by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
I often find the online “writing community” very tiresome. It seems full of people who are more concerned with preening than actually writing. And, all things being equal, I would go dark online while I work on this third draft of my first novel.
But I’m an extrovert.
As such, I just can’t help myself. And, sometimes, I need an outlet to let off steam, so I participate in the online writing community even though it often aggravates me.
I can’t help but notice how so many other writers have a totally different relationship to the craft than I do. I love to write and it comes really easy to me — most of the time. I will admit that I can be extremely moody at times and just don’t feel like writing.
I generally have to believe in what I’m writing and, as such, sometimes I just need to stare out into space for a little bit before I know what my next move is. Because I know I can write really fast and don’t want to waste a lot of time with copy that I will later abandon, I spend a lot of time thinking through what I’m going to write.
Now, obviously, I don’t have a MFA or anything and generally no one cares about me or my novel and I do it all in a vacuum…but I do think I have come up with a compelling story that some literary agent at some point between now and early 2025 might like enough to give me a chance.
