Writing Takes Practicing... And A Lot Of It!

 

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Time To Get Those Kids Reading! PROMOTE LITERACY... PLEASE!

It's back to school season! Yes, the parents love this time, except for all of the buying that is taking place. All of the whining and complaining they have been hearing now for the last month of "I'm bored" because they have now beaten every video game on their phone has worn them out. Let the teachers babysit them now for next 180 days! 

But wait, don't give up on me yet. I need you all to listen to me now. This is the time to make a big push! It is time to start pushing reading. 

Ugh, I know they are going to start complaining, but don't give up. We can all do this! I promise!

Let me first say that the teachers, in most K-12 schools these days are not pushing reading the way they used to in the past. Oh sure, they say they are, but the reality is, it is not happening as much as we think it is. Trust me, I am in the classroom and I see it. I used to teach 8-10 novels a year and now I am told to ONLY teach 1 novel a year and, by the way, I cannot send it home as homework and the reading "has to be done in the classroom." REALLY?

So it is up to the home to take care of it!

Now, here is something to remember. First, statistically, we all will gain 10,000 words a year in vocabulary if we read 30 minutes a day outside of work (for kids this is school). So that means, adults, get those books and start reading! We also know that reading does help reduce stress and is beneficial to our health. 

So, how do we get the kids to read. LET THEM PICK THE BOOKS!

Don't be like the teachers and the librarians and tell them what to read. I have colleagues who tell them what genres to read, or you can only read in this "Lexile range" because that is all you are capable of reading. Librarians will tell kids they cannot read certain books because it is "too mature for them." 

I would put on my New Jersey dialect here but "Fuh get about it!" Let 'em pick! If kids have an interest in something let them read it!

As for you adults, don't tell the kids to read and you just sit there on your phone or watch tv. You read too! Model good behavior.

BUT SCOTT... I don't have kids...

or

BUT SCOTT... I am just an author...

SO WHAT! Go and support a school. If you are author, volunteer to come in and talk to the schools about your writing process. Volunteer to go to the local libraries and give talks there. If you are an adult, volunteer to read, or heck, even go and donate books to the libraries. Look funding sucks for public education and they will take whatever! I promise.

Just promote literacy will you!

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Make Your Story Your Own!

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Patience is the Key in This Business

 

I have been saying this a lot lately. We are living in a world right now where people have very little patience. We all want immediate gratification. We can't wait one week for the next episode of a television show - we want the entire season dumped at one time so we can binge watch the entire season. We are so desperate for immediate gratification that we are willing to pay up to $20 for that Carmel Frap from Starbucks to be delivered via some teenager from DoorDash. This is ridiculous. 

We are also seeing the same thing now in publishing. People simply cannot wait. That is honestly why I love this Carvana Ad. She is determined to "Hoooooollllllldddddd!" for the right time - which most of you simply cannot do. So let me explain.

You wrote one book. You think you are amazing. Your friends think that book is great (of course they do because you just hand-picked your friends and they love everything about you including that burnt steak you served to them last night during dinner). You spouse loves you (they have to because of that contract and that very expensive wedding). But those editors and agents hated it. You mass emailed thousands of them in a single sitting. You sent that one query letter that you drafted after taking that workshop from the person who claimed "Using my method got me that 6 figure deal and now I retired from my day job and am making millions!" You used A.I. to make sure the letter was great.

But all you have are rejections. 

Clearly the market is against you.

Clearly everything you have read on your social media feeds is true. The publishing world is not open to new authors. Agents are just gate keepers just wanting someone who will bring them a 7 figure deal on one book! They don't know anything. 

So what do you do? You have also read that there are a billion people out there who made it self-publishing so you jump to that route. 

Do you see where I am going to with this? It is a lack of patience. This author has written one book. What most authors fail to realize are these few ideas about successful authors:

• They wrote a lot of books BEFORE selling their first (and were rejected on all of those prior books)
• Some were inherently great writers from the beginning
• Some were simply in the right place at the right time
• Many took the time to learn how to write over the years because they did not know how to write correctly.
• They did not mass mail to every editor and agent but researched and targeted people who fit best with their book and their personality
• They networked through large writing organizations
• They did not panic

Do you see that they did not jump at the first "snake oil salesperson?" No, I am not saying that self-publishing companies are that, but what I am saying is that it is an quick easy option that may look too good to be true, especially for someone who really doesn't know. 

For new authors, you might just need to learn and grow. You might have had a story that just was not right for the market. You might have submitted it to the wrong person. You might just need a little more time. 

Have patience and learn to be a TRUE writer!