My friend, the novelist Peggy Bechko has one of the most helpful blogs for new writers on the web, especially writers of fiction. I apologize for not recommending it till now, but I let way too much time slide between my last visit and one I paid today.
Here’s a sample:
Writing, Writer & The Writer’s Life – by Peggy Bechko
I’ve done a lot of articles for this blog and offered a lot of links to helpful writing sites. for the new and aspiring as well as the established writer.
Today I think I’m going to kick back and just discuss some of the less ‘nuts and bolts’ of writing and talk a little about what it’s like to be a writer.
Of course there’s a lot of writing out there and a lot depends on what kind of writing you do. I lean to advice for the fiction writer mostly as I am mostly a fiction writer. But, I recently participated in a conversation where one faction was telling a writer that she could consider her writing only a hobby and not to think about trying to make a living from it. Now, I suspect they were thinking of and talking about writing fiction and I can see the thought process in that direction. However if we don’t pursue our dreams, life can seem a dull place.
So, I say, if writing fiction is what you want to do, what you passionately love doing – then go for it.
Will you have to have other jobs to support you along the way? Probably; almost assuredly.
Will it be hard work? You better believe it.
Will you have to dedicated part of your precious writing time to promoting the book once it’s published? No doubt about it.
Is it worth it? That depends on how much you passionately want it.
It is a jungle out there for the fiction writer, no doubt about it.
However, you can also hone your skills at writing and earn money doing types of writing in addition to your fiction. You can prepare yourself for technical writing, journalism, grant writing, writing for newsletters, magazines, online, copywriting and more. If you stop to think, there isn’t hardly an area in every day life that doesn’t involve writing.
And when I say “Read it all,” I mean it. There’s some very important info still to come.
You can find more of Peggy’s insight here, on her site. And, just between us, I’m hoping she’ll do some writing especially for TVWriter™. Please, Peggy? Please?