I'VE MOVED

Just letting everyone know that The Crazy Writer has switched hosts.

I can now be found over at Wordpress which is right here:

http://thecrazywriter.wordpress.com/

It's a much nicer and cleaner layout and more easy to navigate.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,
James

Formula For Writing Success

Ok, so really there is no secret formula for being a successful writer. It's a bit of a crap shoot to be honest with you. Truth be told though, there is a secret formula if you want to write a novel but feel you don't have the time to do it.

It's a little something I like to call "THE BREAKDOWN." Maybe you've heard of it?

Let's say you want to write a 300 page novel and you give yourself 3 months to do it.

That's 300 (pages) divided by 90 (days) = 3.33 (pages per day)

3.33 PAGES PER DAY! HOLY CRAP I CAN DO THAT!

Instead of getting myself all freaked out over word count, like Oh My God I have to write 1500 words today, I psych myself out with a page count instead because really, 3.33 pages is nothing. That's an hours worth of work (depending on your typing speed and train of thought). Most times, I find myself going past that goal because when the brain starts working, I don't want to shut it off and in that case, well then I'm ahead of the game aren't I?

So really, when you look at a goal like 3.33 pages, once you psych yourself up for it; finding the time is no big deal. I get home from work (yes, I do have a day job), tired as heck but with the thought that I only have to do 3.33 pages if I want to stay on schedule. And if for some reason I know the next day will be particularly hectic, I get up an hour earlier and do my only 3.33 pages then.

No matter what though, I get those 3.33 pages done knowing that I am that much closer to finishing my goal and at the end of that manuscript there's a nice big bottle of 12-year old Glenfiddich scotch waiting for me and that my friends...is motivation enough.

Cheers!

MY FIRST INTERVIEW

Ok, so I'm very pleased to say that I had my very first interview recently to promote my new book due out this fall, Teenage Wasteland, with author Anthony James Barnett.

You can go ahead and read the interview HERE

And please drop by Anthony's WEBSITE and check out his novel, WITHOUT REPROACH.

Cheers,
James

Write damn you...WRITE!

Stephen King said in his book, On Writing-
"If you wanna be a writer there's two things you have to do. Read a lot and write a lot."

As it so happens I agree with him.

Let's look at it this way - if you ever expect to be a writer then you have to write something. Right?
Many people dream of being writers, I think it's in our nature as humans to want to create. Whether it be art, music, film or writing, there's always that something inside of us that wants us to be "known" to the world. We want to leave our mark in some way. Writers are no different.

But here's the catch...you have to work damn hard. So hard in fact, that you may tire yourself into exhaustion some days, or cry or laugh or sweat over your keyboard (or notebook) while in the thralls of composition. It's hard work being a writer but being a writer means you have to write.

I dreamed for years about being a writer. Sure, I had always done it, from an early age, this crazy thing called writing. But there was a time in my life where I never wrote a thing and instead, just sat there and daydreamed about what it would be like to be a writer. I made up mock interviews with myself, talked to people at book signings and saw the fictitious checks come through my mailbox. All in my head. Crazy? Not so much...

I think quite a few aspiring writers feel this way because frankly, they are afraid. I know I was. Afraid of sitting there and looking at that blank page, knowing how much ground you have to cover and how much work is involved. Afraid that your work might not be accepted (fear of failure) or that your work might be accepted and you won't know what to do afterwards (fear of success). The truth is, fear is something that we all encounter. The question is...are you going to let that fear control your dreams? The answer...hell no!

I woke up and the next thing I knew I was 30. Shit, how time flies when you're doing nothing. But then it happened. An awakening and epiphany or whatever you want to call it...it happened. I realized that if I ever wanted to be a writer I would have to write something. So I did and am still doing so. My mistress has returned to me and our love affair is more passionate than ever.

Am I published yet? No. But I soon will be. Oh how I wished that I never took that time off to daydream. How I wish I was writing all those years (5 to be exact) and sending my work to agents and publishers and magazines. Who knows, I may have a book out there now instead of later.

So dear friends and aspiring writers I have one piece of advice for you...

Write damn you...WRITE!