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I’m so excited by these books, I have to pass them along.

First of all, right now you can get for the incredibly low price of $20 this entire story bundle of writing books. I would have bought just one of the books on my own–the horse one by Judith Tarr, since I’m writing a lot of horse scenes these days for The Bradamante Saga and yes, I’d like to make sure I get them right–but then once I saw all the other awesome craft books in this bundle: SOLD. Because every writer can get better, and it’s such a pleasure to read a great craft book by authors who are experts in their field.

And speaking of authors who are experts in their field, the great young adult author Tom Leveen now has a new book out on writing dialogue. Before turning to novels, Tom spent many years in the theater as both an actor and director. I’ve taught writing workshops with him, and his tips for writing great dialogue are always FANTASTIC. Treat yourself to this book. You’ll learn a ton.


That’s it for now, gang. Happy Writing!

Here are the categories I’m dealing with lately: planning a new backpacking adventure. Planning a new book series. Planning another new series in a whole new genre. Which right now equals about 15 new books. I’m not even kidding.

And this morning it was starting to feel a little . . . daunting. As in, Can’t do any of them, just have to sit here and think about what I want to do.

That kind of stupor that could easily go on for days.

But I’m going to approach it a different way this time. Because recently I heard a great talk from outdoor adventurer (and mother and wife and owner of my favorite outdoor store Summit Hut) Dana Davis.

Dana has hiked up Mount Rainier. That right there qualifies her as badass. But she’s accomplished many other physical feats, and is currently training for her first Ironman triathlon, even though as she tells it she has bad knees, bad ankles, can’t run, isn’t so hot at either biking or swimming (I can’t remember which)–clearly not ideal when you’re going to be doing all three for miles and miles in one day.

But somehow that sounds fun to Dana.

And that fun is infectious. While it’s possible that some of the people in the crowd the other night might have thought to themselves, “Dang! I’m going to Ironman it, too!” I have the feeling they reacted the same way I did, which was to take Dana’s lessons about training for something hard and think about how we might apply them to some of the upcoming challenges in our own lives.

I think my favorite piece of her advice was this: Embrace the suck. Recognize that somewhere along the way you’re going to have to deal with a certain amount of discomfort, pain, and unhappiness. But if you recognize that ahead of time, really reconcile yourself to it, then when it shows up you can calmly tell yourself, “Yep, here it is. I knew it was coming. Here’s the suck. Let’s keep going.”

What’s “the suck” for me? There are times in every single backpacking trip when it’s as if I turn to myself and ask, “Did you really think this was fun? Are you really doing this on purpose?” Because mountains are high, trails are long, lightning storms scare the crap out of me, mosquitos bite, dogs roll in human feces (don’t get me started on people not properly disposing of their turds), and things just plain go wrong. That is the nature of outdoor adventures. Of any adventure, really.

I see it with my book adventures, too. When I set out to write something new, I know the time will come when my hands will feel like claws from typing for so many hours at a time, my brain will feel completely exhausted and empty, and yet the drill sergeant in me will try to force me to keep going even though all I really want to do is take the day off and watch Pixar movies. There’s a reason why The Incredibles exists. It is there to restore the worn-out brains of adults all over the world.

In a few days I’ll be posting Dana’s full list for psyching yourself up and preparing for something big, but for now I just wanted to whet your appetite for the whole thing.

Until then, you might want to reread a few earlier posts (that’s right, to psyche yourself up for the next big post. See how it works?):

How To Know When It’s Time To Make a Change In Your Life

Becoming the Possible You

The 100 Things You Keep Meaning To Do

Deciding To Worry About That Tomorrow

Stay tuned!

This commencement speech by Neil Gaiman about carving out a life of creativity is one of those things I’ve been meaning to watch for a long time, but never seemed to get around to.

Which is why we need people who say, “Here! Look!” and send you the link. Thank you to author and illustrator Guy Porfirio for being that person for me today.

And now I get to be that person for all of you. Here! Look!

Back when I was practicing law, I had a sign hanging in my office that said: Perfectionism is an elegant defense against real life.

I kept a separate note inside my desk that read:  If I don’t win your case, I’ll eat a bug. I leave it to you to decide how those two things matched up.

(And for more adventures of being a law student and lawyer, you can read my lawyer romance LOVE PROOF. It’s lots of fun.)

The issue of perfectionism haunts a lot of us. We’re never quite there. Wherever “there” is. And sometimes that feels like a moving target.

It’s why I was interested in this TED talk by Sarah Lewis about success versus the “near win.” About success versus mastery. I loved her stories of artists and writers who knew their work was never complete, but who put it out there anyway. (Or who ordered their friends to burn everything after the artist died, but too bad–friends hardly ever obey those crazy wishes.)

