Eleven things about writers
Good news: I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU is back on the New York Times bestseller list. Yeah. Week eleven. I'm...floored.
To honor the occasion, I thought I'd bring you another list: Eleven things I'm starting to learn about writers.
Now, of course, it's hard to generalize an entire subset of the population, but lately I've been amazed by the number of things writers have told me that are things I've thought myself a thousand times.
So here goes:
1. we all think we're bad at our jobs a good portion of the time. Really bad.
2. we all live in fear that someone is eventually going to find out how bad we are and take away all the good things that have happened so far in our careers.
3. we all hate writing (at least part of the time).
4. and yet we all HAVE to write or weird things happen to our psyche.
5. we all stress out over deadlines.
6. we all worry about money--even the writers I know who make decent amounts of money because (according to numbers 1 and 2 above) we live in fear that we'll never make another dime in this business.
7. many of us were reluctant readers when we were teens (which makes sense, I think, that we would try to write page-turning books because we understand all-too-well how easy it is to put a book down and walk away from it.)
8. we all get really annoyed when people chat us up at parties about the book they're going to write someday and how being a writer must be the easiest job in the world.
9. we all suffer from deadline-induced bouts of questionable dietary habits and/or personal hygiene.
10. we all (even the BOYS!) feel like crying and/or throwing up when we get really, really intense edit letters.
11. if we're smart, we also know those edit letters will make our books better in the long run.
And speaking of edits...
Later gators,
Ally
To honor the occasion, I thought I'd bring you another list: Eleven things I'm starting to learn about writers.
Now, of course, it's hard to generalize an entire subset of the population, but lately I've been amazed by the number of things writers have told me that are things I've thought myself a thousand times.
So here goes:
1. we all think we're bad at our jobs a good portion of the time. Really bad.
2. we all live in fear that someone is eventually going to find out how bad we are and take away all the good things that have happened so far in our careers.
3. we all hate writing (at least part of the time).
4. and yet we all HAVE to write or weird things happen to our psyche.
5. we all stress out over deadlines.
6. we all worry about money--even the writers I know who make decent amounts of money because (according to numbers 1 and 2 above) we live in fear that we'll never make another dime in this business.
7. many of us were reluctant readers when we were teens (which makes sense, I think, that we would try to write page-turning books because we understand all-too-well how easy it is to put a book down and walk away from it.)
8. we all get really annoyed when people chat us up at parties about the book they're going to write someday and how being a writer must be the easiest job in the world.
9. we all suffer from deadline-induced bouts of questionable dietary habits and/or personal hygiene.
10. we all (even the BOYS!) feel like crying and/or throwing up when we get really, really intense edit letters.
11. if we're smart, we also know those edit letters will make our books better in the long run.
And speaking of edits...
Later gators,
Ally
posted by Ally Carter at Thursday, March 27, 2008
33 Comments:
First comment? Maybe? Oww, don't stress out to much. You'll have wrinkles. Then you won't be the pretty Ally we love. Go get some rest sometimes, don't worry to much about finishing the book. At least you don't have a deadline. Take a rest and a visit to our best friend, The Refrigerator. Good luck.
-mae
YEAH! Week 11! Congrats! I hope you got past your "hardest part" moment. :)
Hey, I have some questions about the T-Shirt Contest.
-Can we take a picture for part of our entry, so long as WE take it?
-We are only allowed one entry, correct?
-HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF CARAMELLDANSEN?!?
...I realize that last question had nothing to do with the T-Shirt contest. But still! Look it up on Youtube.
...It's addicting.
ok soo you're still editing...that's good right? are you getting done faster than you expected to? if so, great! i cant wait for gg3! ;)
Ooooo.
Week 11, niiice
Lucky duck, ILY Ally
---Jessi
i think i agree with like...8 of those things...two of which i can't really comment on cause they haven't happened yet, but yeah.
congrats on your 11th week!! you deserve it!!
Briana
congrats on week 11. :)
And ya know what? You have support from every one of your fans. Who all love you and, while they love your books, WILL understand when you don't feel like doing it..how hard it is...and I solemnly promise *NEVER* to beg you to hurry up finishing GG3. Because I can only imagine how much stress it is...but remember: we all love your writings no matter what you think about them :)
~ You-Know-Who
I agree with most of those things...in fact, right now...I have 65 pages written and I DON'T WANT TO WRITE ANYMORE...
Help! That makes me sad :(
Well that makes a few reasons I think being an author is not for me:
First, I was never good at stressing out. I like totally bombed my test and I couldn't stop smiling the whole day because I like totally just shrug things off. I never sweat anything.
Second, I could never put a book down, I like reading to much even the boring books that were like snooze fest at the beginning. I read it because I knew how hard the author must have worked on it and that they would be upset if they knew that people gave their book a chance. (I recommend Sweet 16 by Kate Brian, kind of boring at the beginning but totally worth the read.)
Third, I never rate myself after I have written something. That could probably send me into an editing escapade. Which would in turn make a little peeved the whole day.
So you authors really have a lot of patience, and bravery to to do what you all do, even if authors out there think they're books suck. (Which a vast majority of yours don't. :) )
I hope all of you keep it up.
Sincerely Signed,
~LA Girly*
*Note- 'LA' pertains to my initials, and, contradictory to popular belief, not my place of residence.
Congrads on week 11! Way to go Ally! =]
<3 Renee
Hey Ally,
Man, I never knew being a writer could be so tough. But I still want to be one, caus you know it's my dream and everyrhing. Wait a second. I think I am violating fact #8! :)
Good luck with the editing!
