by Susan Lovett | Nov 20, 2015 | Blog |
“Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.”
― Anne Lamott
I had a conversation with a writer friend the other day that saddened me. He has just started his journey. While we talked about writing, he kept justifying his right to write and apologizing for how badly he did it. Now, I have never read any of his work, but I balked at his attitude, mostly his justification for pursuing this craft.
Why is it that we question our desire to write? Does the gardener question her right to plant flowers? Does the golfer justify his right to play the game (not counting to his wife, which is another matter altogether)? No. They just do it. Yet I find this apologetic manner in many people who pursue writing. They act as if they are doing something illicit.
I think it’s a curse of the creative to question our choices. I know as a twenty-something I wondered whether writing was too frivolous a pursuit. Should I do something more? I questioned the value of writing compared to saving lives or fighting injustice until I realized that stories can do that too. They tell human stories that touch people and change lives. They matter.
by Susan Lovett | Nov 13, 2015 | Blog |
Today is one of those wonderful days when I face one of my favorite reader moments—that brief interlude between books that is filled with anticipation. What book comes next? Which will I pull from the shelves?
I finished my book last night and chose to wait until tonight to pick a new one so I could live in anticipation. All day I have mentally listed the books on my bedside table and crammed onto my bedroom shelves. I thought about the books in my office library, which total nearly 7,000. I considered going new school and reading one of the several hundred on my Nook, which is not my favorite way to read. Heck, I even considered buying a new book to add to the masses. So many choices.
It is the choice of what comes next that makes me happy. It’s that potential of unraveling a new story and falling into a new world that keeps me moving from one book to the next.
by Susan Lovett | Nov 6, 2015 | For Writers |
“Word, words, words!
I’m so sick of words.
I hear words all day through,
First from him, now from you.
Is that all you blighters can do?”
Verse from the song “Show Me” in the musical “My Fair Lady” written by Lerner and Loewe
It has been a long week and these words have been looping in my head all day. Some weeks are like that. I write so much that words seem to be filling my brain to capacity and beyond. Too many words. I wonder if they will ever stop. Whenever that happens, this song invades my brain. It’s a sign.
by Susan Lovett | Oct 30, 2015 | For Writers |
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” ― Robert Frost Life does not stop or pause no matter what is happening in our personal lives. It goes on. It persists. This is true too whether you have written or not. It passes with...
by Susan Lovett | Oct 23, 2015 | For Writers |
Studying is an eternal state of being for writers. It’s our lifeblood–how we hone our craft and add depth to our work. As Gary Paulson says, “If you want to be a good writer, you’ve got to read like a wolf eats.” I believe that applies to studying too.
Luckily, there are many sources for reading and novels of all genres and types. Read the hard ones and the fun ones. Heck, even read the bad ones to learn what not to do. Then read nonfiction to inform your writing. There are tons of books on the craft of writing, and they are important. Growing as a writer means professional development, like any other field. Read those writing books, but don’t stop there. Study broadly.
Here are my top 12 to consider adding to your studies:
by Susan Lovett | Oct 16, 2015 | Mindset |
“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
I’ve been thinking about this quote a lot lately. Why? Because it’s the season for hay fever, runny noses and itchy eyes. In other words, not a great time for me to be inspired. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective and the day), I don’t have the option of playing hooky. I have deadlines and clients who need the words whether I feel like writing or not.
by Susan Lovett | Oct 9, 2015 | Blog |
I love stories. I love immersing myself in them, be they books, movies or episodes from my favorite television shows. I don’t care. Heck, you can plop yourself beside me and spin a yarn. I’ll listen. I’m a story addict. It’s so bad my family teases me about getting...
by Susan Lovett | Sep 30, 2015 | Blog |
The buzz word in publishing these days is platform. Accepted wisdom (or rumor) is that an author cannot sell without one. I find this debatable, but I will call it plausible. The problem with this idea is that it suggests that platform is the most important part of publishing. It is not.
The writing is.
The story is.
by Susan Lovett | Sep 9, 2015 | Blog |
School has started and I am back to work as well. I took a bit of a break there at the end to snatch some time with my son. It was a long summer of working in odd hours around my son’s schedule because I am one of those stay-at-home-working-moms who writes around my family. It’s the best of both worlds. Yes, it’s easier on camp days or when he’s in school, but I would never give up my time with him. It is what makes working late at night (after bedtime) or sneaking in a bit of writing time while he’s distracted by Minecraft (thank you, Notch!).
That is all done now though. Labor Day has passed and I find myself back behind the desk during normal hours. It is heaven. Pure heaven.
by Susan Lovett | Aug 6, 2015 | Writing |
I work in the film and video industry, when I am not writing speeches, social media content, articles or a novel. Although the novel thing is rather new.
(Okay, it’s not really new, but it’s been recently that have I written the first draft of the only novel I want to edit. So that’s new.)
As I am transitioning from film to fiction, I have run into a host of problems: the biggest being a serious lack of B-roll.
by Susan Lovett | Jul 30, 2015 | Writing |
I was a double major in college–Creative Writing and Music. While my parents were not thrilled with my choices, I was, even though it happened by accident.
I wanted to be a singer. It was my goal from an early age. I was that child who would hold her hairbrush and sing for hours, dancing around the basement or my room pretending I was performing in front of crowds. The only odd thing was that I always envisioned myself on USO tours instead of huge stadiums. I wanted to live that iconic image of the Bob Hope show for the troops in war zones, otherwise the touring did not appeal to me.
So off I went to college with the hope of someday cutting a platinum album and going off to war to sing. I was young. It is my only defense. That and being a military brat.
by Susan Lovett | Jul 21, 2015 | For Writers |
Trends come and go. It’s not difficult to track them, particularly in publishing. Scan the new releases book shelf at your local book shop and read book blurbs. You will identify the trends.
Publishing news and book reviews are a good source too.
The information is out there. The problem is that the information is dated by the time it reaches would-be writers. The trend began when the writers sat down to write the books, years before.
