I've had quite a few books published since 2010 (13 + anthologies etc) and before the first was published, I set myself up with a certain mental framework:
1. Write for joy and love of the word, not to get published.
2. Write to entertain and to fulfil joy, not to make sales.
3. Enjoy the journey and learn daily.
4. Have no expectations.
Thus, since 2010, I never second guess or get the collywobbles - it's just one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done.
Currently I have a contemporary fiction under way, a hist.fict underway and a list as long as your arm of potentials down the track. No such thing as formulaic boredom.
But when asked to give advice to writers these days, those four points above are my non-negotiables.
Gosh, these are such fantastic non negotiables. I’m not sure I’ll ever be free from expectations/fears (I’m just not wired that way) but I love these as a way of approaching it
I've had quite a few books published since 2010 (13 + anthologies etc) and before the first was published, I set myself up with a certain mental framework:
1. Write for joy and love of the word, not to get published.
2. Write to entertain and to fulfil joy, not to make sales.
3. Enjoy the journey and learn daily.
4. Have no expectations.
Thus, since 2010, I never second guess or get the collywobbles - it's just one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done.
Currently I have a contemporary fiction under way, a hist.fict underway and a list as long as your arm of potentials down the track. No such thing as formulaic boredom.
But when asked to give advice to writers these days, those four points above are my non-negotiables.
Good luck.
Gosh, these are such fantastic non negotiables. I’m not sure I’ll ever be free from expectations/fears (I’m just not wired that way) but I love these as a way of approaching it
Thank you so much for the shoutout, Jennie! And very wise words here x