. Tolkien) do it that way. If the character speaks to you and you just follow. Follow. Only write until you're done with that first draft. Don't be bogged down by rules and fear. You probably won't do it right the first time. I don't, and I have written nearly forty books.

Ask my editor if I don't need some major help at the end of every book. The fear in writing never goes away. You always feel inadequate (and some reviewers will be happy to tell you that you are) but the important thing is perseverance. Writing will always be an elephant that you eat one bite at a time. Perfectionism will get you nowhere fast.

Write one chapter. Now another. One more, you can do it. Keep writing until you have a skeleton manuscript. That you can work with. That you can fix. I can't tell you how many things will stop you. I've heard every excuse under the sun. "Oh I homeschool."

So do lots of other writers. Writing isn't your priority if you don't do it. I think it's very easy to say, "I'm going to write a book someday."

But to actually do it? That takes something. I've been writing since I had two kids under two. I have four now: 11 to 16. They go to three different schools. They play soccer and take dance. But as I said, writers write. Push the fear and the haters out of your mind. I cannot stand Josh Groban, but my disliking him hasn't hurt his career any, so don't expect to be loved by all , but write anyway.

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Kristin  
posted at 6:41 PM  
  Comments (5)
 
 
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5 Comments:
At 12:19 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've mentioned before, that so far I only write short stories for my friends' entertainment. I look at what i write after a few months and realize how much help I need and get discouraged easily. You see I didn't even get to go to high school. I had to drop put in the middle of freshman year because I knew my life was headed in the wrong direction. (thats a story for another time) The point is that I haven't gone to school in about 7 years and I feel like I've forgotten everything I knew. It's embarassing, but the truth. I have a lot of ideas for a novel, but can't seem to be able to begin. I do write, just not as well as I'm supposed to.

 
At 9:58 AM, Blogger Lynette Sowell said...

Yes! One great motivator for me has been the saying, "You can't edit a blank page." And so, off I go to write... :)

 
At 12:04 PM, Blogger Diann Hunt said...

You're so right, Kristin! It's easy to say you can write a book and something else to actually do it.

When I started writing, I had a full-time job, so I got up at 4:00 a.m. and wrote until 6:00 every morning. Crazy! I sure couldn't do that now, but I knew then with two teenagers and a husband at home that was the only way I would get anything done.

 
At 12:57 PM, Blogger Colleen Coble said...

Very true! It takes dedication and determination to sit down day after day.

 
At 9:49 AM, Blogger Day at a Time said...

That reminds me of what my dad used to tell me (he was a writer who always encouraged my writing dreams). He always said, "The difference between a writer and someone who doesn't write is that one does it and one doesn't."

 

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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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