Happy November! Some of you out there are doing NaNoWriMo things, and while I don't advocate it as a great way to write a novel, I do think it's an excellent way to learn about how you write a novel. You learn your methods, and you make your mistakes.
Here's the simple truth when it comes to a writing career: you're going to mess up. You're going to point to the fences, swing with everything you've got, and knock yourself in the face. And that's excellent.
Make your mistakes. Love them and learn from them. And watch other people, because they will make mistakes you can learn from as well.
And that's a great thing. It really is. Mistakes are how we get better. Mistakes come from taking chances.
This includes the, "This might get me in trouble" or "This might upset some people" kind of mistakes. Those are sometimes the best ones to make-- as long as when you look back you ask yourself, honestly, "Now, how can I do it better?" Every book I've written is full of things I can do better, things my readers ping me with, and things I learn from.
This business WILL knock you down. Get up, dust yourself off, and get back in it. Hopefully smarter.
See you down in the word mines.
