Thursday, April 14, 2016

L is for Love

This year for the A-Z Challenge, I'm attempting to act like I know what I'm talking about and offering advice about writing.  Let's see how I do!

Also, don't forget to stop by the Parallels blog to see more posts about the upcoming anthology, which will be available on May 3rd!


If you’re going to be a writer, you need to love what you do.

This isn’t an original or particularly insightful piece of advice, but I’m offering it anyway.  Being a writer requires a lot of work.  Each story may require multiple revisions.  Draft after draft litter my hard drive.  We don’t do this to get rich quick.  Ask a group of successful writers, and most of them aren’t rolling in the dough.  There are those who’ve become mega rich, sure, but they are the exception, not the rule.

That being said, it is possible to get to the point where you earn a decent living from writing, but it will take time to get there.  If you don’t love the process of writing or storytelling in general, then you won’t make it that far.  You have to truly love what you do to put in that kind of work.


At the same time, it’s possible to burn out.  If you’re working so hard that you’re starting to resent the writing process, then you know you need to take a break.  Part of preserving the love of the craft is knowing when to slow down and recharge.

11 comments:

  1. Good post. I love that I pushed myself to be part of this challenge. I love to see the effort that is going into this by everyone. Love it!
    Cheers
    Seena
    #AtoZChallenge -L is for Labour

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  2. You definitely have to be totally committed, and that equals love. Great post!

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  3. Writing is a marathon not a sprint. That's the hardest thing I have to remember. It's easy to get impatient.

    ~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

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  4. I've definitely experienced all of those things. I love writing, of course, but I've felt burnt out for a while. Sometimes it's hard to make that love come alive again.

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  5. Well said. Thanks for sharing. https://mhsusannematthews.wordpress.com/

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  6. Actually, this A-Z blogging challenge has been a nice break from my work in progress. Happy scribbling!
    @RhondaGilmour from
    Late Blooming Rose

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  7. Writing these blog posts has been quite the adventure. Must be a labor of love because, for sure, it is not lucrative!

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  8. Writing these blog posts has been quite the adventure. Must be a labor of love because, for sure, it is not lucrative!

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  9. J here, of the #atozchallenge Arlee Bird's A to Z Ambassador Team.
    How has the challenge been going for you so far? Are you meeting your goals of posting and hopping to other blogs? M= 1/2 way point!
    My blog's giveaway is still going! I'm encouraging everyone to visit more stops.
    http://jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com
    Absolutely true. Writing is a serious labor of love. Followed by tons of criticism. If you don't love it, there's no reason to keep doing it. People can sense passion behind words.

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  10. Writing is certainly a labour of love. Sending light and love your way.
    Sudha from
    Everyday Muse

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  11. I can't imagine myself not writing. I feel like it's my calling. But there are moments where I felt burned out. Sometimes, I have to take a step back, maybe write in my journal, to get back my love of writing.

    G. R. McNeese from
    Project Blacklight

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