I’m a big believer that there is no need to reinvent the wheel, and there is no need to blaze your own trail when many others have successfully walked the path before you.

That’s not to say you can’t be original. After all, you are unique, and have irreplaceable experiences accordingly. However, we have much to learn from those who have succeeded in areas we wish to. So today, I’d like to share five of my favorite lessons from authors who have walked the walk and experienced serious success along the way.

1) Feel Liberated Like Geoff Dyer

Perhaps the most reliable indicator of someone who is worth your time is someone who has the respect of their peers. That certainly applies to Geoff Dyer who has been described as “one of our greatest living critics, not of the arts but of life itself, and one of our most original writers.”

Do you think that’s the kind of person you could learn from? If so, consider the following quotation on the need to feel unburdened:

“The fact that stuff’s been written about before liberates one and frees one from having to do the donkey work of conveying facts and stuff.” — Geoff Dyer

The takeaway message from Geoff is that there is no need to approach things objectively. Instead, give your own unique take. While it’s true that there’s nothing new under the sun, you certainly are equipped to offer your own unique perspective.

2) Rely On Yourself Like Reza Aslan

Reza Aslan is one of the most highly-regarded intellectual writers of our era. He has helped bridge the gap between different systems of belief at a time when to do such a thing is most needed. About independence, and personal desire, Aslan has the following to say:

“In the end, your success as a writer depends almost wholly upon your own tireless efforts to promote your book and make sure it gets the attention it deserves.” — Reza Aslan

Notice how this doesn’t suggest you need to be some uniquely talented artist with a gift from the heavens? Instead, success comes down to effort, self belief, and self promotion.

I’ve always stated that I’m not the best author, but I am a bestselling author. So many talented writers with far more skill, at least in terms of craft, than myself, give up far too early.

Too many people fall into the trap of thinking that their writing will speak for itself. Even if you are among the top 1% of writers among everyone alive, you have seventy-four million competitors at the same standard.

3) Draw Inspiration From The World Like Stuart Nadler

“A fact: You will always feel like your work isn’t good enough. As a salve, or simply as a way to stay sane, be in the world.” — Stuart Nadler

I’ve rarely come across a writer with a huge deal of confidence in their own work. Ultimately, we can all fake it until we make it. However, deep down, there is an inner critic who isn’t in a hurry to be quiet.

Writing is a solitary activity by definition. However, we don’t do anything in isolation. Everything in our life influences everything else to one extent or another. Locking yourself in your office and getting stuck in your own head won’t do you any good. Instead, for the sake of your own inspiration, not to mention sanity, go out and take a walk. The sunshine and fresh air will put that slow word count back into perspective.

4) Understand People Like Adelle Waldman

“I recommend that you practice creating fictional characters by trying to describe, privately, the people in your life. See if you can describe their characters without being so general that they could be anyone. Then check back in a few months. If your description has radically changed, you have a ways to go.” — Adelle Waldman

Think about your favorite ever novel. Chances are, it’s the characters, as much as the plot, that stand out in your mind. Special characters stay with us in special ways.

Think about how many people draw upon fictional heroes for inspiration. This is often due to the fact that the author’s skill has made the character seem more human and more believable in the eyes of the reader.

Thankfully, we all have a rich well of inspiration to draw from when crafting characters. The idiosyncrasies, foibles, and quirks that make real humans so memorable can be applied to the characters in your fiction.

5) Be Persistent Like James Patterson

“I got rejected by 31 publishers before my first book got published. It’s hard work, but worth it.” — James Patterson

Can you imagine the heartbreak and pain accompanying rejection by 31 publishers?

And this wasn’t in the day where anyone could publish to anyone else via Kindle Direct Publishing. In Patterson’s day, the publishers were the gatekeepers. It was their way or the highway. The highway to failure, to be precise.

“But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” — Rocky Balboa

Ultimately, success in writing is about brushing the dirt off your shoulder and moving forward.

Ask James Patterson’s accountant if you don’t believe me.

