Tonight I went to Maria McCarthy's workshop on how to get published and am ecstatic to report it's reignited my passion for writing. She was businesslike in her approach, but for me the way she imparted her clearly extensive knowledge and understanding of the publishing industry in bite sized and digestible chunks was spot on. On the way back I was so engrossed in getting my sudden rush of ideas onto paper that I went four stops too far on the Piccadilly line and ended up in Kensington!
The main thing the workshop has made me realise is that the time has come in my writing journey to dispense with the fluffiness and pleasantries and knuckle down to the structure and process, the bare bones of writing and the bits you have to get absolutely right if you are to succeed. No more reluctance to edit! I must man up and face my fear, tear that manuscript to pieces if it will make it the best that it can be. I will not send substandard copy out to agents simply because I'm lazy - how many successful authors did that?
No, this time I shall grab my manuscript by the balls and squeeze it HARD, make it fight for its place in the slushpile, make it stand to attention like a guard at Buckingham Palace itself. It SHALL not be ignored, it shall be a TRIUMPH! Stocked in bookstores across the land! Raved about in monthly reviews!
And, er, if it's not...well if it's not I shall try HARDER! Write another book. Write TEN other books! Keep on writing until there's steam coming off my keyboard and I am physically and emotionally spent.
This evening I have felt for the first time the stirring of a long-muted passion, a passion pushed aside in favour of hedonistic pursuits. It never went away, it merely lay dormant, waiting for a catalyst to propel it back to its rightful place at the very top of my priority list. And now that catalyst has come. Oh happy day. I shall no longer ignore that nagging ache I feel when another day goes by without me writing. I shall MAKE time to write, at the expense of other areas of my life if need be. I will get that agent and that book deal. I WILL SUCCEED!!
But these are merely words, and now must come the action.
Everything in life comes down to sink or swim; and this time I intend to swim.*
*I mean, I already did it at the triathlon, right? How hard can it be to swim in the publishing world? Right?! RIGHT?! (God, I've psyched myself up so much in this post I'm wishing I had someone here to high-five me, Jerry Springer style!)
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1 comment:
Way to go, girl! High Five!!!
xXx
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