So a few weeks ago I told you all about the ‘homework’ I was assigning myself as a writer. I’m proud to say, that up until a few days ago, I was following that along just fine. That was, until I read this book: Making a Literary Life, by Carolyn See:
Click Here to purchase.
This has been on my ‘to read’ list from just about every teacher of writing I’ve taken a class with, but I never got around to actually reading it. Until a few days ago. Wow. Knocked me on my but. It has become my new bible.
One of her main points in the book is that writers need to write 1,000 words a day, five days a week, (or edit for 2 hours) for the rest of their lives. That one piece of advise has saved me so much agony over how much ‘time’ I should be spending writing. She says anything after this amount (or roughly 2 hours) and your brain is shot. The writing you produce after will be crap. And you know what? She’s right. 1,000 words is just about when I start to dread writing. Now I can happily walk away from the screen knowing that I put in a good days work.
This also means, dear readers, that the story is actually being written faster. Because I’m going in fresh everyday, the characters are ready to play, to throw me curve balls and to keep me on my toes.
As the process of the sequel progresses, I’m sure you’ll hear me mention this book on more than one occasion. As a newbie writer, I can’t tell you how relieving it is to have some sort of help along this dark and forsaken path.
Until we meet again!
Danielle Bannister, Author 
Could this book be used by teachers to share the love of writing with them as well as us as authors?
I think so. Sure!