Wow, it's been a while since I wrote anything here. I would probably still be bad about posting anything if I didn't have two books coming out through small presses soon.
In the off chance we met at Willamette Writers Conference last weekend, I would like to say first that it was a pleasure to see you. I'll bet I learned way more talking to you than you did from me if you went to my horror writing class or the panels I sat on. I'm haunted a little bit by things I said that may have conveyed ideas I didn't intend.
The big one that comes to mind is that in two different craft focus groups I said, "I write what I want to write which is probably why I'm not writing full time." What I meant was, "I'm really laid back about what I do. I love getting paid, and it would be awesome to have an agent, and to have my day job center around writing and doing writing business stuff, but for the most part I just fart around with what interests me and see where I can land it." I haven't been a go-getter in the money-making aspects of the industry. But that does not mean that full-time writers who are also good businesspeople are not writing what they want to write. Maybe I should have just said, "Some of you have very sensible concerns about your careers. Please keep in mind I'm an underachiever." Then again, that doesn't do justice to some of the publishers I've worked with.
I'm sure I said other things I could have worded better, but that's the one that nags at me. Anyway, if we met at the conference last weekend, I hope we can connect sometime again. Now go make enough money to write full time if that's what motivates you.
In the off chance we met at Willamette Writers Conference last weekend, I would like to say first that it was a pleasure to see you. I'll bet I learned way more talking to you than you did from me if you went to my horror writing class or the panels I sat on. I'm haunted a little bit by things I said that may have conveyed ideas I didn't intend.
The big one that comes to mind is that in two different craft focus groups I said, "I write what I want to write which is probably why I'm not writing full time." What I meant was, "I'm really laid back about what I do. I love getting paid, and it would be awesome to have an agent, and to have my day job center around writing and doing writing business stuff, but for the most part I just fart around with what interests me and see where I can land it." I haven't been a go-getter in the money-making aspects of the industry. But that does not mean that full-time writers who are also good businesspeople are not writing what they want to write. Maybe I should have just said, "Some of you have very sensible concerns about your careers. Please keep in mind I'm an underachiever." Then again, that doesn't do justice to some of the publishers I've worked with.
I'm sure I said other things I could have worded better, but that's the one that nags at me. Anyway, if we met at the conference last weekend, I hope we can connect sometime again. Now go make enough money to write full time if that's what motivates you.