He took 17 years to find success and wrote 21 hard drafts to get his first book right. He worked hard for what he wanted and he didn’t give up.
His advice: be patient. Don’t be in a hurry to get published. Enjoy the process. Learn, get it right, indulge, experiment, and keep writing.
Which authors inspire you to keep going?
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Today is the second anniversary of the group. Alex J Cavanaugh, Ninja Captain and founder of IWSG, will have a very special, super exciting announcement over at his blog.
I’m down with flu for the second time this year (how rude!), thus the shorter than normal post. If happy thoughts and chocolate were to come my way, they would be graciously accepted.
#IWSG
59 comments:
He's right - no rush! Take the time to do it right. And enjoy the journey.
Still really sorry you are sick. Hope you enjoy the big announcement anyway. (Even though you know what it is.) You will make a big difference to the team!
Thanks so very much, Alex. I'm super honoured to be a part of it.
Yuck to the flu, hope it goes away soon. And yep enjoy the ride, it sure as heck isn't going to happen overnight.
Sorry to hear you're under the weather--sending lots of good thoughts (though I think chocolate would be more effective!). Thanks for sharing such an inspiring story! I decidedly hope I don't end up with 21 drafts to get it right (I'd probably lose my mind if I did), but it is all about patience and persistence!
Sorry you have the flu again! Blah! But what an inspirational story. I think I'm still enjoying the journey, though I'm beginning to get impatient. Almost done with this novel and then, sigh, we'll start the query process again...
Hope you feel better soon, Lynda.
I think most writers forget to enjoy the enjoy the process. They're in too much of a rush to get to the final destination. But the final destination isn't always what they would hope.
Twice in one year? Hope you get over it soon.
It's nice to know there are authors who've taken years to get published. Ian Irvine is right about taking one's time and enjoying the ride.
We're eating a homemade concoction made with Oreo pie crust, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and hot fudge. Try it. You'll like it!
Sorry to hear you're sick. Dragon doesn't have chocolate as it is banned from the cave but I will send you a lot of happy thoughts and dragon hugs!
Such wise words! Especially the patience part. What's the rush, people? I mean, is there any industry SLOWER than the publishing industry? :)
I hope you feel better soon, Lynda!
Bryce Courtney comes to mind. He wrote 20 books in 20 years or something ridiculous. Good on him. Most of them were great reads. Ernest Hemingway inspires me too, the way he sweated over every sentence. I think most of the big-time authors don't hurry to get the work done. Living authors? Nora Roberts. She is so prolific. I don't like all her books, but enjoy most.
i hope you get well soon Lynda.
It was short yet it gave me an important understanding.
Thanks
Thanks for the info about Ian Irvine and for giving us his advice. I couldn't agree with him more. Working hard to be the best writer you can be is so important. Feel better and have a great week, Lynda! :-)
Patience is truly something I find easier the older I get!
Sending you tons of healing hugs!! Take care
x
17 years! That's dedication. It also makes me less discouraged by my measly four.
Hope you feel better soon, we were all sick last week so we'll send you our getting better vibes.
Ian Irvine has great words of advice we should all live by. The flu is awful, feel better, Lynda.
are those 29 books any good? Seems a lot of books if you ask me....
I hope you feel better Lynda. Sending warm thoughts your way.
I look up to many different authors, dissect their books to see what works and what I like about them, then apply it to my writing (which is not easy).
I'm inspired by all the greats, of course. I don't really have a favorite. I think of John Keats, who although a poet and a necessary freeloader (back then, writers had wealthy benefactors), put out excellent pieces of work before his premature death at 24 (or was it 25?).
That inspires me...time is precious. Make the most of it.
Good post, Lyn.
M.L. Swift, Writer
Definitely sending happy thoughts and virtual chocolate. Prayers too (which are way more effective). Good advice not to be in a hurry to get published...it's our goal and it's often frustrating waiting, but we can enjoy the ride. I'm inspired by published authors, yes, but like I said on FB, I'm also inspired by hard-working CPs like YOU who are often one of the very few people who ever read my novels. :)
So sorry you've been hit twice! I agree, that's just rude. However, you still delivered a great post, one that is inspiring to me. I get caught in the money trap and it's hard to enjoy the writing when I do that. Thanks for co-hosting, even with the flu! Wish I could send you some chocolates, but happy thoughts and get-well-soon wishes will have to do! (By the time chocolates from here got to you they'd be a melted down mess!)
Go away, flu!
Boo.
