A couple weeks ago, I advised young writers to have patience—with themselves, with the publishing process, and with their development.
Writer Gabe Herron recently wrote an essay for Glimmer Train that echoes that theme as well. He says:
Time is the main thing.
There never seems to be enough of it, especially once you’ve gone and decided to become a writer, and also not sleep in your car. But at the same time, there is no way to rush craftsmanship, or the development of a craft. You must put time aside at the very moment you realize there isn’t enough, that you have started too late, or from too far behind the start line, or both. You have to forget time because it’s going to take how long it takes, not one minute longer, not one minute less.
Read the full essay at Glimmer Train’s site.
Also this month at Glimmer Train:
- An interview with Carrie Brown on the underdog
- On Ambiguity by Stephanie Soileau
- Enriching the Stew by George Rabasa
Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.
[…] A couple weeks ago, I advised young writers to have patience—with themselves, with the publishing process, and with their development. Writer Gabe Herron recently wrote an essay for Glimmer Train that echoes that theme as well. He says: Time is the main thing. There never seems to be enough of it, especially once you’ve gone … […]
[…] Source: You Can’t Rush Your Development | Jane Friedman […]
Eloquently stated. I loved this! Thanks for sharing.
Time, serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk has said, is the most important asset an entrepreneur has. In this case, the same applies for writers. And making, building or capturing time for our writing means making the most intentional decisions we can about our lifestyle. It is nothing short of a personal revolution.