If you haven't ever visited his blog, I recommend you stop by. His site includes an adorable picture of him taking the ice bucket challenge as well as including recipes. Yes, that's right. I said recipes. How cool is that?!
When I wrote him back in 2011 and asked if he'd agree to give me a short snippet of advice to post for other writers, he replied immediately, and I have to say, his advice is similar to what I'd give. It's very accurate.
"I probably went through very much the usual travails in trying to get my writing career off the ground. Lots of rejection notices, not much support from anybody aside from my wife. About the only concrete advice I can give is that you've got to keep believing in yourself (all the while understanding that your rejections are not
personal and that you probably need to improve in the craft), and you can't let the bastards get you down. The best way to do that, in turn (and this is admittedly very difficult), is to simply ignore the pain and keep plugging on with your writing. Enjoy the day-to-day exercise of putting down good words and find your joy in the actual work, and not in its success or lack thereof. So much of writing is a mind game, and anyone who wants to get into it had better have tough skin and a true passion for the process itself, because that is really what it's all about. Fame and fortune come to some who are talented and lucky, and is often withdrawn randomly and even unfairly. What remains are the words, and the love of the endeavor itself. If you are writing well, and strive to be happy in your life, good things will happen some or even most of the time. And if they don't, you've led a fulfilling and joyful life in the meanwhile, and that is life's true goal."
personal and that you probably need to improve in the craft), and you can't let the bastards get you down. The best way to do that, in turn (and this is admittedly very difficult), is to simply ignore the pain and keep plugging on with your writing. Enjoy the day-to-day exercise of putting down good words and find your joy in the actual work, and not in its success or lack thereof. So much of writing is a mind game, and anyone who wants to get into it had better have tough skin and a true passion for the process itself, because that is really what it's all about. Fame and fortune come to some who are talented and lucky, and is often withdrawn randomly and even unfairly. What remains are the words, and the love of the endeavor itself. If you are writing well, and strive to be happy in your life, good things will happen some or even most of the time. And if they don't, you've led a fulfilling and joyful life in the meanwhile, and that is life's true goal."