Dave Chesson is a book marketing obsessive who has consulted for various NYT Bestselling authors. He shares his latest ideas at Kindlepreneur.com, such as his recent guide to book writing software, and also hosts The Book Marketing Show podcast.

The post #5onFri: Five Lessons from Legendary Writers appeared first on DIY MFA.

So how do you manage to juggle it all?  Here are my top five tips from my own experiences this past year on completing Book Two.

1) Write, Right Now

Start writing your next book as soon as you begin querying book 1. Not even kidding a little. I know it can be hard, when so  much of your heart and soul is caught up in that first book.  But don’t fear the sophomore slump. Truly, the biggest thing that helped me balance everything is getting a lot of work done on the next story in the lull between submission and the first round of edits.  If you can get your next book on its way, then you’ll find yourself drawn to it even when you have a lot of other things on your plate.  You will make time to write when you’re excited about the story you’re telling. Knowing there will be another book in your future also helps reduce anxiety about the one about to come out, because you just don’t’ have 100% of your energy on it. You can’t. You’re too busy writing.  Right?

2) Plan Ahead if You Can

If you are writing a series, go ahead and plan out the NEXT book while you are writing the first or second book.  I didn’t know my book would turn into a series and I wrote myself into some corners that took extra time to work myself out of it. Time is not something you’ll have a ton of.  Keep in mind, if you are writing a series, you will eventually move on from Book 2 to Book 3. Then you’ll be marketing book 1, editing book 2 post-submission and marketing it, and drafting book 3. You may be doing school visits or book club visits, too. Planning ahead can save you time later. If you’re a total panster, this method may not work for you, but it might be worth a shot.

3) Time Management is Your Friend

Make a daily to-do list, a weekly list, and a set of longer term goals. Cross things off as you finish, and break big goals down into achievable, measurable steps. With Book Two, I had to figure out how to fit many more activities into the same amount of day.  You might try breaking your day into segments if you can.  Maybe you’ll do social media marketing stuff first thing in the morning and at lunch.  Don’t leave your Facebook tab open if it sings you a siren song. If you can set a chunk of time for marketing and leave it at that, the rest of the day you may find it easier to write on your next book.

4) Narrow Your Focus

Marketing will be important for you to fit in.  The goal is, of course, connecting with readers and other writers, which is lovely and fun. But marketing can take a lot of time, and not all of it will be productive for your genre or audience or personal style.  Decide on a few things you will do well, and focus on those, rather than trying to stretch yourself across a dozen social media platforms sporadically.  You’ll feel a stronger sense of accomplishment, build a better community, and once you get the hang of each particular platform, you can work faster and smoother because you know what you’re doing. (More on marketing next time!)

5) Put Your Rear in the Seat

I wish I had some really exciting tip or trick to getting everything thing done.  I don’t.  It’s mostly hard work. But the good news, once you learn to let go of obsessing about your first book (well, obsessing less) and focus on the next one, it becomes even easier to move on from book two to book three and so on.  You’ll begin to trust yourself, knowing that there will always be another story to tell, and one book is not going to make or break you.

A writing career is a marathon, not a sprint.  Treat it accordingly.

Stay on top of things.
Pace yourself.
Keep your eyes on your big goals.

The rest will come. You’ve got this.

Amy writes fantasy stories for tweens and teens. She is a former reading teacher with her Masters in Library Science. As an Army kid, she moved eight times before she was eighteen, so she feels especially fortunate to be married to her high school sweetheart. Together they’re raising two daughters and are currently living in Germany, though they still call Texas home.

Her upcoming upper-middle grade fantasy, Mer-Charmer (World of Aluvia, Book Two) releases May 9^th from Curiosity Quills Press.

www.amybearce.com

About MER-CHARMER ( World of Aluvia, Book Two)

To save her beloved merfolk from an ancient sea beast, 14-year-old Phoebe dives into the ocean and discovers her own magic. But when the beast decides she is the tastiest prey in the ocean, she must learn to control her wayward sea magic, earned at a shocking cost, or lose the very people she loves the most.

The post #5OnFri: 5 Tips for Writing Book Two appeared first on DIY MFA.