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When I was at the RT convention, I had the very great pleasure of meeting author James Scott Bell. He gave me a copy of his book The Art of War for Writers (modeled off Sun Tzu's The Art of War), which I've been reading off and on and have really enjoyed for a couple of reasons.
First off, this isn't just your run of the mill how to write guide. It's clever and entertaining and offers a lot of insight into the process, as well as a practical guide on ordering your life for your writing. But second off, James is unrelenting about the writer's role in the process and the realities of the business. THis little gem I thought was particularly helpful and thought I'd share it with you guys and see what you thought:
I printed this out and hung it over my desk, right in between my WIP plotlines and the Wall of Shame where my rejection letters offer up a constant reminder of my failures. It's been pretty helpful in that spot, especially since I have to look at it before I hit send on that whiny blog post or snarky email. So--what do you think?
First off, this isn't just your run of the mill how to write guide. It's clever and entertaining and offers a lot of insight into the process, as well as a practical guide on ordering your life for your writing. But second off, James is unrelenting about the writer's role in the process and the realities of the business. THis little gem I thought was particularly helpful and thought I'd share it with you guys and see what you thought:
If you want to be a writer, know this:
A hero knows it takes hard work and a long time to get published; a fool thinks it should happen immediately, because he thinks he's a hero already.
A hero learns the crafts; a fool doesn't think there's much to learn.
A hero keeps growing all his writing life; a fool thinks he's fully grown already.
A hero fights to make his writing worthy, even when no one's noticing; a fool demands to be noticed all the time,, even if his writing stinks.
A hero is persistent and professional; a fool is insistent and annoying.
A hero gets knocked down and quietly regroups to write again; a fool gets knocked down and whines about it ever after.
A hero makes his luck; a fool cries about how unlucky he is.
A hero recognizes the worth in others; a fool can't believe others are worth more than he.
A hero keeps writing, no matter what, knowing effort is its own reward; a fool eventually quits and complains that the world is unfair.
Be a hero...
--The Art of War for Writers, James Scott Bell (Writer's Digest Books, 2009)
I printed this out and hung it over my desk, right in between my WIP plotlines and the Wall of Shame where my rejection letters offer up a constant reminder of my failures. It's been pretty helpful in that spot, especially since I have to look at it before I hit send on that whiny blog post or snarky email. So--what do you think?