J. Mark Miller | A Writer's Fantasy |

A Writer’s Declaration

I am a writer.

I am a writer because I choose to be, not because someone else tells me I am.

I am a writer because I cannot not write.

I am a writer because I write, not because I have been published (or not).

I am a writer, and no agent, no editor, no rejection will deter me from writing.

I am a writer because I have stories to tell, even if only to myself.

I am a writer, and therefore I will make time to write.

I am a writer, and therefore I will continually hone my craft.

I am a writer, and therefore I will work hard to breathe life into my characters.

I am a writer, and therefore I will enjoy the journey.

I am a writer, and I will not allow obstacles to become insurmountable.

I am a writer, and I will write until I can write no more.

What’s your declaration? What would you add?

Happy writing!

What’s your muse? I always find it fascinating to read or hear about how authors come up with ideas. For many it seems they are given literal bolts of inspiration, something they can’t explain but are nonetheless thankful for. This type of inspiration is rare, and in truth is probably born less of serendipity than possessing a mind aware of the world around them and processing what they see, hear, and read on a subconscious level.

I grew up being a heavy television watcher, and for a long time I led myself to believe all that watching would percolate deep within and result in a myriad of ideas for future use. Sadly, the opposite always seemed to be the case. What I failed to realize at the time is, while enjoying the creativity on display before me, rather than having it spur unique ideas within it seemed to sap my imagination because all the thinking was being done for me.

This is not a case against television or visual media, but it is a kind of call for moderation in our use of it. I enjoy watching Battlestar Galactica or LOST as much as any other speculative fiction lover, but those shows do nothing to spur my own internal creativity. Sure, there are people out there who get into all the hidden meanings and crazy theories, but by and large they are not creating anything new, but rather only speculating on what already exists. The closest they come to creating something new are wild speculations about what might be coming next.

I’ve come to see the fact that many of the most successful authors are those whose minds are constantly open to the new. Great authors are often lifelong learners, individuals who’ve never ceased to be students. Students of what? Well, it seems this is a great question, because it doesn’t seem to matter what is being learned. The simple expedient of acquiring new knowledge spurs creativity in a way nothing else seems to do.

I read in the forward of a book recently how the author got the idea for the foundational structure of the world featured in his book while attending a lecture. He took notes at the lecture, combined it with further research, and embarked on a spree of worldbuilding to make his entire novel possible. The plot as presented would have been impossible without the creation of that foundation.

For me, I’ve found I’ve been able to weave numerous ideas into stories in a way that would have been impossible if not for information gleaned from a few choice websites. I’ve found io9 and Futurismic to be especially helpful, as well as a nifty little site called iCurrent which allows me to customize aggregated news content. There have been several little gems which have contributed toward a sci-fi short story I’ve got in the works.

Lastly, don’t give up reading. Ever. If you want to be a writer, you’ve got to be a reader. Even if you have problems reading works in the same genre in which you usually write—because you find yourself constantly analyzing, or are afraid you’re going to steal ideas—read something. Read in another genre. Read history or biography. Read, read, read.

Happy writing!

Zachary Petit at Writer’s Digest recently posted 10 Solid Writing Quotes From the Past 10 Years over on his blog Promptly.

There’s a lot of good quotes there, but this one is my favorite.

“When I’m working on a deadline, I put in eight or nine hours at a time. But I don’t get writer’s block. I think writer’s block is really just an excuse. It’s anxiety. The best way to get through this is to sit down and write about your writer’s block. This works like Drano. It will unclog you immediately.”
—Augusten Burroughs, April 2005

That makes me feel guilty and inspired all at the same time.

Happy writing!

David Eddings has been one of my favorite writers for many years. While his works were never hard to read, they were fun, and rather innovative for their time. Here’s a quote from an SFFWorld.com interview that I’ve found particularly inspiring over the last few years.

What advice would you give a younger David Eddings concerning his writing career? Looking back, would you have done anything differently?

I think a passage from “THE RIVAN CODEX” (a non-fiction book) should give you an answer:

This is what I was talking about earlier when I suggested most aspiring fantasists will lose heart fairly early on. I was in my mid-teens when I discovered that I was a writer. Notice that I didn’t say “wanted to be a writer.” “Want” has almost nothing to do with it. It’s either there or it isn’t. If you happen to be one, you’re stuck with it. You’ll write whether you get paid for it or not. You won’t be able to help yourself. When it’s going well, it’s like reaching up into heaven and pulling down fire. It’s better than any dope you can buy. When it’s not going well, it’s much like giving birth to a baby elephant. You’ll probably notice the time lapse. I was forty before I wrote a publishable book. A twenty-five year long apprenticeship doesn’t appeal to very many people.

You can read the entire interview here: http://www.sffworld.com/interview/170p0.html