I love this--be patient and enjoy the journey. I've been 20 years with these stories running through my head, and I can't count how many drafts, versions or different approaches I've taken to them, but it's great to be at the place where it feels like they're ready to meet the world.
Chocolates, positive thoughts and prayers Lynda. Get well and beat that flu! Patience is important for many things including writing. Congrats Alex on two years of IWSG.
Yes we forget to enjoy the process! Trying not to do that. But somedays it seems like forever! It is always encouraging to read how other didn't give up.
Thanks for the introduction to Ian Irvine, I'll have to check his books out.
I hope you feel better soon x
I love finding inspiration in other's journeys. It helps remind me that we're all on our own path, and things will work out.
Hope you feel better soon!
Happy anniversary to the IWSG. Feel better, having the flu is bad, having it twice in one year sucks.
Oh those nasty bugs! I hope you feel better soon.
Wow, 17 years. That IS inspirational.
Thanks for the introduction to Ian Irvine. Happy anniversary for IWSG.
Get well soon,
Nas
Eh, what's a lost mind when a great story is at stake? ;)
Best of luck with finishing and then the--shudder--query process. Let me know if you need any help.
oh my gosh! Send some of that concoction to me NOW! ;)
happy thoughts and dragon hugs are awesome!
Maybe the snails-watching-grass-grow industry might be a little slower, but not by much.
In regards to Hemingway sweating over his sentences, I think the very best authors make it look effortless. It's so easy to forget how difficult writing truly is.
Ha, yes they are good books, the ones I've read at least (No, I haven't read all 29). They certainly don't read like production line pulp. Irvine is dedicated to his work.
I didn't realise Keats was a young man when he died. When I had to study his poetry in school, I'd imagined him as an old man.
Hehe, thanks, Carol. And yes prayers are far more effective and much appreciated.
Thanks so much, Lisa. The money trap is the quickest one to sap the enjoyment from writing. May you stay clear of it and continue to enjoy creating the written word.
That's a good place to be, Crystal. Very best wishes for your launch!
You inspire me.
What a cool publishing story! I love reading about how various authors got their starts. I'm also off to check out his books - they sound right up my alley.
TB, I think. And thanks for always responding to me. :)
"Indulge..." Hear! Hear! If you've fallen out of love with the process of writing, it's time to reevaluate things and try a new tactic. It might mean you've gotten of track with way you REALLY want to do with your stories. :)
Congrats on the new IWSG website and your involvement! Great crew Alex has assembled, and I'm excited to see what y'all do with it. :)
I'm surrounded by writers who inspire me in person and on the internet. You all have something unique which helps keep me in the game. It's a tough business. We need all the friends we can get. And we need to be reminded of our love of writing now and then.
I am often inspired by other authors.
I continue to be inspired by everyone in this group. They all freely share so much valuable information, support and love.
Authors who collaborate on a single project are pretty inspiring. Takes a lot of work and coordination to get it all done.
Oh you poor thing. I hope you're feeling better now.
Lots of people inspire me. The way writers support and encourage each other is better than I ever imagined.
Thank you so much. It's a huge task, but well worth the effort, hopefully helping many writers.
Ooh, sorry to hear about the icky flu. Hope that's get better.
It's definitely good to let yourself be inspired by others' success, rather than being bitter about them. Even seeming "overnight successes" usually have a big journey behind them.
I hope you'll feel better again soon!
That's a really inspiring success story, so thanks for sharing it with us :) Sounds like a lot of time, effort and dedication, but I agree that it's best to be patient and enjoy the process, so you'll get it as right as right can be.
I think that's great advice, and it could probably apply to a lot of things too. And I hope you feel better soon! Flu is never pleasant.
What great advice. Especially from an author who has found such success. Thank you for sharing this. It is always interesting to learn about the paths and processes of other authors--at least I think so. : )
I am so sorry that you've been hit by the flu--again. That's awful. Wishing you quick healing and sending happy thoughts to push you through it. And I hope you gets lots of chocolate, too.
Great info. Looking at other authors, sometimes we only see the end product, but it's great hearing about all the years, practice, and dedication they put into their writing. It gives us hope.
"Be patient" -- I like that. It ain't easy, but I'm sticking with the traditional publishing route and only self-publishing my reprints. Good work takes time to polish.
Don't let this go to your head, but it is writers like you that inspire me most. Ones that share, blog, etc.
Anna from Shout with Emaginette
Wow - 17 years? Now I don't feel so bad! What a great inspiration!
It's the chocolate that will get me through ;)
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