Why should writers write?

Posted on January 10, 2018 by heatherfromthegrove

Why do writers write?

More importantly, why should writers write?

American author Charles Bukowski (b. 1920 – d. 1994) tells it like it is:

So You Want to Be a Writer
by Charles Bukowski

if it doesn’t come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don’t do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don’t do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don’t do it.
if you’re doing it for money or
fame,
don’t do it.
if you’re doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don’t do it.
if you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don’t do it.
if it’s hard work just thinking about doing it,
don’t do it.
if you’re trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.
if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you’re not ready.

don’t be like so many writers,
don’t be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don’t be dull and boring and
pretentious, don’t be consumed with self-
love.
the libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don’t add to that.
don’t do it.
unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don’t do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don’t do it.

when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

Truth, a writer’s moral obligation

Posted on September 25, 2017 by heatherfromthegrove

“If something inside of you is real, we will probably find it interesting, and it will probably be universal. So you must risk placing real emotion at the center of your work. Write straight into the emotional center of things. Write toward vulnerability. Risk being unliked. Tell the truth as you understand it. If you’re a writer you have a moral obligation to do this. And it is a revolutionary act—truth is always subversive.”
― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

(Photo via pixabay.com)

Churchill said it best

Posted on August 31, 2017 by heatherfromthegrove

“Writing a book is an adventure.

To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement.

Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant.

The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster, and fling him to the public.”

~ Winston Churchill

(Image via pixabay.com)

Sage Nuggets of Wisdom from The Smartass Marketer’s Handbook

Posted on November 17, 2014 by heatherfromthegrove

For those of you who hail from the B2B marketing world, a new handbook is just hot off the press. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a novice in marketing communications – you’ll find some great nuggets of wisdom that will help to make your work a whole lot easier.

Written by smartass marketer extraordinaire, Carro Susan Ford, The Smartass Marketer’s Handbook contains a toolkit of tips and advice on anything and everything – from marketing plans, content briefs, press releases and customer case studies… to webinars, presentations and so much more.

For well over two decades, I’ve had the privilege of working with Carro and am proud to call her one of my dearest friends. After all, we’re both smartass marketers and as for attitude, well… that’s a given, isn’t it?

The Smartass Marketer’s Handbook is currently available at http://smartassmarketershandbook.com/ and on Amazon. If you’re a true blue B2B marketer, you’ll want to treat yourself by buying a copy of this book.

Writer’s Motto: Press On

Posted on January 9, 2014 by heatherfromthegrove

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

— Calvin Coolidge

And so, it’s time for me to press on…

… the manuscript awaits.

Three Nuggets of Wisdom for Writers

Posted on August 2, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“The process of writing a book is infinitely more important than the book that is completed as a result of the writing, let alone the success or failure that book may have after it is written . . . the book is merely a symbol of the writing. In writing the book, I am living. I am growing. I am tapping myself. I am changing. The process is the product.”

― Theodore Isaac Rubin

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

― Calvin Coolidge

“And what, you ask, does writing teach us? First and foremost, it reminds us that we are alive and that it is a gift and a privilege, not a right. We must earn life once it has been awarded us. Life asks for rewards back because it has favored us with animation. So while our art cannot, as we wish it could, save us from wars, privation, envy, greed, old age, or death, it can revitalize us amidst it all.”

― Ray Bradbury (Zen in the Art of Writing(1990) Preface)

Image Credit: Aliaksei Lasevich/Shutterstock

The Intricate Web of Book Publicity, from the Author’s Perspective

Posted on August 1, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“A new book is just like any new product, like a detergent. You have to acquaint people with it. They have to know it’s there. You only get to be number one when the public knows about you.”
— Jacqueline Susann

For many authors, the mere idea of self-promotion fills them with dread, discomfort and distaste (the alliteration… not intentional). I was of the same mindset and so, recently, I approached a seasoned publicist and asked him how he would go about selling my book. Aghast, he said “I can’t promise book sales, only exposure.”

“E-x-p-o-s-u-r-e,” I repeated, speaking the word slowly, trying to digest its ramifications.

Sensing my skepticism, he went on to assure me that with the right exposure (which would entail a lot of dog and pony shows on radio/TV, book events and, of course, a social media blitz), my book will likely garner enough publicity that will eventually translate to sales. Note: the only word I heard was “eventually.”

In my naïveté, I (like Kevin Costner, in the movie “Field of Dreams”) truly believed that:

“If you build it, they will come.”

I thanked the publicist for his words of wisdom and decided to develop and implement a publicity plan for myself, starting with social media. Everyday, I learn something new. This wealth of knowledge will serve me well in the long run and, each week, I’ll be sharing some of my insights with all of you who may have a book, a product or a service to market. Perhaps it will be helpful. I hope so.

