And so it goes on

Oy, where does the week go? My last post was on Wednesday and here it is Saturday. Having too much of a good thing, I expect.

Oh, yea, verily, in the land of make believe, I do continue my journey.

FYI, here's an important fact about writing: do not rest on your laurels for too long after finishing a book. Have a time out, by all means, but keep going. If you're going to be a writer, then be one and break out the next book to write.

I've looked at the Nano site and seen many a wannabe author doing the hula, toasting one another, slapping each other on the back and generally celebrating the finishing of 50,000 words.

Can you see one eyebrow raised? Yeah, that's me, and the lip curl. It's probably churlish of me, but hey, 50k a book does not make. Novella? Yeah, but realistically, these are the people who won't succeed because the 50k is all the challenge they see. It's a great, almost compulsory starting point, but it's not the whole challenge.

Writers, write; wannabe's crow over the green bar and do no more. And that is a shame.

You'll note that a number of authors have hitched a second book to their profiles. These are the one's who take writing seriously. They finish one book and begin another.

Publishers, agents, editors want to know what kind of a track record you've got; whether you can be relied upon to keep producing. What are you going to say to them? "Um... no, not yet, but I'm sure an idea will come to me next November." Yeah, and they'll show you the door.

This is a money making business, people. Not for you, of course; let's face it authors, agents and editors make shit money, but for the publisher. You want to be a success, you've got to keep going. Eventually, if you're good enough, produce enough, work hard enough, have an enormous imagination and sacrifice enough virgins, you'll make it. Maybe.

So, while you're in a good mood from completing Nano, three words: Plot, Plan, Begin.

They are the words that will carry you through. Get into the habit of writing because your books won't write themselves, there is no book fairy, if you don't do it, no one will and finally - I don't know who said it, but it's brilliant: You have no right to keep your imagination to yourself!