04 Jul The Three of Clubs
Writing a novel is a labor of love, and I do mean labor. I discovered after writing the first draft of my novel that I needed to learn the craft of writing if I was going to be any good at it. Over the years, I joined several writing groups, took classes, read books, attended workshops, both large and small, participated in critiques and sent my manuscript to beta readers. And I’ve gone the round with several editors. I’ve rewritten my novel five times, and each time I got better at the craft but also discovered that I’m a perfectionist. It’s a handicap I’ve had to overcome. And don’t expect to get rich on your writing, at least not for a while, if at all. That’s why it’s a labor of love, because if you don’t love writing, then you won’t have enough gas in your car to reach your destination. Perseverance is probably the most important ingredient needed in any Writer’s toolbox, for without it, you won’t finish. I have a small poster on my wall of writing advice by my favorite author, Neil Gaiman: Finish what you’re writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it. Once your...