-Kat
thanks for the list. it was entertaining to read.
you know i've always considered writing a book and my family and some of my friends i should go for it. i always thought that being one of the world's biggest bookworms (maybe) would help me if i did decide to write a book. but now i'm not so sure.
i think that we all have equal chances and hearing that even guys want to puke sometimes in the business? wow. i mean i'm still interested in writing but i had NO idea it was that intense and it seems like it would be a lot harder than i thought it would.
callie
I love you Ally. The way you write is amazing, so full of wit, your blog is amazing. Good luck with the edits, I can't imagine how hard it must be to tear apart something you've worked so hard on.
I think that it would be cool if there was a quote from shakespeare in your coming books. as much as I love your books I think it would be cool if there was a quote from him because his books are timeless- what do you think?
Woah! 11 weeks is a lot of weeks lol but Love You/Kill You totally deserves it! And I'm grateful that all you writers go through the pain you suffer to provide the world with good books! I don't know what I'd do without you lol.
Congrats on the 11 weeks!!! I so know how stressed writers can . I mean i'm trying to write a book/short story. Key word trying!!
and i'm always stressed out about the littlest things, such as character names, school names, just names in general. I aslo stress out about how the stories should start and end and trying to make sure i'm not copying other authors terms, sayings, or climaxes. Oh, well. Good luck with GG3 and congrats again!!
-curly
lol
Congrats on Week 11, Ally! You and LYKY totally deserve it!
And good luck editing!
For me (not that I'm a published writer yet, but someday; the fortune cookies have spoken!) I sometimes love what I write and wish that there was more to read to my stories because they're really good. But then sometimes...sometimes they're plain old ick or something's not right but I don't know how to fix it.
#8 would definitely annoy me too. Writing's not always hard, but it can be. Like right now, which is why I'm commenting and not editing. Because this is so much easier. :-)
Hey Ally! Sorry I've been kinda MIA for a while now...but anyways, if anyone deserves an eleventh week on the NYT list, its got to be you. I'm so amazed that you always put so much pressure on yourself to write what we all want to read. Your book are truly fabulous and amazing and a really great read. I would hope to make a book that is even half as good as yours are. As long as you keep writing, I'll keep reading your books.
*Marina*
those are probably the top 11 reasons that ive never published (or finished) any of my stories. actually, except for one that i added to occasionally when i got bored in class, ive never let ANYONE read them at all.
i just get so scared that nobody will like it, that the plot's dragging (which it usually is)... or i just get bored in the middle... thanks for voicing the frustration
Congrats on week 11!
Can't wait for GG3!
omg. ya! i so know wat its like,... ive tried writing a book before and well im still working on it and somtimes i wanna chuck it at the wall. well ily and your writing...keep it coming!
You couldn't be more right, Ally.
And CONGRATS on 11 weeks!!!
yay! my birthday was yesterday :) the t-shirt contest sounds really fun! I can't wait to enter :)
Hey uh...oh stresssss ouch uh...don't worry! There is a 100% chance that we (we being your readers) will love GG3 no matter how it turns out (even though I know it will be great)this is because it is a sequel to a sequel and everyone just wants to know what happens. So don't stress you already wrote the first book, therefore the rest will eventually play out. Just look at the Harry Potter series.
-Hannah
P.S.- Then again that's my opinion but I'm 3,000% positive it relates to everyone else in some way.:)
stick in there ally♥
itll be all worth it....
like have any of you started you shirts? i tried but its kind of fugly.....
I DONT UNDERSTAD Y U DON'T LIKE WRITING IF THAT'S WHAT U DO 4 A LIVING
WOOOO HOOO 11 WEEKS IN A ROW!! CONGRATS ALLY!!
-gallaghergirl95
Oh my gosh ms.carter, i can so relate to this stuff(i love writing and my friends say my stories are scary good) but half the time i think their really bad. Like my story right now. I think its horrible and the only reason i'm still writing is cause of my friends. But your books ROCK MY SOXS! they are to good for words and i can never put then down when i get them!
CONGRATS on hitting that list once again -- your books rock and so do you.
xox
Lisa
Hm… I'm listening to I'd Tell You I Love You on tape at work (while proofreading newsletters), and I found it through your agent's blog. Quite… cute! Even if I can predict the plot "twists" so far from about a mile off. (I mean that in a good way!)
Anyway, I'm a writer, and these don't quite apply to me. You see, I read voraciously as a teen—maybe less than I had in earlier years, but that was more because I was knitting and crocheting and writing when I wasn't grounded from my room.
I also happen to love edit letters. But then, when I started writing at 14, an 8-year-old friend started critiquing my work, I have several friends who are excellent critics, and I'm a proofreader, myself, so those unusual factors have probably affected my development as a writer.
Granted, I don't yet have a novel published, but since I'm a 20-year-old chick who's only been writing as a hobby for almost 7 years, I figure I can be excused. That project is in progress. :-)
Hi Ally,
I hope you read this.
I want to become a writer, and yes I know people say to become a writer you need to write, however I'm discouraged as to my grammar, and how you go about the process of publication. Do you have any tips on that? You are right though writers do think they're bad. (or at least I do). Also it seems sometimes my library takes forever ordering your books, so when you release your top secrete date and title could you please some how get /sell or whatever it is to get it to libraries to the Phoenix Library? (Arizona). I love your GG books I love your writing style and I can tell that's how you write personally. You're doing a great job, and I really hope that we can have a long series. (13+ books I'm game). :)
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