Write Hard

I won this, and now I’m about to pay it forward.

The rules say (and we all know how good I am about rules, right)…

When you win:

1. Post the picture above to your blog. You can link here if you want. It doesn’t have to become part of the permanent clutter of your sidebar. Goodness no.

2. List at least three writers who you feel live up to the “write hard” spirit. Think: writers who work at their craft, writers who never give up despite the odds, writers who constantly turn out quality work. Writers you admire. Optional: explain why you think they are awesome.

3. Include these rules or a link to them.

4. Notify said writers of their victory. Ask them to pass on the torch.

5. Continue being awesome.

Hey, I’ll do one better.  I can give you four. 

Mercedes M. Yardley.  You know how I idolize all those big-name writers whose writing wisdom revolves around, “There are no excuses, the muse is a myth, there is no writer’s block.  Just sit down, STFU, and write!”  But the thing is, when I fail at getting writing done–and I often do–there’s a subconscious comfort in knowing that I’m not my heroes.  No, I’m not Ray Bradbury, so of course I couldn’t just churn out a story this week, I subconsciously think.  It’s all good.

Then, I look at Mercedes.

Seriously, just read her blog.  With everything she has going on, no one would ever blame her for missing a writing day.  Except she almost never does.  Or when she does, then she’s slushing or doing other writerly things–or, she’s doing wifey/motherly things.  What she doesn’t do is give herself the excuse to whine about how there’s no time.   No playing the world’s smallest violin for her!

If she has no excuses, I sure as hell have no excuses, not by a damn sight. 

This is what Mr. Pink thinks of your writing excuses–and mine.

Calista Taylor.  I joke about my ADD-like inability to focus on writing anything longer than a 5,000-word short story.  As most of you know, the thought of writing something novel length has always scared the piss out of me.  Dedicating yourself to a project that big is one thing.  But knowing that even if you succeed in cranking it out, it could all still go down the drain if you can’t find an agent…?  Or, even after you find an agent if no one buys it…?  Or, even after someone buys it, it gets gutted or even axed for no good reason…?  All that time and thousands of words… *shudder*

Yet, you know who’s been sticking it through all of those stages, and more than once?  Cali.  And that’s why I know she’s within a hair’s breadth of it.  She’s given me a front row seat as to exactly what the ups and downs of novel publication looks like, and you better believe I’m taking careful notes.

There’s a two-way tie between Regan Leigh and Layna Pimentel.  These two write as hard as anybody, but how they have time for that and still keeping up with their network of friends and contacts, to say nothing about the stuff going on in their lives, I have no idea.  It’s all I can do to keep from turning anti-social to the point of misanthropy (Some might tell you I’ve failed miserably).  The thought of hosting something like Query Chat?  Damn, Regan.  Beyond me, I tell you.  And if anyone I’m following on Twitter is a real social butterfly–and I don’t mean just perpetually pinging them on #followfriday or #writerwednesday, but actually interacting with folks–it’s Layna. 

Now, I don’t want to obligate anybody.  Merc, Cali, Regan, and Layna have better things to do than pass this thing forward.  I didn’t, but I love ’em all and I would’ve done it anyway.