Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Susan Meissner (Advice for Novelists, Part 110)

And you thought I forgot about this series! :) No, my friends, here's another post in my Advice for Novelists series in which editors, authors, agents and publicists answer the question:

"If you could say one thing to aspiring novelists, what would you say?"

Writing in anonymity is like swimming laps in a pool while no one is watching. It doesn’t seem like you are getting anywhere. But you are. You are strengthening your writing muscle. You are becoming a better writer just like someone who swims twenty laps a day becomes a better swimmer. I am sure Michael Phelps started out like everyone else who swims competitively. In a pool. No one cheering. Putting one arm ahead of the other and kicking relentlessly. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Keep swimming.

--Susan Meissner, author of White Picket Fences, The Shape of Mercy, and other books. Visit her website.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

This is just the encouragement I needed today. Thanks, Susan and C.J.

RRigdon said...

love it.

Margo Carmichael said...

Good thoughts!

Heidi Main said...

Susan,
Thank you. I needed that today :-)
Heidi

Teri K said...

Good encouragement for everyone.
I love Susan's books. I won the first one at a writing conference several years ago. My daughter and I have gone on to get all of her books. They are fiction that I consider worth owning. Thanks for having her on your blog.