Thanks Avi! I love that metaphor too. :) And no worries - I think every author (myself definitely included) has gone for the sandpaper first on MANY projects lol.
Hi Gina! I'm so incredibly sorry for your loss. I really hope writing your cozy series is helpful for your grief - sometimes it is, sometimes it's not and it's totally okay to give yourself some time. But yeah, just starting with something small can make the whole thing seem more manageable and fun! Best of luck with it (cozies are definitely one of my fav genres :)
This has always been my FAVOURITE Michelle video! The whole "Hammer and Pick" analogy literally blew my mind the first time I heard it. Thanks for the reminder, Michelle :-) I think people can often underestimate how tough writing a book can be. And there's no doubt making a sculpture is A LOT of work! So marrying the two processes couldn't have made for a better parallel. In my writing, I know there has been many a time I've done the equivalent of taking sandpaper to the hunk of marble! Sounds really dumb when I say it out loud but I'm just excited to get to the good part of the writing process. But anyone can write a good story, a great story takes time. Just like anyone can make a good sculpture but a great sculpture takes time. And yes, both start with a hammer and pick ^_^
I really appreciate this. I haven’t written since finishing my MFA going on two years ago. Both my parents passed away in the last two semesters and I’ve been bogged down by grief. Now I’m trying to get this cozy series fleshed out and it feels like I’m spinning wheels. But you’ve nailed it here. The pre work can feel like procrastination. The reassuring message in this post is what I needed to hear.
Thanks Avi! I love that metaphor too. :) And no worries - I think every author (myself definitely included) has gone for the sandpaper first on MANY projects lol.
Hi Gina! I'm so incredibly sorry for your loss. I really hope writing your cozy series is helpful for your grief - sometimes it is, sometimes it's not and it's totally okay to give yourself some time. But yeah, just starting with something small can make the whole thing seem more manageable and fun! Best of luck with it (cozies are definitely one of my fav genres :)
This has always been my FAVOURITE Michelle video! The whole "Hammer and Pick" analogy literally blew my mind the first time I heard it. Thanks for the reminder, Michelle :-) I think people can often underestimate how tough writing a book can be. And there's no doubt making a sculpture is A LOT of work! So marrying the two processes couldn't have made for a better parallel. In my writing, I know there has been many a time I've done the equivalent of taking sandpaper to the hunk of marble! Sounds really dumb when I say it out loud but I'm just excited to get to the good part of the writing process. But anyone can write a good story, a great story takes time. Just like anyone can make a good sculpture but a great sculpture takes time. And yes, both start with a hammer and pick ^_^
I really appreciate this. I haven’t written since finishing my MFA going on two years ago. Both my parents passed away in the last two semesters and I’ve been bogged down by grief. Now I’m trying to get this cozy series fleshed out and it feels like I’m spinning wheels. But you’ve nailed it here. The pre work can feel like procrastination. The reassuring message in this post is what I needed to hear.