A Writers Life

heres something neat i read from my writers book that miss dianne gave me.

(Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook by Anne Mazer & Ellen potter.)

A Writer's Life

Is this your idea of fun...

...sitting in a room by yourself all day?
...staring at blank pieces of paper while you cast about for ideas?
...writing and rewriting the same sentences over and over?

Yes?  Well, have I got a career for you! To be a professional writer, you will need the following skills:

...time wasting
...day dreaming
...a knack for noticing things that annoy other people
...a delight in playing with words
...stubbornness
...a slight touch of insanity

Nobody feels sorry for writers. If we want to write in the middle of the night in a tree house in the backyard, wearing an electric lime green and orange ball gown, a beanie cap, wool socks, and Elmo slippers, that's our business. No one tells us what to do, or how to do it.

It's a dream job, so we shouldn't even think of complaining. Nevertheless, I'mgoing to complain. You should at least know what you're getting into.

1. Writing is some of the hardest work in the world. I call it "mental rock breaking."
2. Writing is lonely.
3. It takes a long time.
4. Even if you spend years on a project, you still might not succeed.

But, I also don't want to lie to you. Writing is one of the world's greatest jobs. Let's talk about why.

1. You're in charge. You set you hours: all day, half a day, three hours four times a week, or on weekends only.
2. You choose your working space: tree house, basement, closet, cafe, or the biggest and best room in your house.
3. You choose your method: by hand, by typewriter, by computer, by dictation.
4. You choose what to write: science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, historical fiction, nonfiction, technical writing, children's books, biography...
5. You choose the characters, the setting, the conflict and the style. (Okay, maybe some of them choose you, but still...without you, they'd never breathe or speak or have a life.)
6. You choose whether to write in first person or third person. You choose whether his eyes ar blue or gray. You choose whether she has a temper or is just too sweet to be believed.
7.You can create a universe from the smallest seed of an idea.

8. Your words, written in a solitary room by a single person, have the power to touch millions. They might turn someone who hates reading into a book lover. They might change the course of someone’s life. I once read a story about a famous actor who spent his teens lying, stealing, and beating people up – until he read Shakespeare.

I'll tell you the truth. Here's the best part of being a writer:

Your words can

Change the world!

WOW! how cool is that!

...hugs from lenny