Monday, April 13, 2015

What I Know About Writing

Okay, so I started writing a while ago. I've learned a lot about writing, the publishing industry, social media, and many more things. Sometimes it's really hard to keep up with everything, and everyone, all the time. (That's one thing I've learned!)

I've been to dozens and dozens of writing conferences. Heck, I sit on library boards that plan writer's classes, as well as committees that organize local, live conferences as well as WriteOnCon. I've learned that writers are fabulous people, who are eager and anxious to learn new things.


I've listened to keynotes, and some are really good. I went to the Teen Author Boot Camp on Saturday, and one of the keynotes was by Brandon Sanderson (there are a lot of perks to living in Utah, where a lot of amazing authors live!).

I've heard Brandon speak before. I always think he's eloquent and intelligent. He said some things that really sang to my soul. Things I've heard before, mostly from my equally amazing husband. But for some reason, to hear them from a really successful author struck my eardrums in a different way.

Now, I didn't record it, so I have to go off my memory, but Brandon said something like this: You are the product of your writing time. Not the book. You.

It doesn't matter if the book doesn't get published. You're "leveling yourself up" when you write. You're the main point of improvement.

It should be okay to spend time working on writing because we love it, and that's it. Writing makes us better than we were before. Not just better writers, but a better person.


I really loved that. And my husband has been telling me that for a while, and I swear I've listened! I know I'm just as valuable unpublished as I am published, and I know it's okay to write just because I love it.

But it was nice to hear from someone as successful as Brandon Sanderson.

What do you know about writing?

10 comments:

Luanne G. Smith said...

I went to a conference this weekend and listened to David Morrell (author of First Blood) say basically the same thing. Must be some truth in it. :)

Angela Brown said...

I find that comment intriguing. It's like the more you write, the more you're improving your writing, but along with the writing, YOU improvie YOU. Pretty cool.

prerna pickett said...

I love that comment. I've definitely learned and grown from my writing, especially from the stories I wrote in the beginning. I hope as my writing improve I do as well.

Stephsco said...

Very cool that you are on the library board. One of my husband's friends just won an election to be the chairperson of a small rural library (I don't know the official title) but he's so pumped about developing programs in a community with scarce resources. So inspiring!

Jemi Fraser said...

Wow! That's an awesome attitude - love it! :)

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