A few days ago, I launched a Facebook Page for my book, Casualties of the (Recession) Depression. I’m reserving judgment on this social media avenue, since it’s only been “live” for four days. Too soon to tell. Please drop by and let me know what you think. I sincerely welcome all feedback. At the top right sidebar of this blog, you’ll see the tally of “Likes” on the FB page. Hopefully, the number will increase exponentially.

I’ll sign off for now. I need to go and search through my pile of DVDs for Field of Dreams. Suddenly, I feel a bit nostalgic.

Here today, gone tomorrow

Posted on July 31, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“Writing is the only profession where no one considers you ridiculous if you earn no money.”

― Jules Renard

I will preface this post by saying that there is certainly, in my view, nothing wrong with wanting to make money from writing. That would be a hypocritical thing to say, since I write for a living.

However, I write about things that interest me, that I’m passionate about – thoughts, ideas, issues and concerns that I want to share with others, raise awareness about… and, ultimately, engage in discourse.

I do not write a book just to satisfy a market trend or to capitalize on a subject that I would not normally even consider, just to make a quick buck.

Trends are here today, and gone tomorrow.

It’s really, really important to remember that. Writers, please heed this advice. Trendy books eventually fizzle out. They do not live in perpetuity. Their final resting place lies in a dusty old box, stored in some obscure warehouse.

Make every post, every article, every book you write… a labor of love. Whether you write as a hobby, part-time on the side, or 24/7 (like me) – write something that fuels your adrenaline.

If you find yourself writing for hours on end – oblivious to all the sights and sounds around you, with a cup of coffee that has been cold for at least three hours – you’re probably writing for the right reasons.

Recently, I read an article (can’t remember where, though) that said:

“Write the story that gives you insomnia.”

That’s when you know that your book will have staying power. And, once you’ve written it, perhaps you will catch up on your sleep!

Image: Sandra Gligorijevic/Stock

The dish about book reviews

Posted on July 30, 2013 by heatherfromthegrove

“I would rather be attacked than unnoticed. For the worst thing you can do to an author is to be silent as to his works.”
― Samuel Johnson

So, you’ve written a book. It’s out there…. for all the world to pick up and read. Some may love it or like it, others may have mixed feelings about it, and some readers may thoroughly hate it. The worst scenario? No one bothers to read it at all.

Presumably if you’ve given birth to a book (after all, it is a long, laborious process and the end result is your very own precious “baby”), you’re proud of it – or at least, you should be (note: if you’re not, you shouldn’t have had it published).

As you wait for the feedback (reviews) to come in,….

… do you pace back and forth?

… wring your hands or restlessly tap your fingers on the desk?

… toss and turn in bed, one endless night after another?

… anxiously check and recheck your Inbox?

… pick up smoking again, to calm your nerves?

No, of course not.

Here’s the dish: like, dislike, love, hate, indifference – these are all subjective emotions.

How one reader will react to your book or writing style may be radically different from how another reader will respond. Whether the reader is a respected book critic, a professor, an Amazon customer, a friend or family member – it’s all subjective.

This doesn’t mean that you should discount any positive or negative feedback. Nor should you let the great reviews swell up your head or the bad reviews keep you from ever writing again.

Keep it in context. Learn from the criticism. Be thankful that someone actually took the time to read your book — your book! — and then took more of their own time to write a review. They may give you some new perspective, some information that you could benefit from and will help you as you sit down to write your next book.

Do not take anything personally.

However, there are (unfortunately) haters out there. These are people – cowards and bullies, really – who get off on writing mean-spirited things, who spread nasty gossip, and who try to bring you down. Disregard those types of people, comments, and reviews. They are not worth your mindshare. Enough said.

Now, here’s an interesting tidbit of information: in a recent study conducted by the Harvard Business School, it was found that Amazon customer book reviews “are just as likely to give an accurate summary of a book’s quality as those of professional newspapers.” The study surveyed 100 non-fiction reviews from 40 media outlets, for HBS’ paper “What Makes A Critic Tick?“ The study also examined all the Amazon customer reviews. Whilst it was noted that there is “virtually no quality assurance” in Amazon customer reviews (in fact, some reviews can be “plants” by the book publisher, author or competitors), they still found that both customers and book critics agreed (overall) about the quality of the book. Amazon ratings and expert media ratings generally concurred.

I suppose that the lesson to be learned from this is to take Amazon customer reviews seriously, but be discerning.

The study further notes that “Relative to consumer reviews, professional critics are less favorable to first-time authors. This suggests that one potential advantage of consumer reviews is that they are quicker to identify new and unknown books.” Professional critics were generally more inclined to positively favor the works written by well-known, prizewinning authors.

Don’t let any of this dishearten you. Keep writing. Stand by what you say and what you mean. The professional book critics will eventually come around.

But, remember, even the professionals are subjective, so stand your ground.

“From my close observation of writers… they fall into two groups: 1) those who bleed copiously and visibly at any bad review, and 2) those who bleed copiously and secretly at any bad review.”
— Isaac Asimov

Image: Vetta/Getty Images