Develop passion in your writing
by Anna Jacobs
It’s a competitive world out there, so if you want to write, you need to be full of passion, whatever the genre you’re writing in.
1. You have to be passionate about writing itself – if you aren’t, you won’t be able to hang in there. After all, it takes several months or longer to complete a book. And you need to keep this passion for writing going because it’s a crazy industry, not designed to keep writers comfortable.
Publishers often keep people who have submitted work hanging round for months before they respond, simply because they get so many submissions. Rejections are regular occurrences on the journey to publication – and even after publication! They’re part of the job, but they hurt.
And to cap it all, the industry is changing rapidly, with ebooks becoming hugely popular, and no one is sure what’s going to happen to it. So unless there’s a fire burning in your belly, you might find it hard to persevere.
2. You have to be passionate about your current story – and about each successive one. If the idea doesn’t light you up, why should anyone else be interested?
Remember, if your novel is accepted, publishers will need to invest money in you and your books, and then readers will have to pay money to buy them.
I write three novels a year and I certainly couldn’t do that if I didn’t feel passionate about what I do. I weep (quite literally) when I write sad bits, I smile at happy bits. I’m right in there with my characters. I work ten-hour days because I love what I do.
3. You need to develop strong emotions in your characters. Who wants to read about limp, pallid shadow-humans, who don’t get excited or upset about anything?
4. And if you’re writing a romance, or a romantic part of any type of story, then you’re going to have to learn to show sexual attraction and passion in your characters, too.
Now go away and write with passion and relish. You can read all sorts of hints from people like me – but you still need to sit down and do the writing. Regularly! With passion!
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