Seth Godin writes about business, but I often find his ideas relate to writing, too.
Your Big Idea :: Seth Godin
“Craft tells us how we see the world.”
25 Essential Notes on Craft from Matthew Salesses :: LitHub
“Then there’s the reader’s experience of time—how the reader experiences the forward movement of the story…It’s like pacing, only from the perspective of the reader rather than the writer. That is, pacing is what the writer believes she’s doing; reader time is what the reader actually experiences. Kind of like the difference between cooking a meal and eating it.”
Character Time and Reader Time :: WriterUnboxed
The good old days!
Why You’re More Creative in Coffee Shops :: BBC
How every book begins: “You can’t be content with mastery; you have to push yourself to become a student again.”
Learning to Play the Fool :: Austin Kleon
“In my many seasons of terrible jealousies, the most wrenching occurred when I was in college, craving to get through and get on with my writing career. I watched a classmate achieve my dream. She published a novel, dazzled the literary world, and collected constant rave reviews. Every bookstore displayed towering mountains of her best seller.”
A Startling Remedy for Jealousy of Other Writers :: Read Write Thrive
Thanks to a young reader named Anna and her librarian friend, Carol, for bringing this one to my attention!
Writing for Theater and Film :: Theater Seat
Thanks, Caroline! Today, I really needed the article from Read Write Thrive about author jealousy. Good timing. As other debut authors get lots of starred reviews (and I’ve had none), I admit to a twinge of jealousy! But the reviews my book has are actually quite lovely! And I didn’t write this book for reviewers.
So much to learn about becoming a published author!
I’m glad it was helpful. You’ve hit on the number-one, long-term struggle I suspect most authors have. Our goals shift over time, allowing for a lot of dissatisfaction, especially with the things out of our control: starred reviews, new contracts, selling through, earning out, publisher support — the list goes on and on. I won’t say I don’t sometimes fall into this; I think we all do. But I do know what helps me at least is to focus on what I can control: my words, my work, and my response. I mulled over a lot of this on the blog a few years back and created a workshop from those posts that I call A Writer’s Manifesto: Who You Are, What You Value, and Why It Matters. Off to send you the handout now!
Thanks, Caroline! Just checked my email and it’s there. So helpful!