Laura! I have shrared your 'rule of thirds' analogy re: writing with the groups I mentor for the London Writer's Salon and to say that sage nodding is rife in the room is an understatement. It absolutely tracks and is such a useful point of understanding. I'm about to share this piece with them too. :)
I’m so sorry you got so much hate for that, the internet can be a very weird place.
I’m not a published author yet, nor have I finished anything (apart from my Substack posts) but it is a goal I am working towards.
Since being on Substack I have seen a lot of advice similar to yours and I really appreciate it. I write because I feel like my true self when I do, and because I have so many stories I want to tell. I love that I am working towards the dream of completing something whilst now knowing more of the realities of the publishing world. Thank you for being brave enough to share your advice again. For some of us, it truly is helpful and will help to prepare us better.
Really great piece. I’m currently on my cliche mid-30s health kick and realising that running a few times a week might, incredibly, be better for my mental state (and ability to write something decent) then drinking 4-6 pints a few times a week. Who knew?!
Such wise words, that I really want to try and internalise more in my own writing process. I get so hung up on the overwhelming goal of finishing a draft, that I lose sight of the daily work, and I *actually forget* the ongoing joy the process brings me! I'm sorry (but not surprised) you got cancelled for this advice. "And they hated him for he spoke the truth" etc etc.
I love everything about this post! I have also had to learn to fall back in love with the process. And I was introduced to the rule of thirds recently, which has completely changed my perspective for the better. I watched Sprint on Netflix and they talk about how 100/200m runners lose more races than they win, because it's just not feasible to win all the time. That top has impacted my mindset about my publishing career. All this to say, thank you for putting this all together in one post, and I'm so sorry for that backlash you got a few years ago! (Also thank you for showing how truly unhinged the internet can get even about something positive).
YES! have you seen the Roger Federer commencement speech where he talks about how at the height of his career, he won 86% of his matches, but only something like 54% of the points?
Omg, I have dispensed this advice A LOT, in blog posts and on a podcast recently, but I'm not popular enough anywhere to get cancelled over it yet, lol. Maybe I should put it in a TikTok, too, because yes, I 100% agree with you. I wouldn't be in this if I didn't love the work. My first book just came out 2 weeks ago and it's thrilling and terrifying and everything is out of my control, but the thing keeping me sane is working on the next thing that I love.
Also, I can't run post-childbirth yet, because of pelvic floor issues, but I miss it dearly, and this post has inspired me to go back to doing my diastisis recti exercises so I can get back to running someday, so thank you for that!
Absolutely love this-when you get it, you get it. But I think you need to have been through certain stages for it to make sense. I get the furious knee jerk reaction when you’re not ready to hear it - when I first read Big Magic and she said (I paraphrase) you support your art, don’t expect your art to support you, I was LIVID 🤣
This is sooooo great, Laura, and so damn true. Funnily enough, I sometimes get a bit stuck working on contracted books and to get unstuck, I pretend it's a spec project that I'm working on just for fun. Because that's why I got into this in the first place! It's not ALL fun, but enough of it is that it keeps me going.
god, i remember when this happened, and i'm so sorry it did. i'm so grateful that you're still around, running and writing and giving us the work of your heart—thank you for it. all we can do is keep moving! 💚
1. Oh god internet.
2. Love this a lot. 💜
thank you <3
Laura! I have shrared your 'rule of thirds' analogy re: writing with the groups I mentor for the London Writer's Salon and to say that sage nodding is rife in the room is an understatement. It absolutely tracks and is such a useful point of understanding. I'm about to share this piece with them too. :)
LOVE this! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so sorry you got so much hate for that, the internet can be a very weird place.
I’m not a published author yet, nor have I finished anything (apart from my Substack posts) but it is a goal I am working towards.
Since being on Substack I have seen a lot of advice similar to yours and I really appreciate it. I write because I feel like my true self when I do, and because I have so many stories I want to tell. I love that I am working towards the dream of completing something whilst now knowing more of the realities of the publishing world. Thank you for being brave enough to share your advice again. For some of us, it truly is helpful and will help to prepare us better.
The romanticism wrapped around the idea of the writer toiling away in a cold, damp turret somewhere is silly.
Oooh so many truths here ♥️
Really great piece. I’m currently on my cliche mid-30s health kick and realising that running a few times a week might, incredibly, be better for my mental state (and ability to write something decent) then drinking 4-6 pints a few times a week. Who knew?!
Such wise words, that I really want to try and internalise more in my own writing process. I get so hung up on the overwhelming goal of finishing a draft, that I lose sight of the daily work, and I *actually forget* the ongoing joy the process brings me! I'm sorry (but not surprised) you got cancelled for this advice. "And they hated him for he spoke the truth" etc etc.
I love everything about this post! I have also had to learn to fall back in love with the process. And I was introduced to the rule of thirds recently, which has completely changed my perspective for the better. I watched Sprint on Netflix and they talk about how 100/200m runners lose more races than they win, because it's just not feasible to win all the time. That top has impacted my mindset about my publishing career. All this to say, thank you for putting this all together in one post, and I'm so sorry for that backlash you got a few years ago! (Also thank you for showing how truly unhinged the internet can get even about something positive).
YES! have you seen the Roger Federer commencement speech where he talks about how at the height of his career, he won 86% of his matches, but only something like 54% of the points?
I just looked it up and wow! Amazing speech, amazing perspective.
Omg, I have dispensed this advice A LOT, in blog posts and on a podcast recently, but I'm not popular enough anywhere to get cancelled over it yet, lol. Maybe I should put it in a TikTok, too, because yes, I 100% agree with you. I wouldn't be in this if I didn't love the work. My first book just came out 2 weeks ago and it's thrilling and terrifying and everything is out of my control, but the thing keeping me sane is working on the next thing that I love.
Also, I can't run post-childbirth yet, because of pelvic floor issues, but I miss it dearly, and this post has inspired me to go back to doing my diastisis recti exercises so I can get back to running someday, so thank you for that!
Absolutely love this-when you get it, you get it. But I think you need to have been through certain stages for it to make sense. I get the furious knee jerk reaction when you’re not ready to hear it - when I first read Big Magic and she said (I paraphrase) you support your art, don’t expect your art to support you, I was LIVID 🤣
I’m happy to see that after all these years, we’re still very much on the same page. Always wishing you the best, Laura!
This is sooooo great, Laura, and so damn true. Funnily enough, I sometimes get a bit stuck working on contracted books and to get unstuck, I pretend it's a spec project that I'm working on just for fun. Because that's why I got into this in the first place! It's not ALL fun, but enough of it is that it keeps me going.
god, i remember when this happened, and i'm so sorry it did. i'm so grateful that you're still around, running and writing and giving us the work of your heart—thank you for it. all we can do is keep moving! 💚