It’s why even though I know some of my novels aren’t perfect, I still let you read them. Because I like the stories and want to share them with you, even though sometimes when I look back at them I might wince at this line of dialogue, that awkward scene, some weird way of putting something that at the time I thought was cool. Oh well. I did my best. And I’m going to keep moving forward and write the next one, rather than constantly mess around with one I’ve already “finished.”

Which is my way of saying that if you don’t love every single word I write, that’s okay–I probably don’t, either. But overall I’m happy with the idea that you and I sat around a campfire one night and I told you this story from start to finish. And we had fun. There were marshmallows. And then the next night we moved on to some new story instead of me saying, “You know last night when I told you the girl in the story’s name is Rose? It’s Giselle instead. And that part about her hating her mother? Forget it–her mom died.” Etc. Etc. BORING. Move on. We already got to The End on that one–give me something new.

With that, I give you Sarah Lewis and her talk “Embracing the Near Win”:

12 – Being famous – worked for Whoopi Goldberg, Julie Andrew, Madonna, etc. 11 – Playing for Chelsea - worked for Frank Lampard. 10 - Posting your manuscript through J.K. Rowling’s front door.  She probably has a bin under the letter box … Continue reading →

For many years, one of the newspaper advice columnists would run a meditation called Just for Today, on New Year’s Day. Maybe an advice columnist still keeps this tradition, I’m not sure. But I am sure that when I first read the words, I was struck by the powerful message. That if we focus on each day, as it comes, we can accomplish much more than we thought possible. And so with that message in mind, I considered what I, the writer, wanted to accomplish in 2013.

Just for today, I will write. It may not be 20,000 words, or even 2,000 words. Heck, it may be a 200-word blog post or a (very) detailed grocery list. I will write, because I know that writing is a skill that improves with daily practice.

Just for today, I will read. If I have a great idea for an article, I’ll read the market I’m considering pitching. If I’m working on a novel manuscript, I’ll read a novel in that genre, even it’s just the first chapter. If I’m stuck on an aspect in my craft, I’ll take that how-to book from the shelf, blow the dust off, and read the pertinent paragraphs. I will read, because I know that reading is a sure way to writing growth and improvement.

Just for today, I will encourage or support another writer. If I've enjoyed an author’s novel, I’ll write a review on Amazon, or perhaps Goodreads. If I drop by a blog and like the content, I’ll leave a comment, letting the blogger know. Maybe I’ll retweet a writer’s good news or just click on a "Like" button. I’ll encourage or support another writer, because I know how much my writer friends’ support and encouragement means to me, especially when it comes on those days when a stinging criticism won’t let go of me. A couple of kind words can make all the difference.

Just for today, I will take care of business. I’ll answer the emails, update my finances and keep on track with my submissions. I will take care of business, because I know that when I treat my writing as a business, my writing pays me back.

Just for today, I will be thankful that I’m a writer. Despite the rejections, the revisions, the constant hair-pulling and occasional whining, I wouldn't want any other job in the world. I will be thankful that I’m a writer, because when I’m lucky enough to find just the right words, my soul sings.

And what writer wouldn't want to accomplish that, even if it’s just for today?

~From Cathy C. Hall, wishing you bountiful words and blessings in 2013!

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

~Seneca

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One of the best columns by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ever, and that’s saying a lot, since most of her…

I love this description from the Houston Library for the interview I just did with them: “Robin Brande discusses writing,…

Another great business-of-writing post by award-winning, bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch. She posts a new business column every Thursday…

Writing Bootcamp is a blog series in which I invite fabulous authors to share with you (yes, you! assuming you are an inquisitive writer) their best bits of writerly advice. Today Victoria Schwab, author of The Near Witch, tells you (yes! you again) to be brave...

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When aspiring authors used to ask me for advice, I would smile and say, “Be a great reader,” or “Be a sponge,” or something kind, encouraging, but to be honest a bit common.

My advice has changed.

If someone asks me how to be a better WRITER, then I still answer with the above. But if someone asks me how to be a PUBLISHED AUTHOR, then I say this.

Be brave.

Putting yourself and your work out there to be judged is a terrifying thing, to be sure. But this is a very hard industry, one built on critique and rejection, and in order to get through, you have to be brave. Your want of publication has to be greater than your fear of rejection. If you find yourself paralyzed by the mere notion of critique, then you do not want it badly enough. YET. You are not ready. YET. And that’s okay.

In publishing, rejection exists not only as a way of culling potential books, but as a test, to see if the author is ready for the next step. Because rejection, critique, judgment...they exist at every step. They are an integral part of this industry.

So.

