Joe’s Post #126
from brainyquotes
Everyone has their cool, purple-pictured philosophies they practice. Or say they practice.
But today, I’m going to admit to a secret philosophy that has largely been successful in my life. Especially as a writer.
Fake it til you make it.
Now I don’t mean out and out lie. I’d never write a query like this…
Dear Agent,
As a former CIA operative now working for the illuminati, I am in the unique position to write a novel about the assassination of the president by a butterfly assassin drone. Having developed – and indeed used – a wide variety of neurotoxins, I can bring a level of expertise to the subject that is second to none.
If you don’t believe me, I hope you haven’t touched this letter because it is coated in AXT, a delightful ebola-measles mix that’ll kill you in about 20 minutes. Please find my contact information below. And say the words, “I will publish you,” on the message machine.
No, lying isn’t what I’m talking about.
Faking til you make it isn’t new. It’s even maligned by people who clearly don’t have to fake it and who’ve made it. So, good on them.
For me, though, it’s about using my imagination. Or living in a dreamworld. It’s pretty much the same thing.
Every time I sit down and write my novels, I sit with the idea that this will be the best novel I’ve ever written, so good that it’ll be loved by my dog, my girlfriend, and, I hope, my writers group. It will be even be good enough to get published.
That’s faking it. For me.
It’s not, “oh, yeah, that movie, yeah, that was based on a book I wrote”. Or, “oh, sure, I make so much money as a writer, I could buy Iceland.” Or, “I write 12 hours a day, seven days a week and man my life is hard.” Or, “I could have written that story so much better.”
No, those are just lies. Ok, crap, I may say that last one every so often, but I try to be authentic about what I do. The good and the bad. Hell, read the blogs.
But I do believe that if you act like a published writer, behave like one (and no, I don’t mean, “I know I didn’t make a reservation, but you know who I am, right?”), that you’ll become a published writer.
So, I keep doing it and doing it.
Sooner or later I will make it.
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Best show last week – Modern Family may be the best sit-com on TV. Maybe ever. It’s so clever, so funny, so fast that it has to be watched more than once.
Book that I’m reading at the moment – Alan Furst’s, Mission to Paris. Ok, so it got all sorts of grand endorsements, including from James Patterson, and Vince Flynn. But I’m finding it a total grind. The author, much to my astonishment, pretty much ignores every piece of writing advice out there, and has his main character meandering through the story without a purpose.
Pages written on new book – 40 (At this rate, I’ll get a book done this year, but only just.)
Social Media update – My twitter hoard continues to grow. Imagine the dark lord getting an orc or two every week or so. No wonder it took him a thousand years to try to reconquer Middle Earth.
Health – Totally hit by the flu. Lost 7 pounds in 5 days. Pretty impressive. 0 energy for 3 days. Like 0. Nearly passed out trying to do up the youngest boy’s skates.
Best thing last week – No one else got what I got. Otherwise I think we’d have all hung out in the bathrooms. Plus I think I pooped out something from 1980. Forget colon cleanses, a good tummy bug will clean you out far better.
Worst thing – The flu.
The BEST book he’s written so far IMHO.
Lastly, but most importantly, my favourite author, Sean Slater, had his newest book released in Canada. I honestly believe it’s his best and he got virtually no support from the publisher so if you see it anywhere, buy it. Or hit the Amazon link below.
5 Writers 5 Novels 5 Months 