Good morning y’all. I thought I’d go Southern for a moment. I hope this finds you well. What shall we do today? Oh heck, how about we write for a bit? LOL
Perseverance….that is our topic today. You have to be tough….you have to be determined…and you cannot be discouraged easily.
If you follow me on Facebook you know that I just sold another article to a magazine…my second in two weeks and third overall. Now let’s look at the reality of that statement: I have been sending in articles for a little over a year now and I have been accepted three times. Not a great percentage if you look at the numbers, but realistically I am following a pretty normal curve for a writer.
It takes time to learn how to submit properly, and if you don’t have a copy of Writer’s Digest then heaven help you.
It takes time to learn how to write a query letter that has a chance of being successful, and if you don’t have a copy of Writer’s Digest then heaven help you.
And it takes time to learn how to write….and that’s what this blog and practice will do for you. J
Don’t give up! Keep perfecting your craft and keep submitting those articles. If it happened for me it can happen for you.
TIP OF THE DAY
Do not copy the style of another writer. You are unique so start acting like it. Let others copy your style.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
I definitely can relate to that quote. There is great personal freedom for me in writing, and there is tremendous satisfaction in writing. I hope you all feel the same way.
AUTHOR OF THE DAY
It’s time to mention one of my all-time favorites here, and we have to go back to 1850 to do that. If you have not read Henry David Thoreau then you really should give “Walden” a try. Beautiful work by one of the earliest naturalists and living simple advocates. If you like that genre you could also check out John Muir and his books about the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite.
SITE OF THE DAY
The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators can be found here. If this is your thing then you might want to start hanging with like-minded folks.
PROMPT OF THE DAY
Yes, another shot from Yellowstone….I think. LOL My memory can be a bit unreliable at times. Anyway, what do you think? Are you moved in any direction at all?
MORE ON FRIDAY AND THEN THE BLESSED WEEKEND
I mentioned before but I’ll do so again….I don’t write on weekends any longer. I do that simply because my brain needs a break and I need a life. I come back on Mondays refreshed and filled with ideas, and you should consider taking the weekends off as well. We all need an outlet outside of writing, so go for a hike or a bike ride or to your favorite restaurant. Do something besides writing and your writing will appreciate it.
Bill
Billybuc
Congrats on selling another article and seriously so proud of you. And also cannot believe it Thursday already. The weekend is right around the corner now for us!! 🙂
Janine, I am hopelessly behind in my writing this week. I’m just going to throw up my hands tomorrow and give up, and enjoy the weekend. Thanks as always my friend.
Congratulations, Bill! That’s another injection of pure motivation for the rest of us. Acceptance for publication is like a batting average, isn’t it? The percentage seems low, but for those in the know, it’s actually an excellent statistic. Way to go, buddy! I am very proud of you and happy to be on the same team. Aloha, my friend!
Joe
Joe, that’s a great simile….yes, the percentages are always low, but in the end it’s whether you brought in the winning run or not. 🙂
Thanks buddy and have a great day.
I’ve been trying to write less on weekends, too, out of fairness to my husband. But that may not happen this weekend. Like Janine said above, I can’t believe it’s Thursday already. The weeks sometimes go by so quickly!
Deb, I’ll tell you a secret: I hate taking the weekends off. LOL But…I know I’m a better writer on Mondays because of it.
Bill, you speak the truth! I’ve been letting go of writing on the weekends mainly because I have no schedule when I do that. I lose focus on when I should write, or clean house, or mow the yard, ya know? I’ve got to put everything in its place.
Congrats on getting another article accepted. Please let us know what magazines. I’d like to check them out when they’re published! 🙂
Vicki, I think we all start out with guns blazing and we are going to take over the writing world…and then reality sets in and we realize this is a marathon and not a 100 yard dash. 🙂
I hope the sun is shining for you this weekend and you get out and enjoy it. Thanks for the visit.
Congrats Bill–and I loved your quote!
Thank you Audrey and I love it too. 🙂
I am glad you take weekends off, Bill. You write so much during the week, and I think the break really does a lot of good.
Congrats on selling another article to a magazine! Persistence pays.
I remember reading Henry David Thoreau when I was younger. I used to take many books out of the library at once, and read whatever I was in the mood for. I don’t remember exactly what I read of his, I only remember that I was infatuated by his writing style.
Thank you for sharing another newsletter with us, and enjoy the weekend!
Here in Boston it’s supposed to be very hot In the next two days. I mean, 90s. That is hot enough for me! We have our air conditioners blasting, since it gets hot on the 15th floor even in the Winter time.
If Andy’s car is in good enough running condition, we may go to Cape Cod (my favorite New England destination) on Saturday. I won’t hold my breath, but I would be very happy!
Take care.
~ Kathryn
Hi Kathryn!
I like warm weather but not hot….seventies here this weekend and that is perfect for this area. I don’t know if we have any plans…I doubt it. We usually have so many errands and chores to do that the days just fly by.
Have a great weekend…Cape Cod sounds lovely.
Another inspirational write up, Bill
Happy Thursday to you, my friend!
Thank you Ruchira and Happy Thursday to you as well.
Hmmm…I think I need to get a copy of writer’s digest then! Have a great Friday Bill.
Thanks, Mel, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Ack! Sorry I didn’t make it here yesterday – it’s the end of the year and I was at school most of yesterday. Graduation is today, some all-day meetings next week…but I LOVE it! Man, I need to do a blog post about these revelations. You rock on, Big Bro. 🙂
Cyndi, there is a lot about teaching that I miss…I’m glad you are loving it. Have a great weekend.
That is so awesome Bill…thanks for being a leader and getting out there to show us how it’s done!!
Kelly, thank you..I never set out to be a leader…I just wanted to be an active part of the community. I love HP and I love you guys. 🙂