How To Be Inspired

We had our first booksigning for Wicked Weaves last weekend. Invariably, the question always comes up: what inspires you to write?

A recent poll I read said that a whopping 70 percent of unpublished writers feel the need to be inspired to write. That number dropped significantly among published writers to only 15 per cent.

What’s the difference?

Is it because published writers have succeeded in reaching the first goal on the ladder? Even if they aren’t making a substantial amount of money, they have been published and that’s enough to keep them going? It gives them something to look forward to and keeps the words flowing?

Rejections can be heartbreaking. A friend of mine recently had her first novel accepted—after 15 years of having her novels rejected. That’s a long time to argue with your spouse for more time or feel like you’re cheating your kids or that you’re spending too much money on your ‘hobby’. Especially when you already have a file full of rejections! Her story is one I’ll share here later.

There’s also a difference in professionalism among published authors. They’ve begun to see themselves as ‘working writers’. Even if they’re still working other jobs as nurses and teachers. They begin to think of themselves as writers who teach or writers who take care of sick children. One writer I know who has her first book published and is working on her second, sees herself as a writer who is doing research on her engineer’s job for a novel. That’s a unique approach!

Writing something every day is essential to becoming a stronger writer. Even if you can only devote ten minutes to your craft, it’s better than nothing. This can be a hard business to get into . . . and to stay in. The most important thing you can do for yourself as a writer is become a better writer. You can’t do that sitting around waiting for the muse to strike!

Try sharing the secret of published authors. Think yourself into being a writer. You have to write something each day because it’s what you do. It’s who you are. The world might think of you as a bus driver or a an office assistant but you know better. In your heart, you’re a writer. Go out there and write!

Joyce Lavene

RELUCTANT PROMOTER LOOKING FOR SUPPORT GROUP

It's almost September and time for another book to come out. This one is WICKED WEAVES, the first in the Renaissance Faire mysteries. Joyce and I had a good time writing it. Of course, we almost always have a good time writing together.
One of the only things we disagree about is promoting the book. I tend to think book lovers will find us and we should leave it to chance. Joyce thinks we should go out and promote the hell out of any book we write. Since the publisher agrees with her and not with me, we promote.
I don't like promotion. I don't really have a good time doing it. You sit at a bookstore for a few hours and talk to people, try to hype your book. I've never bought a book from someone doing that so I tend to think people won't buy one from us. That's probably negative thinking because we usually do okay.
Even worse is the book club or group that wants us to read from our books or talk about our process, sometimes in great detail. I only know what we do. I don't know how to say it in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. So I let Joyce do that.
I don't think I'm alone in not liking promotion. Most writers aren't real estate agents (although I'm sure there are a few of those around, no offense to them).
When HOOKED UP came out in February, we went to the racetrack. When PERFECT POISON came out in May, we went to a garden party. Now we're going to a couple of Ren Faires in Virgina and Alabama for the new book. I really like going to our local Renaissance Festival but this is a whole other animal. I've been wondering for weeks about our promotion for this one. Now I know.
Excuse me while I go and try on my Renaissance costume.

Jim Lavene
Posted 8-19-08

TIME

Time is fleeting.
Time for fun.
Never enough time.
Too much time on your hands.

There are plenty of time slogans. Some of them work with us. Some of them feel like the enemy breathing down on our necks. For many of us, time feels out of control. There has to be time to wash the clothes and feed the kids and work our jobs. There’s time for soccer and time for homework. The only time we have left over for ourselves is time sleeping in front of the television!

People always ask me; where do you find the time to do everything? I don't have an answer for anyone but myself for that question.

There is no magic formula that can make time your friend. The only slogan that really applies to us as writers is that you can make enough time for anything that’s really important to you.

How important is your writing to you?

Important enough to give up the new season of TV shows? Important enough to make changes in your life to work on your craft? An hour a night. One TV drama or two sitcoms. One hour of news that you already heard that day. If you’re a morning person, one hour of lost sleep to sit down and actually write those ideas that are fluttering around in your head.

Time is your commitment to your writing goals. Your writing can only mature and grow if it’s exercised. Thinking about it won’t work. Talking about it won’t put a book with your name on the spine in the stores. Only putting your butt in the chair and facing the computer or word processor, typewriter or pen and paper, can make the difference. No one succeeds at a dream until it takes up some of their most valuable resource. Time.

What are you doing with your time today?

Joyce Lavene
Wicked Weaves
Berkley Prime Crime
September 2008
www.joyceandjimlavene.com