Every person who writes has a market niche. It might be small, it might be large. It might include intellectuals or it might be made up primarily of primary school children.
A niche will open for every writer who markets well. This has never been more true than it is today with traditional, independent and self publishing options.
Despite this, all writers become discouraged often, as they find their way in writing and in marketing. It’s the nature of the work. Discouragement comes when a writer is struggling over a story. Discouragement comes when a finished piece is (perhaps repeatedly) rejected by publishers.
Often, writers turn to other writers for tips on how to write better or to write well and on how to overcome the challenges of marketing.
Recently, I’ve seen two videos that have helped me in my own writing process. One is a 20 minute Ted Ed talk given by author Elizabeth Gilbert, which I came across through one of my favorite WordPress blogs, Lightning Droplets. Gilbert gives an intelligent and insightful talk that is of tremendous value. The other clip I found at Andre Dubus IIIs website. In it, Dubus addresses the influence of his father, an acclaimed writer, and what he calls the “ego-less-ness” that he ultimately achieved and how it freed him in his writing.
Here is the Dubus clip, which is a few minutes long:
And here is the Gilbert clip, which is about 20 minutes long:
The common theme in these clips is that, as a writer, you just have to show up and do the work and believe it’s what you are meant to be doing. I hope these help you in your writing journey.
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sublime days
Andre Dubus III and Elizabeth Gilbert On Writing
Every person who writes has a market niche. It might be small, it might be large. It might include intellectuals or it might be made up primarily of primary school children.
A niche will open for every writer who markets well. This has never been more true than it is today with traditional, independent and self publishing options.
Despite this, all writers become discouraged often, as they find their way in writing and in marketing. It’s the nature of the work. Discouragement comes when a writer is struggling over a story. Discouragement comes when a finished piece is (perhaps repeatedly) rejected by publishers.
Often, writers turn to other writers for tips on how to write better or to write well and on how to overcome the challenges of marketing.
Recently, I’ve seen two videos that have helped me in my own writing process. One is a 20 minute Ted Ed talk given by author Elizabeth Gilbert, which I came across through one of my favorite WordPress blogs, Lightning Droplets. Gilbert gives an intelligent and insightful talk that is of tremendous value. The other clip I found at Andre Dubus IIIs website. In it, Dubus addresses the influence of his father, an acclaimed writer, and what he calls the “ego-less-ness” that he ultimately achieved and how it freed him in his writing.
Here is the Dubus clip, which is a few minutes long:
And here is the Gilbert clip, which is about 20 minutes long:
The common theme in these clips is that, as a writer, you just have to show up and do the work and believe it’s what you are meant to be doing. I hope these help you in your writing journey.
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