Jon Gibbs hosts a weekly roundup of links to online resources for writers. What I especially like about the roundup is that the posts cover all aspects of the writing life: business, legal, craft, inspirational, emotional. We need different pieces of information at different times in our careers. It’s not just about tools; it’s also about timing. Sometimes a piece of advice won’t click until the fifth, or twenty-fifth, time I hear it—when I’m finally ready.
In Loner in the Garret: A Writer’s Companion, I focused on all stages of the writing life: from getting up the nerve to face the blank page to dealing with the consequences of publishing. I didn’t want to write a how-to book; there are plenty of good ones already on the market. I wanted to address the mind games that writers often find themselves playing: the mental blocks, the do-I-suck-or-am-I-wonderful roller coaster. I wanted to provide a source of support, the kind of support that my fellow writers and I have given one another as we navigate the tricky line between art and commerce, between the writer’s studio and the marketplace.
And so I took a break from fiction, and came up with this book. It contains all that I continue to remind myself, as I keep writing.
Sometimes the most difficult part of writing is not coming up with a plot or the perfect turn of phrase. It’s getting motivated to sit down and start, or having the confidence to go forward, or finding the courage to move past the sting of rejection. Loner in the Garret: A Writer’s Companion provides inspiration and encouragement for that mental and emotional journey. Covering topics as varied as procrastination, the inner critic, fear, distractions, envy, rejection, joy, and playfulness, it charts the ups and downs of the writing life with honesty, gentle suggestions, and a dash of humor.
For more: http://jenniferrhubbard.blogspot.com/p/publications.html
Jennifer R. Hubbard (www.jenniferhubbard.com) is the author of three novels for young adults, several short stories, and a nonfiction book about writing. She lives near Philadelphia with a very understanding husband, a pile of books and chocolate, and a tyrannical cat. Add a Comment