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| Author & Editor Sandra D. Bricker |
The truth is there are greater minds than mine … talents
bigger than mine … names more famous than mine … all of whom are far more
qualified than I am to tell writers what it takes to become everything they can
be. To prove that, I’ve gone back into my files of articles I’ve written and
workshops I’ve taught, and I’ve assembled those slices of guidance I’ve thought
valuable enough to offer … and then sought out more exciting mentor types to
validate me. You know, in that way we writers often do.
Madeleine L’Engle: “It’s the great writers who teach us how to write.”
See what I did there? So here we go.
Sandie Bricker: “Even though every other pedestrian on the
street believes they can write the next great novel, only one in about three
million of them actually lift a finger to do the work. What’s the difference
between us and them? We can’t help ourselves. We can no more NOT WRITE than
they can put their fanny in the chair for eight hours straight in the spirit of
telling the story.”
Joss Whedon: “You either have to
write or you shouldn’t be writing. That’s all.”
Sandie Bricker: “You know how they say youth is wasted on
the young? I think it’s the same concept with writers. As youngsters, we think
we have a compelling story to tell; but very often, it’s not until we’ve put a
little life under our belts that we actually
have something to say.”
William Faulkner: “Teach yourself by your own mistakes; people learn
only by error.”
Sandie Bricker: “Reading is one of the most important skills
to develop as you learn to write. And it’s not as much because you want to know
what works for other writers as it is because it’s an imperative part of
learning your craft.”
Stephen King: “I am always
chilled and astonished by the would-be writers who ask me for advice and admit,
quite blithely, that they ‘don’t have time to read.’ This is like a guy
starting up Mount Everest saying that he didn’t have time to buy any rope or
pitons.”
Sandie Bricker: “Try not to over-think your words on the
page, or edit to the point of leaving them raw and bloody. Just tell your
story. Get it on paper. You can always edit later if need be, but I can guarantee
readers will never respond to your truth if you fail to get it into their hands.”
Tina Fey: “You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the waterslide,
overthinking it…You have to let people see what you wrote!”
Sandie Bricker: “One of the biggest mistakes new writers
make is quitting their day jobs too early, convinced that their road to success
will be fast and furious. In the beginning, keep your expectations low, and
just write for the sake of improving your craft. The chances are pretty good
that you’re not going to make a million dollars and retire on your first book.”
Maya Angelou: “Don’t make money
your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well
that people can’t take their eyes off of you.”
Sandie Bricker: “Don’t make the mistake of believing your
best friend, your mom, your Aunt Ethel, or your kids’ nanny about your extraordinary
talent. The most unfortunate truth in any writing career comes in that moment
when your first professional critique disproves every one of them and you
realize you are actually not going to be to publishing what sliced bread became
to carbohydrate consumption.”
Paul Theroux: “Writing is not figure skating or skiing. Your mother
will not make you a writer. My advice to any young person who wants to write
is: Leave home.”
Sandie Bricker: “Avoid the mistake of trying to recreate the
wheel. In this world of remakes and ‘story inspired by’ sub-titles, commit
yourself to developing new and fresh ideas. Let your imagination lead the way
and guide you to that idea no one has thought of yet or executed in quite the
same way.”
Anne Rice: “The world is crying for new writing. It is crying for fresh
and original voices and new characters and new stories. If you won’t write the
classics of tomorrow, well, we will not have any.”
So there you have it! My kernels of guidance for new and
aspiring authors … and the wisdom of greater minds than mine to prove their
validity.
~~~~~
SANDRA D. BRICKER
was an entertainment publicist in Los Angeles for 15+ years where she attended
school to learn screenwriting and eventually taught the craft for several
semesters. When she put Hollywood in the rear view mirror and headed across the country
to take care of her mom until she passed away, she traded her scripts for
books, and a best-selling, award-winning author of Live-Out-Loud fiction for the inspirational market was born.
Sandie is best known for her Another Emma
Rae Creation and Jessie Stanton series
for Abingdon Press, and she was also recently named ACFW’s Editor of the Year
for her work as managing editor of Bling!, an edgy romance imprint for
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. As an ovarian cancer survivor, Sandie also gears time and effort
toward raising awareness and funds for research, diagnostics and a cure.
HOW TO CONNECT WITH SANDIE:
Author website: http://sandradbricker.com/
Latest book website: http://www.moments-of-truth.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SandieBricker
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandradbricker
Bling! Romance Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlingRomanceLPC
