How to Write Your Best Book: Part Four (Beyond the Launch)
There's a difference between an author and a writer. An author is someone who published a book at least once. A writer is someone who continues to write and publish, cultivating a writing life. But how do you know what to write about, and when to start yo
There's a difference between an author and a writer. An author is someone who published a book at least once. A writer is someone who continues to write and publish, cultivating a writing life. But how do you know what to write about, and when to start your next project?
If you're a writer for longer than five hours, you know that writing isn't for the faint of heart. As William Zinsser said in On Writing Well:
If you find that writing is hard, it’s because it is hard.
Which isn't to say writing isn't fun or rewarding, which it is, but it's no stroll on the beach either. When the research is finished, and the argument is finessed, writing the fifth, sixth, and seventh draft becomes a slog.
It's in this phase, where the work of writing is done, that new inspiration often strikes. If you don't have a place to put them, these ideas can distract you from your prize. If you lack a system of capturing moments when the Muse visits, you won't have any material to work with in the future.
In this final installment of the How to Write Your Best Book series, Marion Roach Smith joins us on on The Portfolio Life to talk about when to start writing your next book, the importance of cultivating a writing life, and how to ensure you have a writing future.
Listen to the podcast
To listen to the show, click the player below (If you’re reading this via email, please click here).
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Show highlights
In this episode, Marion and I discuss:
What it means to build a writing life
Pre-requisites for having a writing future
The folder every writer needs
How to handle new ideas in the middle of writing your book
Dealing with boredom while writing
The parallels between writing and dating
When to start writing your next book
How writing books is like growing up
Moving onto the next project as a means of preserving personal sanity
A rubric for deciding what to write about next
The value of calling yourself a writer and an author
Leaving it all on the battlefield once you're done writing a book
How to identify future market trends
A soul-searching question every writer simply must ask themselves
Who to send your "vomit draft" to
Three questions every agent and publisher asks
Lifting your sights to the next ideas and getting someone else's eyes behind them
How to hop genres while preserving your personal brand
Enjoying a full-funded curiosity
Learning new skills in order to switch genres
What to read so that you know what good writing sounds like
Quotes and takeaways
"You want to have a writing life, not just one book." --Marion Roach Smith
"Be hospitable to your writing life." --Marion Roach Smith
"You're not in complete control of your book launch." --Marion Roach Smith
"Listen to what your agent says." --Marion Roach Smith
"There are no end of people online who don't know what they're talking about." --Marion Roach Smith
"Read over your head." --Marion Roach Smith
"Be respectful of your craft and learn it." --Marion Roach Smith
[share-quote author="Marion Roach Smith" via="JeffGoins"]We learn every day from our work.
Resources
The Book Writing Framework
Screenplay by Syd Field
Where do you capture new ideas? How soon do you start writing a new book? Share in the comments