I read a lot of blogs by and about authors, agents, editors, and books in general. Some of them have a thing where every Friday they post links to their favorite content from the past week. I enjoy these Link Fridays, so I thought I’d give it a try. Not sure yet if this will be a regular thing.
First off, author Lilith Saintcrow has a great post about writers and their fear: fear of rejection, fear of failure, all the usual. She says that fear hasn’t gone away for her even as a professional author. She also points out that fear is a constant, in the sense that it will always be there, even if you don’t write. “Quitting writing will not stop the fear; it will simply take different shapes and return in other areas of your life. Accept that while you’re alive, you’re going to be afraid of shit. It’s the human condition.”
The indefatigable Chuck Wendig lists six signs you’re not ready to be a professional writer. He’s partly kidding – one of the signs is “I Still See That Glint of Magic and Hope In Your Eye” – but he has some serious points, and it’s worth a read.
A trio of literary agents has started a regular feature where masochistic authors (the only kind) send in the first page of their manuscripts, and the agents – very gently – tear them to shreds. The first first page is up now. It’s a great insight into the mind of an agent as she’s reading unsolicited submissions. Though if you’re thinking of submitting your own work, I should warn you, they’ve received over seven hundred entries already; your odds are not good.
The Intern confesses that a voice in her brain is always yelling at her to be like other authors. Her response to that voice: “You write what you write. You are what you are. And, no matter how anxious you may be to have everybody like you, you’re not going to get there by scrambling to become what you think the world wants.” Tru dat, Intern.
Finally, a great article from Today In Literature about Mark Twain’s final years. “The white suits began in 1906 — a secretary’s diary gives us the precise date of being told by “the King” to order five of them — and they suggest more than a chuckle or another self-promotion.” Good stuff, though unfortunately that link will only be valid for a couple of days unless you’re a premium subscriber (I’m not). I can’t say I really understand a content website’s decision to hide their content behind a pay wall, but Today In Literature is a good daily read anyway.
Happy Earth Day, Happy Good Friday, Happy Easter! Have a good weekend, everybody.
Brian D. Buckley 