Writers & illustrators: It’s tough sometimes (especially on social media re: publication news, book lists, awards etc), but try very hard to RESIST COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS. Focus on enjoying your own journey. You may be luckier than you think.
Advice for those who are trying to get published or who want a longterm career in the publishing industry: you need to develop a thick hide when it comes to criticism. No matter what stage you are in your career, if you are putting yourself and your work out there . . .
To those finishing their #NaNoWriMo stories: congrats! Be proud. But whatever you do, RESIST THE URGE to send it out on submission right away. Let it sit for a while first. Then edit. Also, agents/editors often get inundated with unedited mss right after NanoWriMo, so are more likely to be . . .
Writing challenges can be inspiring and fun, but always remember WHY you are doing them. If you’re just doing them for fun, of course, the writing part is secondary. Commiserate with others on the message boards! Go to the kickoff parties! If you’re doing a writing challenge in hopes of . . .
To those doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this month: good luck! I’ve done NaNoWriMo a few times and even gotten a couple of novels finished. The biggest reasons I did the NaNoWriMo challenge was to help get me back into the daily habit of writing and also for the online community . . .