I don’t usually clip and
paste work from other sites, certainly never never without attribution. I’m
making an exception to my customs, not the part about crediting the work, but in directing you to a posting. Chuck Wendig wrote a list of “musts” for writers on his blog at this
address- http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/01/03/25-things-writers-should-stop-doing/
It’s making the rounds on
various websites. Hopefully he won’t mind my posting the link here. One
warning, if you have a fragile constitution you might find some of the language
a little over the top. I confess I didn’t, but that might tell you something
about me.
The 25 things Chuck lists
that writers must stop doing (these are his words) are:
Stop running away
Stop stopping
Stop writing in someone
else’s voice
Stop worrying
Stop hurrying
Stop waiting
Stop thinking it should be
easier
Stop deprioritizing your
wordsmithy
Stop treating your body
like a dumpster
Stop the moping and the
whining
Stop blaming everyone else
Stop the shame
Stop lamenting your
mistakes
Stop playing it safe
Stop trying to control
s**t you can’t control
Stop doing one thing
Stop writing for “the
market”
Stop chasing trends
Stop caring about what
other writers are doing
Stop caring so much about
the publishing industry
Stop listening to what
“won’t” sell
Stop overpromising and
overshooting
Stop leaving yourself off
the page
Stop dreaming
Stop being afraid- Let
this be YOUR year
Chuck has a short
paragraph for each of these points. I’ll let you read them on his site. He does
a good job of elaborating. In this time of resolutions and self-awareness, I’m
going to read Chuck’s list again and then think of what it might mean for my
writing.
May your New Year be fruitful
in all the ways you wish it to be.
9 comments:
Are there resolutions you'd like to add to Chuck's list? Let's hear them.
Love it Cassy! And I agree, you have to just go for it. Write what you want to write and please yourself...you just might please someone else in the process :-)
Kari: You are right. It's still hard to think that way when everyone would love to get the call. I think you are a great example of someone who writes in multiple genres- because that's what you want to do. Go for it!
That's a great list.
I stopped writing the way people wanted me to when I found out I was sounding to much like everyone else and couldn't express myself the way I wanted. Hence, having a collie for the hero.
I'm so glad I made the decision.
Wow, this is great, Cassy. Just what I needed. I'm going to check out the page. I would add one to the list, although its kind of covered between the lines. This is a huge issue for me. Frustration. I need to stop being a hostess to frustration. It gets nothing accomplished.
Lindsay: I hear you. I'm typing away at my current wip and I keep telling myself "me, me, me." Meaning that I'm the one driving this boat. You might like it or not, but I did it.
Anita: Do Do Do go to the URL. He says it all far better than I do. And, it's been humming around in my head since I read it. We all need moments of "open your eyes." I sure do.
Great list, Cassy. I'm heading over to the original list now. I especially like the one about writing what you like. Now we have Amazon to let the world in on some of these great stories that NY can't figure out how to market.
I agree with you, Liz. And I'm all about the Stop worrying and Stop doing one thing. I've set some lofty goals for myself this year and I believe it's time for all of them.
Go big or go home.
I'm going BIG!
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