Writers who have found success share how they plan to achieve even greater writing heights.
No matter what stage of your writing journey you are at, learning how writing professionals plan to find greater success can inspire you:
- Lori Hahnel, author of Love Minus Zero and Nothing Sacred. “I am going to remember to let go. By that I mean I need to trust that my creative energy will work in the way that it knows how. I need to be more playful, more open to allowing the unexpected to happen, to relax and trust the process. If I can do, I might be able to achieve more by trying less.”
- Lois Donovan, author of young adult and historical fiction. “I have decided on a course of self-improvement. If I want each novel to be better than the last, I need to be a diligent, intentional word collector. I absolutely must continue reading voraciously, but what about my craft as a wordsmith? I am not overly adventurous so I am going to start with one new word each day. I will copy the word into my notebook, study its meaning, practice using it in my day and find a way to incorporate it into my personal journal that night."
- Wilma Rubens, author of Entangled Enchantments. “It is time to turn down the volume on my inner critic who has already usurped too much of my life energy. Time to turn up the volume of inner encourager. I will endeavour at the end of each writing session to pat myself on the back for having the persistence, courage and dedication to keep on writing and rewriting, one word, one sentence and one paragraph at a time.”
- Leslie Y. Dawson, owner of Premium Writing Services. “Aside from making a living, I hope to invest in fiction-writing by taking a course or workshop in the art of writing a novel. I want to develop skills in plot development, specifically.”
- Naz Sohni Uppal, author, screenwriter, and film producer. “I will go to more networking events. Meet more new and interesting people. Make some new friends. Help others out.”
- Susan Carpenter, author of Retreat. “I will try my hand at travel writing after taking my first cruise. I vow to darken the door of every writer in residence available in the Calgary area, as well as revisiting the Banff Centre and the Fernie Writers Workshop for some intensive writing time. Maybe I'll even try the Strawberry Creek retreat.”
- Cathy Ostlere, author of Lost and Karma. “I've been toying with the idea of writing the middle of my next novel first. Then the end. Followed by the beginning. I love beginnings so much they sometimes get so long they become the beginnings for five novels instead of one. (I will work on) more acceptance of the vagaries of the craft. And more wine at the end of the day.”
- Diane Armstrong, author of speculative and mystery fiction and other genres. “I am going to actually getting published. I've had an agent marketing one novel and am working on three others but so far no nibbles. It is most depressing but my writing is in the young adult, speculative fiction genre so is hard to sell. I've been writing for over 30 years so it's not like I will stop but there are times when a paycheque would be nice.”
- Betty Jane Hegerat, author of three literary novels and numerous short stories, “I know that I spend more and more of my writing life teaching, mentoring, attending readings, visiting book clubs, and talking about writing - all things I love to do, but at the expense of what I love most. I plan to be selective, and fiercely protect my writing time.”
- Kathy Fitzgerald, a writer with many hats including blogs, articles, and book contributions. “I will be taking a course on grammar, submitting more of my work to the magazines in which I would love to be published, and spending more time on a couple of big projects I have been fiddling around with. I will read more instead of wasting time goofing around on the computer.”
- Cheryl Kaye Tardif, bestselling novelist. “Ebook sales continue their steep climb. I plan to capitalize on this digital rise by publishing two new ebooks (suspense) and working on two thrillers and a YA novel. Cherish D’Angelo, my romance pseudonym, will be working on a new romantic suspense. As a book marketing coach, I’ll cheer on my clients and celebrate their successes. There’s never been a better time in history to be an author.”
- Sheree Zielke, author of Martha’s Vine. “I’ll write another book, or two. Keep plugging away, putting one foot in front of the other, and never giving up. Never. I’ll still do the jobs that pay the bills, while finding the time to indulge in my surreal worlds. It’s like having a mistress really. And, oh boy, can she nag.”
- Fil Fraser, author of three books and a columnist for Alberta Venture Magazine. “I will focus on more serious writing, in particular by getting to work on a novel that has been fermenting in my head for several years. I need to fight for writing time. I find myself involved in a lot of volunteer and board activity but I plan to narrow my activities to teaching and writing. The great challenge is to prepare for writing fiction. I've written a few short stories (one published) but have never attempted the Everest of a novel. I will try to achieve what I think is the ideal balance: to write in the morning, run around and do business in the afternoon, and read in the evening.“
- Fran Kimmel, writer for the corporate sector, short fiction, and radio drama. “Pay more attention: quit moseying along on autopilot. Remember to gape at your world and be knocked out by it. It’s hard to write if you’re not awestruck. Become a better listener: stop nodding your head while your brain’s on spin-cycle. Listening makes you better, and that makes you write better. Take in more plays. Plays can be your dialogue training ground. It will be a good writing year if you write. Sit. Stay. Write."
- Amanda Truscott, technical writer who also writes fiction and poetry. “I will be more patient with myself and with the inevitable messiness of first drafts. I threw an entire draft of a novel in the garbage because I decided it was "irredeemably unfixable." Too often I'm tempted to give up on a piece because it's not as good as I would like it to be, when the important thing is to be gentle and to stick with it, because there will always be something in it that can be lifted out and polished.”
- Roxanne Felix, author of two books. “I will “let it go”. Let what go? All of it. Wanting something, being considered good. My identity as a writer. Just write and whether or not it’s “better” isn’t really up to me. Lucky me, last night I found the perfect book to complement and support this new attitude. It’s called “The Writing Warrior” by Laraine Herring.”
Copyright Toby Welch. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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