Ask the Author: Riley Blake
Answered Questions (2)
Riley Blake
There are three things that I would tell an aspiring writer:
Read Steven Pressfield's The War of Art before you strike the first key. You may not need his advice in the beginning, but someday, you probably will.
Read something new-to-you every single day.
Write daily.
Oh, and one more:
Resist the urge to classify yourself as a sprint writer. You may be the fastest writer out there, but every sprint writer that I've ever known (myself included) pays the price later in life, particularly if they're writing more than 10,000 words per day. It isn't sustainable and it will destroy your health.
If you have the occasional days or weeks when you're churning out a lot of work, that's fantastic, but writing like a machine is unhealthy.
The other part of that piece of advice is this: If you’re writing 10-20K words per day, you’re missing out on the joys of being a writer--connecting with your readers.
Read Steven Pressfield's The War of Art before you strike the first key. You may not need his advice in the beginning, but someday, you probably will.
Read something new-to-you every single day.
Write daily.
Oh, and one more:
Resist the urge to classify yourself as a sprint writer. You may be the fastest writer out there, but every sprint writer that I've ever known (myself included) pays the price later in life, particularly if they're writing more than 10,000 words per day. It isn't sustainable and it will destroy your health.
If you have the occasional days or weeks when you're churning out a lot of work, that's fantastic, but writing like a machine is unhealthy.
The other part of that piece of advice is this: If you’re writing 10-20K words per day, you’re missing out on the joys of being a writer--connecting with your readers.
Riley Blake
The best thing about being a writer is being able to set my own schedule, but it's also the one thing that can be the most challenging. Years ago, while my children were still in high school, there were scheduling conflicts. Now, it's easier to plan my day and stick to solid writing goals.
On the personal front, I've met some of the nicest people in the world. Readers seek out other readers, and discussions about books are great icebreakers. More importantly, when we meet fellow readers or writers who enjoy the same authors, books, or genres, friendships are born. Best of all, those friendships often last a lifetime.
On the personal front, I've met some of the nicest people in the world. Readers seek out other readers, and discussions about books are great icebreakers. More importantly, when we meet fellow readers or writers who enjoy the same authors, books, or genres, friendships are born. Best of all, those friendships often last a lifetime.
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