A Great Writing Article

Just read a great article that someone sent (via a writers' loop) on writing. It's about writing for yourself and writing or publication. The article's author explains that writing isn't just about sitting down and writing a story from your heart, free-flowing, if you really want to sell. I guess some people get lucky and do that right off the bat. But I do believe the majority who sell do so by studying the marketplace and providing what's needed/wanted at the moment. The article writer goes on to say that you *can* write for yourself, but do it with journals, little stories, letter-writing, etc,.. If you want to play in the sandbox with the big boys, though, she says you have to bring out your big shovel and dig hard. Hm. Let's explore the sandbox analogy (not hers but mine) for a moment. Picture yourself climbing into a playground sandbox. There are other kids there, digging away. Some are building sandcastles outside of the box, with the sand that's over there, and they're on their own. In their own little world. It's a nice castle, but who cares? Nobody in the sandbox cares, and as soon as they leave, it'll get kicked down. I see those "players" as the ones who dabble at writing, who never really study the market because it's "art" they're creating. Or it's just something they're into so they can hang with the other kids on the playground. Then there's the aggressive guy in the box, having a great time bombing everyone else's creations and just building away. Flinging sand. That's the author who is soaring, who doesn't seem to have any trouble at all, with sales or with ego. Everyone admires his confidence and his great, innovative creations as they quietly dig around him. One of them copies his methods, or tries to "apprentice" alongside him to pick up on his success vibes, and soon others do, too, and they're succeeding with their sand, with their own castles and motes, and even filling some sand holes, to make ponds and rivers. They smile. They've caught on.

Be the one who catches on. Watch the big guys. But go at a pace of digging that's comfortable for you, and created things of your own design, but *similar* to what's needed out there. Don't build a sand goat if nobody in the box likes farm animals. You'll catch on sooner or later. Better sooner than later, but hey, I was a slow digger. I believe it's more about staying in the sandbox. The ones outside aren't getting it. I've seen them drift away from writing. Don't do that. You'll have more fun if you stay in the box, and eventually, you'll get the chance to fling the sand, to really play and have fun, without being called out by the playground monitor!

Anyway, here's the link:

http://www.burningvoid.com/write/2002/self.php