“Anyone who says it’s easy to self-publish a book is either lying or doing a shitty job.”
— Nan McCarthy
Tag: Writing
“I’ve never tried to be some kind of serious literary artist.”
No one grows up dreaming of working a safe, mundane job. Nearly everyone in that position wants to be something else.
A musician. A painter. A crafter. An inventor. A brewer. A writer.
I know what you’re thinking.
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”
— Stephen King
Everyone, it seems, wants to be a writer these days (present company included).
The advances in technology over the past two decades has flattened the publishing world to the point that anyone can share their thoughts on a blog, microblog, whatever. You can even publish an entire book – either paperback or ebook – for free.
But just because you can do something doesn’t necessarily mean that you should do it. And not everyone should write a book. There are plenty of people who I’d put into that category, but there is one group I’d place at the top of the list above all others: those that do not read.
In order to be successful in any field or endeavor, it is imperative to know what you’re doing. You can’t teach a physics class if you don’t understand physics and you can’t be an accountant if you’ve never studied accounting. Similarly, you can’t realistically expect to write a book if you don’t read books, but it seems like people really want to skip this vital step.
While it is impossible to overstate the power of reading, in my experience there are four distinct ways in which reading helps writing. After all, if you don’t read books, why would you be so conceited to believe that others should read yours?
Categories
My Very Best Writing from 2016
2016 was my first full year with my own site.
Not coincidentally it is also the first year since 2012 in which I did not publish a book.
Categories
On Writer’s Block
Categories
Week in Review (June 3, 2016)
I wrote two things today, so no Friday afternoon screed this week. Instead, enjoy this picture of Philly.
Categories
I Miss the Old Medium
“Few men have virtue enough to withstand the highest bidder.”
– George Washington
I miss the old Medium.
The Passion of Christopher Pierznik 