If you want this, if you really, really, really want this in that way that physically hurts, that way that keeps you up at night, holds your mind hostage and your fingers always writing, then you will be brave enough to share your work, brave enough to take feedback, brave enough to get better. Do not be hindered by fear. Let it drive you. Let your want carry you through.

I’m not saying you aren’t allowed to be afraid, not saying you’re weak or unready if you feel that fear (we ALL feel it). I’m only saying that you must look at fear and want and see which is bigger. Do not let fear win that contest.

Be brave.

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Victoria Schwab is the author of The Near Witch (which you can find out more about on Goodreads). Check out her website (it is very cool) and ever fabulous blog (I really like this post). More about her here.

If you’re not already reading Dean Wesley Smith’s Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing series, I urge you to…

Oh, how I love this post by Dean Wesley Smith! It’s a rerun, and it’s worth rereading at least…

Yesterday I taught a teen writing workshop at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ. As I told the teens…

An intriguing question, and the kind of thing a lot of us writers are too afraid to confront.

But man up/woman up! (Writer up!) Read this and consider what’s true for you.

Technorati Tags: Advice for Writers, Authors, Books, Dean Wesley Smith, Publishing, Writing, Writing Advice

Long, long ago, back when I’d been rewriting the same novel for EIGHT YEARS, I took a class from bestselling and award-winning writers Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

And when they talked about writing multiple books a year–sometimes four books a year, sometimes double that–the scales fell from my eyes. No one had ever told me you could write more than one book a year, or that you could stop endlessly reworking the one novel you had and move on to something else.

I was cured. And thereafter became a happy writer.

Since then I’ve found my own personal pace and figured out how many novels my body and my brain like me to write every year. I’m not going to tell you, because as Dean says in this wonderful post about finding your own speed, people sometimes get mad when you talk about your method and your output, and it’s best to keep it to yourself.

If you’re currently stuck in the endless whirlpool of rewriting your one book, I encourage you to try the same experiment I did when I got home from that seminar: Just sit down and write a novel (or a short story, or whatever your favorite medium is) from start to finish, no stopping to rewrite those first three chapters again and again, and just see how quickly you can do it. For me that first time it was five weeks for a complete novel. I know a lot of people love to participate in NaNoWriMo every November because they have to finish a novel in one month.

Find your pace, but first be willing to see that it could be much, much faster than what you’ve always thought. Writing is fun. Fast writing is SUPERfun.

Onward!

Technorati Tags: Advice for Writers, Authors, Dean Wesley Smith, Kris Rusch, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Novel Writing, Novels, Publishing, Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Seminars, Writing Workshops

I found this through Passive Guy, and this post.

Here’s the full manifesto by Hugh MacLeod on how to be creative. A lot of gems in there–I think you’ll really enjoy it!

Technorati Tags: Advice for Writers, artists, creativity, Hugh MacLeod, Publishing, Writing, Writing Advice

So many writers are out there analyzing the various business ramifications of this New World of Publishing. I highly recommend you bookmark the blogs of Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and Passive Guy.

This latest post from Kristine Rusch answers a question on a lot of writers’ minds: What if I don’t want to go indie? What if I want to stick with (or try to get a new contract with) a traditional publisher?

Every writer’s needs are different, and what I love about this post is it gives the sticking-with-tradition people some ideas about what to look for in their current and future contracts. Read and learn!

Technorati Tags: Advice for Writers, Business of Writing, ebooks, ewriting, publishers, Publishing, Writers, Writing, Writing Advice

Oh, that Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch, always thinking, those two.

Thank goodness, because this one’s a doozy.

Technorati Tags: Advice for Writers, Dean Wesley Smith, ebook gift cards, ebooks, Epublishing, indie authors, indie bookstores, indie publishers, Kris Rusch, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Publishing, Writing, Writing Advice

I’m loving this series from ex-lawyer Passive Guy, talking about how to read and understand publishing contracts.

Read his latest installment, then do yourself a favor and catch up on all the previous ones! Excellent education.

Technorati Tags: Advice for Writers, Business of Writing, Publishing, publishing contracts, understanding publishing contracts, Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Business

It’s a new world, and the old rules are rapidly falling away. This latest post by bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch is so timely and succinct–well, just read it and you’ll see!

Technorati Tags: Advice for Writers, Authors, Kris Rusch, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Kristine Rusch, Promotion, Publishing, Writer Promotion, Writers, Writing, Writing Advice

From best-selling writers turning down traditional publishing deals and going indie, to best-selling indie writers going traditional, to copyright rulings and other business issues that affect all us writers–

Here’s a great recap from best-selling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch of what’s been going on, and what it might all mean. Read and learn and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Advice for Writers, Business of Writing, Copyright, Indie Publishing, Kris Rusch, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Kristine Rusch, Publishing, Self-Publishing, Writing, Writing Advice