On Being a Writer

Writing is my passion, and if you share it, then I think you are truly blessed! Here are some thoughts I have about being a writer:

1. Noted children’s author Jane Yolen has a slogan for writers: BIC. It stands for “butt in chair”, and it helps to remind me that I need to write in order to be a writer. Even when white paper stares me in the face, I must start somewhere, with a word, a phrase, a sentence. Pretty quickly the words add up. But unless I’m writing, nothing gets written.
2. Persistence is the most important quality in a writer. It may even be more important than native talent. Some very talented people have never been published. Why? Because after a few fits and starts their writing languishes in a drawer. I’ve never had an editor come knocking on my door, asking to see my latest work. I have to be persistent, learn the craft, and send my work out.
3. I never assume that my first draft is gold. I rewrite everything. I take my work to my critique partners. I write, then let the work sit. Sometimes, I actually throw things out. Well, I don’t throw them out…I file them away. They are, after all, my children, and I love them even when they’re really ugly.
   
   Me with Kathy Whitehead (on the left) and Shirley Hoskins (right), my critique partners for the past six years. We meet weekly, and I credit these ladies with all my success.
4. So what’s the best way to become a writer? “Read, read, read.” I try to read everything, especially things in the genre in which I work.
5. Joining a group is a great motivator. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (www.scbwi.org) is a nationwide professional support and information group. I’m a member (in fact, I’m currently Assistant Regional Advisor -formerly RA- for our local affiliate). This brings me closer to what’s happening in the industry. I treat myself as a professional, and I take my own work seriously.
6. There are many resources for children’s writers. Check out Children’s Writer Newsletter (www.ChildrensWriter.com) and Children’s Writer’s & Illustrators Market (www.WritersMarket.com) as a starting point.
7. I love to write, I live to write. There you have it.