Welcome to Writer Wednesdays!
I love supporting other writers and authors. It brings me joy!
“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
—Ernest Hemingway
We are all apprentices on our writing journey. I like this perspective because an apprentice is humble and always has a lot to learn – especially from others. That is what “Writer Wednesdays” are all about. Helping each other. Sharing this journey!
I want to highlight all the generous authors who have shared their books, writing practices, and insights here on Writer Wednesdays.
PLUS, keep reading till the end to find out how you can be featured!
Author Round-Up
Here’s some writing advice from the following published authors.
Rebecca Loomis
“Just do it. Don’t worry so much about getting it perfect the first time around—because you won’t. That’s what second and third and fourth drafts are for, and even then, you’re always going to be your worst critic and think it’s just not good enough. But it is. You have a story that only you can tell, and the world is waiting! Practically, the most helpful advice I ever followed was setting a daily word-count goal.”
Marty Chan
“If you’re starting out, don’t fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. You can’t control why a publisher picks one manuscript over another. The only thing you can control is your story. Make it the best it can be. And if you have negative thoughts about writers, editors, or publishers, remember that the community is small and bridges are extremely flammable. Don’t burn them before you even have a chance to cross them.”
Elise Holland
“Make writing a habit and protect your writing time fiercely. Also, join a critique group as soon as possible!”
Steven Sandor
“There isn’t a vocation out there that has more self-help tomes. It’s amazing how many people who say they want to write then go to as many seminars as they can so they can avoid, well, writing. There’s people who’ve got a writing credit or two to their names who are eager to give you seminars on how to be a better writer.
The writing business has created a cottage industry of seminars and classes and conferences and get-togethers. There’s a lot of snake oil out there. You can get lost in all the advice that’s out there. Get off the treadmill of advice and understand that you actually need valuable experiences to write about, to fuel your imagination. I’m not saying all courses are bad; but understand that you don’t need to do one every weekend. Read. Go out and see the world. Do things. Write, rather than talk about writing.”
Rachel Manley
“Well, just write one page at a time. If you have a story, remember there are 365 days in a year and most books are under 300 pages, so a page a day isn’t that impossible! Don’t worry about publishing till you get to that bridge. It’s very distracting.”
Cynthia Haggard
“Novel writing is a craft like many other activities and you owe it to yourself to put in the time and effort to hone your craft. Take what you have to writing conferences to get critiques. And when you get criticism, don’t take it personally. Instead, make sure that you understand what the criticism is about.”
Jenna Butler
“First, keep at it. Success is lovely but fickle, and failure is guaranteed. We’ll all fall down at times in our writing, but the measure of us as writers is in how we get up and keep going. Don’t let your head be turned from the work by anything, if that work is important to you.
Second, read. You can’t be a good writer without being a voracious reader. Read widely and challenge yourself to dip into genres you might not be sure you like, as well as the ones that light you up. Learn as you go.
And third, find community. Writing is solitary, but community is everything. Cultivate your literary friendships as you do your own work: with care and attention.”
Pierre Dimaculangan
“I always say to a writer who wants to be an indie author: start early, do everything you can to promote yourself and your work long before you even publish your first book. Reach out to people actively. Join social media groups dedicated to books and readers of your genre(s). You can even start your own and grow it! Become prolific and find creative ways to promote your books through these mediums.
Connect with other authors and nurture those professional relationships. It’s vital that you help one another and grow together wherever you can. Other authors aren’t your competition; they’re your teammates in the indie publishing world. Build that fan base early.
Also, connect with readers face to face. Join conventions and book expos. Get their contact information and keep in touch with them. Put them in your mailing list. You can’t afford to be shy or introverted. You’re your best promoter. No one else can do these things with the required effort other than you. However, it’s also important to get help from friends and family.
Always ask for reviews. Rack up those reviews. They don’t come often at all. Have great artwork and graphic design. Have amazing covers, brochures, a website, business cards, posters, art prints, etc. These will make up your image. They absolutely matter. Invest in them with your own talents or with someone who is qualified to do them. Time, effort, and investments are heavily required. Writing is the easy part. Promoting and marketing is often much more work.”
Cheryl Campbell
“Don’t think you’re not a writer if you aren’t writing full time. I used to tell myself I couldn’t call myself a writer because I wasn’t writing full time. Turns out that is a load of crap. I’ve tried writing full time, and I suck at it. I just don’t have the focus and attention span to only work on writing related items (writing, editing, research, whatever) for several hours at a time.”
Christine Jonas-Simpson
“Write and read every day.”
Fran Kimmel
“Read as much as you can. Write as often as you can. Reward yourself often. Find some writing buddies. And most importantly, don’t give up.”
Pam Petro
“Write what you love–what you can’t stop thinking about. And don’t assume you need to know “what happens,” or what “the meaning” is or what you really have to say when you begin. That’s why you write–to discover those things. You set out because you’re a writer and you just can’t not write. Writing is nothing if not an act of courage.”
Carissa Halton
“Working on content that I feel really interested in has helped me sustain the lengthy process as well as buoyed me when I’m discouraged. Oh, and my writing group is so important. They keep me accountable and humble.”
Pam Clark
“I would repeat my uncle’s message of, “Keep on writing.” I believe that diversity of voices matters now more than ever. I would also encourage young writers to find “their people”, a community of writers they can rely upon for feedback, comfort and trust. Writers need other writers; together we are stronger.”
Kristen Rademacher
“Anyone aspiring to be a writer? My advice is to write, write, write, write, write. Seek feedback, and write some more. Also: read, read, read, read, read. Ignore your inner critic, and as Anne Lamott advises in her book about writing Bird by Bird, embrace the “shitty first draft.””
Submit
Are you an author? Do you want to be featured here on Writer Wednesdays?
If you would like to share your writing journey with others, please read on!
Here is the word document with the interview questions.
AUTHOR Q&A: Author QA Feature on Alexis Marie Chute BLOG
Email the completed questionnaire to me (Alexis Marie Chute) at info@alexismariechute.com. Use “Writer Wednesday Submission” as the email subject line.
NOTE: Please provide book cover, author headshot, and any other photographs/images/illustrations you’d like considered for inclusion in the blog post. 3—5 accompanying images is ideal. Include author name in the image filename. Size the files to: 450 pixels wide, 120 dpi.
Email images to: info@alexismariechute.com – Thank you!
All submissions will be considered, though not all selected.
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Thank you for joining me for Writer Wednesdays!
If you are a writer/author of any genre and would like to pitch yourself for an interview, please email me at info@alexismariechute.com
Catch you next week!
Happy writing,
– Alexis Marie Chute
