Jun

16

Times of great failure or times of great success, the problem is the same (how do you keep going?) and the solution is the same: You write the next thing.

Neil Gaiman

That quote is from his yesterdays blog and a question about motivation. I couldn’t agree more. Inertia effects everything; especially the creative arts. I’m sitting here right now with at least two stories I could be working on, maybe even should, plus I still have to go back and edit the last novel. And I am writing, a bit, but I’m ignoring the urge to really have at anything, to really let myself get lost in a story.

Part of that is discouragement. While my friends and readers have been nothing if not enthusiastic, I’m getting frustrated that I can’t seem to sell anything. Some of this is my own fault, as I haven’t put the short stories back in the mail yet and I really do need to send out another round of query letters. Of course nobody is going to buy anything if it’s not out on the market.

But those same friends are good at being encouraging. I get hung up sometimes on the distinction (in my head anyway) between being a writer and an author. In my own head that first definition is an amateur, someone who wants to write, while the second is published. I will get published, eventually, if I persevere. Even if its a short story in some small out of the way publication. I just have to keep going.

And write the next thing.


Comments

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Speak your mind

1 Comment so far

  1. L.Vazquez on June 17, 2008 6:49 am

    Yet another example of someone prominent saying to just DO it. Work. Keep going. Bradbury said it. Pressfield said it. Ellis said it. Now, Gaiman’s saying it.

    You know, all this time I’ve been looking for a magic formula of some sort, and have recently thought to myself that perhaps the key to beating this sort of resistance is something as simple as ‘doing it.’

    These PROS may be on to something…

My Websites