RIGHT. I could list all the ways in which Life has been The Most recently, but y’all come here for writing rather than wailing I think.
The first internship writer-y internship I had was right in the middle of the list article era. Ah, listicles. Bane of my heart, love of my life. Back then, everything I wrote was a listicle. Have they ever truly left us? I left them, following the sweet siren call of a Day Job. (Turns out that being a starving artist sucks, especially in this economy).
But, in light of Many Events I’m feeling nostalgic. And so, behold this entirely objective list of How to Be a Writer(tm).
1: Eat the words before they eat you. Words are ambush predators, relying on speed and an initial burst on strength to take you down. Catch them off guard or work on your cardiac fitness so as to outlast them.
2: Tell no one, lest they ask you for updates when you haven’t written in weeks.
3: Don’t edit as you go (seriously). Learn from my mistakes. This is how the draft becomes a labyrinth from which there is no escape.
4: Get a library card. Visit them Too Often. Develop an inadvertently familiar relationship with the librarians. Have the chirpiest one tell you that you’re in the top three library users and immediately be overcome with jealousy that someone is reading more than you.
5: Develop an adverse relationship with your previous favorite book series. Love it for the ways in which it makes you happy, but now it also gives you imposter syndrome.
6: Grudgingly admit the positive aspects of books you previously disliked. You never have to like them, but that was a nice bit of foreshadowing.
7: Reluctantly make a Twitter account because that’s where all the agents are. Realize that writing is, by far, the easiest part of this whole enterprise. Lament.
8: Get a severe case of the envy whenever you see a nicely designed cover.
9: Give up on digital organisation and start to stick story outlines to the wall behind your computer.
10: Read back over old work. If it’s bad, find joy in that you have improved enough to see the flaws. If it’s good, tidy it up and submit to a magazine. Either way, embrace the joy.
I need to to thank you for this good read!! I certainly enjoyed every bit of it. I have you saved as a favorite to look at new things you postÖ
Everything is very open with a clear clarification of the issues. It was truly informative. Your website is very useful. Thanks for sharing!
Im very pleased to uncover this page. I want to to thank you for your time just for this fantastic read!! I definitely appreciated every little bit of it and i also have you saved to fav to look at new stuff in your web site.