There is no shortage of advice for writers, and I must admit that I devour all such recommendations. I love reading about the writing habits and routines of best-selling authors. Sadly though, most of their advice and recommendations do not work for me. That is because, like many writers, I am not a full-time novelist. I do not pay my bills through my book royalties. I am a 25-year, elementary classroom teacher. I am also an adjunct professor at a major university where I teach evening classes to pre-service teachers and present at several professional conferences each year. My career is that of an educator.
This means that, like so many authors, time for my writing, is limited. Yet, in spite of that, I have been able to get two middle grades, historical fiction novels published through traditional publishing avenues. One book is on the recommended reading list for several school districts and the other was a recent 2018 award winner. I also conduct regular booksignings and school visits.
As I work to balance my writing aspirations with the reality of my life, the most helpful suggestion I ever read was that every writer must create their own writing commandments. What are my non-negotiables for my life as a writer? It took some real thought, but here are mine:
My non-negotiable writing commandments:
1) Write Every Day
Notice that this is not specific. That is by design. I know that there are writers who commit to a word or page count daily. Others will block off a time period in which to write. I have tried all of those, and they do not work for me. However, as I organize my week and my daily schedule, I know that I must fit in time to write somewhere. And I do. Some days it may be only 15 minutes, and others it may be several hours. This is also general enough to accommodate any writing task whether it is blogging or drafting, or revision, or even planning and organizing. There are also no weekend or vacation breaks for my daily writing, so some days it may just be journaling on the beach. But I make sure I write every day.
2) Submit Regularly
This can encompass a wide variety of avenues. Submitting to critique groups, writing contests, magazines, agents, and publishers all count. I have several different projects at several different places, so I may be submitting one project for critiques, while another I feel is ready to start sending to agents. The term regularly was also selected specifically because I did not want to box myself in, yet I wanted to hold myself accountable. For me, regularly means at least one project is submitted somewhere each week.
3) Use Feedback to Grow
This is not always easy. As writers, we love our words and our thoughts and when someone gives critical feedback, it is hard not to take it personally. But this is where growth happens. That is not to say that every piece of feedback must be taken as the final word and acted upon, but feedback is a gift, so consider it, think about it, and use it.
4) Have Patience with the Process
This is not always easy, but the wheels of progress in publishing move slowly. Very slowly sometimes. Be patient. Growth as a writer is a process and like all processes, it takes time. This means persevering as you continue to work toward your goals and hit those inevitable obstacles. I knew I wanted to be a traditionally published writer, so in spite of mountains of rejections, and some well-meaning advice to “just give up and self-publish,” I stuck it out. My first book was a 7-year journey from idea to the shelves of Barnes & Noble!
5) Focus on Relationships
This is the fun part—and the hard part. Whether you are traditionally published or not, your book sales are directly related to the marketing of your books, and your relationships with your readers. Your book signings, author presentations, library visits, and social media presence all contribute to getting your books into the hands of your readers. This takes time. And while it may not be time writing, it is time nurturing your writing career.
6) Do Not Lose Sight of My Vocation
A vocation is your calling or your life’s mission. This is more important than a job, a career, or book sales. My vocation is to get kids excited about reading, writing and history. That thread runs through my career as an educator as well as my work as a writer. By making sure I do not lose sight of my mission, it is much easier to survive the day-to-day ups and downs that are part of a writer’s life.
Your commandments should be realistic and responsive to the realities of your life. What will your writing commandments be?
Anne Hawkinson
Great things to keep in mind – and try to adhere to! Thank you!
M. L. Anderson
Enjoyed your post—especially the commandment Focus on Relationships.
Joni M Fisher
One of my writing commandments is to write what matters. Writing about a topic I’m passionate about makes it easier to sit at the desk and to do research and to interview experts. The topic has to hold my interest for years because the process of writing a novel takes so much time and energy.