Complacency or whatever

Joel Falconer has made it as a freelance writer. Looking back at his progression, he sees two things that motivated him.

First, he points to desperation: you have to feed the family.

“The best thing you can do is cultivate the motivation that is derived from this desperation and make it part of who you are. You don’t want to keep the desperation that comes with it, of course. That just leads to stress. But self-motivation is one of those key aspects of being a great freelancer.”

Second, he points to fighting off complacency:

“Don’t become complacent. Not now, not ever. Don’t get comfortable, and don’t get stagnant. Continue to challenge yourself, grow and explore new places and directions.”

Jonathan Coe on Writing

I have never read anything by Jonathan Coe and know nothing about him, but this is a very entertaining quthor interview. Here are a few examples.

What makes you want to write now?
Force of habit, financial necessity and lack of talent in other areas.

How do you survive being alone in your work so much of the time?
I love it. How do I survive being surrounded by other people the rest of the time? That’s the more difficult question.

Is there a secret to writing?
Yes.

Ed Park on Writing

Ed Park has written several novels. Here is his advice on how to get writing done:

Discipline will take you a long way—if you set aside time every day to write, you will find something to write, even if you don’t know what you’re doing as you approach the desk. It’s too easy not to write. One other bit of advice, which I need to take myself, is to get offline as much as possible. 

Half Full?

A problem every writer would like to have.

Writing Rooms

The Guardian has a special on the writing rooms of various British authors. Most of the rooms look very neat and organized. One would understand how dead author’s rooms would be clean and I’m guessing most of the living authors knew the photo journalist was coming so they, no doubt, cleaned up real quick.

Do the rooms really look this clean? If so, we might have a reason for my writing ineptness. Almost makes me want to clean and take a quick photo. The royalties will come pouring in then.

George Carlin on Writing

George Carlin had a way with words and a unique spin on life. In a recent interview he explained how he got his ideas and what he did with them.

“One of the voguish terms, which is so repellant to me, “thinking outside the box.” To settle for that kind of language is embarrassing. But that’s a very useful picture. I try to come in through the side door, the side window, to come in from a direction they’re not expecting, to see something in a different way.”

J. K. Rowling’s Commencement Speech

The author of the popular Harry Potter series recently gave a commencement speechthat is making the rounds on the internet. She points out the importance of failure in helping her find her true voice and passion to write. Good stuff.

 I have decided to talk to you about the benefits of failure. And as you stand on the threshold of what is sometimes called ‘real life’, I want to extol the crucial importance of imagination.

Lisa Owens

Here is an interview with a career freelance writer. It covers how she got started and how she maintains her career. Good stuff for the aspiring freelancer.

Corey Mitchell

“I am definitely not one of those 9-5ers that writes every day. I tend to write my books in my head as I am researching them. Once I know the research is complete (or as close as I can get to being completed) and the interviews have all been conducted, only then do I sit down to type out the manuscript. And, since I am a three-finger typist, I liken the actual writing process to Chinese water torture. As a result, I tend to finish my books rather quickly — usually over a 2-3 month period.”