The Best Advice

Even though I’ve been writing seriously for just over five years, I still consider myself a “green” writer. By that I mean, I’m not as seasoned as some of my writing friends, but I’ve learned so much over the years about myself and my writing. Learning the craft – and learning the craft well – is the single most important thing a writer can do.

But that’s not the best advice I ever received.

The best advice I ever received was at my chapter conference in May where romance author, Lisa Jackson, was the keynote. She and her sister, Nancy Bush, were vibrant and interesting ladies who had some humorous anecdotes about how they made it in the business. Lisa Jackson writes in several genres and has a handful of books released each year. Nancy Bush is a chick lit author and both are simply delightful ladies.

But I digress…

Back to the best advice. It came from Lisa Jackson in her keynote (of which she used no notes. She just got up there and talked and I totally admire that). She said, “Write the damn book.”

Something about that really struck home with me as I sat there listening intently and trying to be a sponge at my first official RWA conference. It sank into me and I knew right then, she was right. Just write the damn book became my mantra. And I set about telling myself to sit down and write it. I cranked out a little novella – 38,000 words – in about a month and a half and sold it to the second publisher I queried. It was my first ever sale.

As my mother says, “Perseverance is the better part of valor.”

Oh yeah and write the damn book.