Write Strong – a home for writers pursuing success

Warning: Longer-than-average post

I’ve had this blog going for several years now, with varying degrees of activity. Sometimes I feel bad about not doing 3-5 posts a week. I feel bad that I don’t have themed daily entries, do a lot of mini-contests, and other things that I enjoy seeing on other blogs.

But that’s not the point. I created this blog to share in the writing adventure. To provide a chronicle (however slapdash) of my journey from aspiring writer to published author. To share casual thoughts about the business and craft of writing, to report on conventions and conferences, provide updates on my various projects, and occasionally just post something funny, random, or weird.

When there’s something to say, then I post it. When there’s nothing to say, I figure it’s not worth my time to force the words out just to fill the space. For one thing, I fear that forcing content onto the blog means it’ll become bloated…that I’ll be typing for the sake of typing, something of a frantic attempt to keep readers’ attention here even when there’s nothing to focus on. I don’t like the feeling that I’m creating false substance. Besides, that mental energy would be better devoted to my actual writing–which is the whole reason this site exists at all.

And that’s what I want this blog to continue to be. A place where I can share what’s happening in my writing world. Where I can cover what it’s like to get an agent, a first book contract, how things lead up to the pub date, and any miscellanea in between.

At the same time, I’ve been looking at other ways to share the various resources, tools, strategies, and advice I’ve uncovered since I first chose to pursue publication. And to do so without feeling like I’m constantly harping on the same issues or covering topics that are of interest to writers, but not necessarily readers.

One of the things I’ve discovered to be invaluable parts of my writing adventure is research. The more I research about writing and publishing, about both the business and the craft sides of this crazy pursuit (and it is crazy), the more I learn. The more my wrong assumptions and false expectations are altered, hammered into shape just a bit more by a bump with reality. The more I research, the more I can anticipate what will happen next, prepare for it, and heighten my chances of long-term success.

And I also want to share what I learn. To point other writers towards the tools and resources I’ve discovered that have made a big difference for me, again, both in the craft-side of writing, and the business-side. They are so very different, yet so intertwined.

The Fiction Writer’s Virtual Toolbox is one step I took towards this, compiling 160+ links that I’d gathered throughout years of scouring the internet, saving favorite sites, and reading through countless author blogs and forums.

Now I’m taking another step. It’s called Write Strong. It’s a separate blog and website currently in development (i.e., don’t expect to see much yet if you follow the link!). My hope with Write Strong is to give other writers a hub of resources and advice they can pick and choose from based on their tastes and experience. A spot where they can experiment with different approaches until they find the one that works best for them.

Now, this is not me pretending to have all the answers about writing. Hardly. I’m still fledgling in my career. Don’t even have a book on the shelves yet, though that won’t be the case forever. Can I tell you the secrets to becoming a bestselling author? Hah! Can I guarantee that if you follow some special “five step” program that you’ll land an agent? Nope.

However, there are things I do have experience with, such as getting from point A to Z in a novel, editing, revising, networking with agents, editors, and authors at conferences, and both writing and delivering successful queries and elevator pitches.

And the areas that I don’t have much experience in yet? Well, there are quite a few authors out there who do, and whose advice, in whatever form, has proven invaluable to me. And by combining those two perspectives–my own and those who’ve gone before me–I hope to inspire other writers in their efforts and to inspire myself to continue learning and growing as a writer, no matter where the adventure takes me.

As 2011 kicks off, I figured it would be fitting to launch this new venture with it. Write Strong is live at this time, and I’m slowly fleshing it out. I hope you’ll join me as we continue to write strong together.