Sarah J. Carlson

Contemporary Young Adult Author

What my non-writer friends don’t understand…

50

ImageConfession: for the past few days, I’ve been a stalker. I’ve been obsessively going through my Reader looking for new writer friends, reading what people are up to, commenting on posts. I SWEAR I’m not a creeper or a serial killer. Anyway, I read a lot about people on the quest to publication, both self-publishing and embarking on the arduous, dangerous, gutting quest of the traditional route. I saw this meme character and BAM! Here it is for your enjoyment.

Okay, now I need to get back to my 2,495,456th revision on my perpetually nearly finished novel….  Just got amazing feedback from my fellow members of the Singapore Writers Group. Happy writing!

50 thoughts on “What my non-writer friends don’t understand…

  1. aminellie1inspiration

    Lol… It’s funny :p I’m thinking about writing a book too but worried about how to start, what to write and mainly the publishing part

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    1. sjoycarlson Post author

      Don’t even think about the publishing part, especially if you’re in the beginning stages 🙂 Write because you want to write, write what you want to write. Have fun with it! I write because I love to create imaginary people and stories in my head 🙂 It just happens I’ve finished a few MS. I mostly just submit to agents to see what happens, but I’ll keep writing no matter what. So stop thinking and just do it! No excuses 🙂

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      1. aminellie1inspiration

        Oh okay, well I would begin writing the book first…then find out how to find a publisher, thanks 🙂

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  2. Heather M.

    So glad I’m not the only one that does that. I’m always looking through comments on other blogs to find more writers. It helps to know that other writers are going through the same struggles.

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  3. eclecticalli

    One of the things I’ve been loving about getting into blogging is this chance to connect with other writers. Sharing in the crazy, and watching others go through processes I have to.. look forward to?… is awesome. Yay for community!

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  4. Juan Zung

    Count me in as another WordPress stalker/creeper/Reader-obssessed commenter/like-er! Writing has felt extraordinarily isolating recently. Stuff like the WordPress community makes it less so.

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      1. grfrazier

        I’m participating in several local writing groups – novels, sci-fi/horror, screenwriters – and still find it a lonely endeavor. Most times the group reads and critiques pages, but as soon as the meetup is over everyone just splits. No one hangs around to talk about themselves or the craft. It’s kind of frustrating.

        At least on WordPress you can occasionally find a good dialogue going on.

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      2. sjoycarlson Post author

        Yeah, this is true of some of my groups as well. For the one, it’s so time consuming to get through the feedback that it’s quite late by the time we’re done. It’s nice to have online place to dialogue as well 🙂

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  5. Rachel Lavinia

    I love this SO MUCH! my friends pretty much have a heart attack when they see the stacks of paper/books I have JUST involved in research and planning

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      1. Rachel Lavinia

        Haha! as mine do. They’re like why don’t you just write it..in like one day and get published.

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      2. sjoycarlson Post author

        Haha it’s so true. No clue how many hours….. Seriously, past few months, I’ve probably been unpaid working 60 hours a week it feels like!

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      3. Rachel Lavinia

        Yeah but it’s definitely much more enjoyable haha 😛 nothing better than creativity even if it is a lot of work!

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      4. sjoycarlson Post author

        Agreed!!! But it is something my non-writer friends (and husband) don’t get! I swear I don’t sit at home all day watching netflix haha.

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  6. Deanna Dolan

    Ha! The minute I saw the meme I had to laugh. So true. Writing marketing copy is how I earn a living and something I really enjoy, but I love writing fiction! My favorite line in this post, “my 2,495,456th revision on my perpetually nearly finished novel.” I actually have a story sitting in my fiction folder with the title “A Work in Progress.” Thanks for sharing, it’s a nice reminder that I’m not alone.

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    1. sjoycarlson Post author

      Haha so glad you appreciated it and can relate! Definitely not alone, especially now that I’m on my 2,495,467th revision. Happy writing and let me know if you think of any more meme topics.

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    1. sjoycarlson Post author

      Right? haha so I may have exaggerated a bit on the 2 million thing. But I am up to like saved draft 12 on my computer, and I don’t create a new file for every revise I do lol. It’s an art of love, right?

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  7. Mariam Tsaturyan

    Good luck with your revisions! I completely understand your “pain” with finding like-minded people who understand what it is to write. I do the same thing on WordPress lol. I go through different accounts, like and comment on posts in the hopes of making a connection.

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