Two blogs in one week. What in the world is going on in my life to allow me so much free time?
Well, for whatever reason, I’m just running on all cylinders this week, and I’m ahead of the game, so I’ll take my free time and dazzle you with some more information and thoughts about writing.
I’ve been saying now for three weeks that I’m basically done with my third novel, “Shadows Kill.” Well, I’m still “basically done.” That means I’m still tweeking it, still fine-tuning it, and still fiddling around with it. It’s just not quite right. It’s just not quite perfect.
Nor will it ever be.
The thing is….this book will never be perfect. I could be reading it for the next year and still find something to add or subtract from it.
Let’s take a look at a quote and then move on.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Nia Peeples
I should find out who Nia Peeples is because I love that quote. J
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
When I wrote my first novel three years ago, I thought it was perfect. Today I’d love to re-write it because I see so much that is wrong in it.
When I finished my second novel nine months ago, I thought it was perfect. Today I’d love to change the format a bit because I know it would work much better.
As I approach the completion of my third novel, I feel it is perfect in every way although I know, from experience, that it is far short of perfect and will need fine-tuning six months from now.
What’s the point?
Perfection is a myth and unattainable by us. What is attainable, however, is being the best we can be at any given time.
My third novel is infinitely better than my first, but my first was the best I could do when it was written. In other words, I am growing as a writer. My craft is improving, and to me, that’s what our goal should be…to constantly improve our craft.
TIP OF THE DAY
Cut yourself some slack. Do the best that you can do and then move on. You can always revisit it again.
NEW WRITER OF THE DAY
Say hello to Sara Riaz on HubPages. I just discovered this young lady and I have to tell you, I was immediately impressed. She has a pretty good command of the English language and how it should be used. If you have a craving for good writing, follow this link.
SITE OF THE DAY
Moz has an interesting article about keyword research. If you are into the whole SEO thing, then this article might be helpful to you. Follow this link to read that article.
CONTEST OF THE DAY
The Paterson Fiction Prize is taking submissions right now. It is for novels or collections of short stories published in 2014, and the deadline is April 15th I believe. They also have a contest for poetry, and there is no submission fee. Check it out here.
ONE FINAL NOTE
I have some serious concerns about the quality of many books being self-published today. If the goal is to simply publish a book that your family and friends can read, then fantastic. I guess quality isn’t all that important. But if your goal is to actually sell the book to the general public, or have an agent or publisher take a look at it, then quality is vital. There is no rushing the creative process. Simply calling something a book doesn’t make it worth reading.
Would you like a rather odd analogy? Back in the old days, Sears came out with their catalog, and it was, honest to God, a big event. People would sit and thumb through that catalog for weeks. I know this is true because I remember it as a kid.
Do you know what happened to many of those catalogs back in the early 1900s? They ended up in an outhouse and they were used for wipes.
Be the best writer you can be. Produce the best work you can produce!
Have a great week!
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 