It's (almost) Earth Day! Yay for the earth and everything on it! I will be taking my kids to see this movie this weekend and you should too, because chimps are cute.
As much as I love chimps and recycling, now I want to talk about building a writing life that's sustainable. I don't believe that I'm going to be the next Suzanne Collins, even though every civilian (non-writer type) I talk to about writing asks me if I've written the next Hunger Games (Seriously? How am I supposed to answer that? Yes? No? Maybe? I have no clue?)
I believe that I'll keep going-writing and learning about the process. I'll keep meeting other writers and readers who love books as much as I do.
Creating a sustainable writing life has become my focus now. It means that there is no 'end point' where I can say I've accomplished it all. Every milestone (writing a book, writing another, querying, getting an agent, getting published, selling actual books into the hands of people who are not related to you) is an achievement - absolutely - but it's not the be all and end all.
I don't mean to pull out the desktop Zen Rock Garden or anything, but it really is about the journey. Writing is the ultimate long game.
What do you do to create a sustainable writing life?
I write almost daily. Take breaks when necessary. Read books that intrigue me. And call myself a writer. How's that?
ReplyDeleteI think that's brilliant. The 'call myself a writer' is probably the most important part (other than writing) and the hardest. It was for me, anyway!
DeleteWonder post and Happy Earth Day! After having my son, I've learned to manage my time so much better. I make time for networking, writing, and reading. All things for sustaining my writing life.
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