YOU. THE WRITER

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By Tina Radcliffe

Today I’m presenting a helpful guide to assist you with assimilating with the rest of the world.

I understand that occasionally writers go out into the world and mingle with non writers. (But I don’t recommend it.) I suggest you print this helpful guide to understanding writers and share it with your non-writer friends, relatives and acquaintances.

Ten Things You Should Know About Writers:

1. We aren’t eavesdropping. Linguistic training is a part of our job. We listen to speech patterns so we can effectively write dialogue beats.

2. Yes. We do have to check Twitter, Facebook and our favorite blogs hourly. It is essential to stay up to date on the ever-changing publishing world.

3. It is normal for writers to speak in the third person present tense. Deal with it.

4. Don’t ask if we’re published yet. Or if we’ve published anything you might have read. Trust me, it only makes us cranky.

5. As a general rule, writers are not interested in your brilliant idea for a best seller that we can write for you and then split the profits.

6. We believe there are dumb questions. “Where do you get your ideas” is right up there at the top.

7. Our favorite words are not “The End.” They are: “I want to buy your book.”

8. For every ten words we write we delete six. We get goose bumps when we write the perfect sentence.

9. We are unable to watch a film without analyzing the plot elements per the Heroes Journey. (Ordinary World, Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call…)

10. If you see us sitting in front of the computer/laptop staring at a blank screen for long periods of time without moving, we are still writing. Do not interrupt.

What else do you wish the world understood about YOU. The Writer?

Tina Radcliffe writes for Harlequin Love Inspired. Her second release Oklahoma Reunion is now available.

Comments 0

  1. This is so fun! My addition? The publishing industry is slow! Please don’t ask if you can buy my book at stores right now. I’ll shout it out from the rooftops when you can buy my book. I promise.

  2. My book isn’t and never will be made into a movie. I’m not and never will be on Oprah. I wanted to be an author, not a film/TV star. Thank you.

    And I love, love, love #5. No, I am not interested in writing your memoir or your family history for you. Sorry. Just not. And please, don’t tell me what I REALLY NEED to write.

  3. As a writer, I really do prefer sitting in a room by myself making up new stories to sitting in the TV room watching stories we’ve already seen several times. I know this is freakish behavior. I beg you to bear with me.

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