Mark Pilgrim, writer and Google employee has these fine, ferocious words to say about aspiring to be a writer. Read them, turn off the internet and then get on with writing your next book. (That’s a message to myself, not to you!)
“I’mm a three-time (soon to be four-time) published author. When aspiring authors learn this, they invariably ask what word processor I use. It doesn’t f****** matter! Whatever. Picking the right text editor will not make you a better writer.
Writing will make you a better writer.
Writing, and editing, and publishing, and listening — really listening — to what people say about your writing. This is the golden age for aspiring writers.
We have a worldwide communications and distribution network where you can publish anything you want and — if you can manage to get anybody’s attention — get near-instant feedback. Writers just 20 years ago would have killed for that kind of feedback loop. Killed! And you’re asking me what word processor I use? Just f****** write, then publish, then write some more.
One day your writing will get featured on a site like Reddit and you’ll go from 5 readers to 5000 in a matter of hours, and they’ll all tell you how much your writing sucks. And most of them will be right!
Learn how to respond to constructive criticism and filter out the trolls, and you can write the next great American novel.”
You dream of adventure; I dream of writing novels. I loved this post!
This is still probably some of my favourite advice.