Sonya Weiss

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The Ten Commandments of Writing

24 Comments

pen and notebook

1. Thou shall set writing goals.
2. Thou shall write faithfully, allowing only emergencies to disrupt thy writing time.
3. Thou shall not listen to negative self-talk.
4. Thou shall study thy craft.
5. Thou shall not tell, but show thy story.
6. Thou shall not steal thy neighbor’s writing.
7. Thou shall realize thy manuscript baby may need changing and edit to clean up thy baby.
8. Thou shall celebrate rejections as proof thou art reaching for thy dreams.
9. Thou shall be true to thy heart’s writing desire and not write sparkly vampire stories unless thy heart say it must be so.
10. Thou shall not let thy head get big if thy baby is announced on the New York Times Best-Seller list.

Filed Under: Writing

Comments

  1. Caryn Caldwell says

    September 28, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    Fantastic list! I think we all need at least a few of these at one time or another. The big one I have to remind myself of is number three about negative self-talk. I am so bad at that! Oh, wait. Is that negative self-talk, saying I’m bad at it? Anyway, I do need to be nicer to myself.

    Hope you’re having a great week!

    Reply
    • Sonya says

      October 1, 2012 at 11:07 am

      Thanks, Caryn! I loved your post on writing a first draft. Wouldn’t it be helpful to have a ‘Personal Cheering Section’ LOL!

      Reply
      • Caryn Caldwell says

        October 2, 2012 at 11:13 am

        Thanks, Sonya! I enjoyed your post, too.

        I just stopped by via YARWA, so I’m seeing your blog twice this week! 🙂

        Reply
  2. Amanda says

    September 29, 2012 at 9:05 pm

    Funny! Mine is number three too.

    I saw that you got an agent. Congratulations, you must be excited.

    Reply
    • Sonya says

      October 1, 2012 at 11:10 am

      I know, right? Thank you, I am excited! She’s a great agent.

      Reply
  3. Suzanne Lilly says

    September 30, 2012 at 6:59 pm

    I love this list. I like number ten best. You know it’s going to happen to both of us, right? And we still want to be able to fit our heads through the doors.

    Reply
    • Sonya says

      October 1, 2012 at 11:11 am

      That’s my goal and I’m going to keep working at it! When we both reach it, we’ll have to get together and celebrate ; – )

      Reply
  4. P. T. Bradley says

    October 2, 2012 at 10:35 am

    Great 10…just hope I do better with yours than Moses’.

    Reply
    • Sonya says

      October 4, 2012 at 6:35 pm

      LOL. Me, too.

      Reply
  5. Robin Bielman says

    October 2, 2012 at 10:57 am

    Hi Sonya! Love your list. I most often have to remind myself of number three, too. And, oh, okay, number two also. A cupcake break counts as an emergency, right?

    Reply
    • Sonya says

      October 2, 2012 at 11:45 am

      Oh absolutely, Robin. Chocolate, too, LOL.

      Reply
      • Sonya says

        October 2, 2012 at 11:47 am

        Congratulations too on ‘Worth the Risk’. I LOVE that book cover.

        Reply
  6. Cecy says

    October 2, 2012 at 12:31 pm

    Awesome! Am chiseling them in stone even as we speak.

    Reply
    • Sonya says

      October 4, 2012 at 6:29 pm

      LOL. Whoever did your book covers did an awesome job!

      Reply
  7. Loree Huebner says

    October 2, 2012 at 1:31 pm

    Loved this, Sonya!

    Reply
    • Sonya says

      October 4, 2012 at 6:29 pm

      Thanks, Loree and thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  8. Jenny Lee Sulpizio says

    October 2, 2012 at 4:49 pm

    Great post and “oh-so-true,” Sonya! I need to place the following on my list:
    1.) Thou shall not look at Pinterest while writing.
    2.) Thou shall not “tweet” while in the midst of editing.
    3.) Thou shall not post on Facebook or be sucked in by the temptations of it while trying to get any work done at all.

    🙂

    Reply
    • Sonya says

      October 4, 2012 at 6:31 pm

      Oh amen! I try not to even be online when I’m writing because it’s such a temptation for me to just take a ‘quick peek’ that turns into an hour or longer.

      Reply
  9. Carole St-Laurent says

    October 2, 2012 at 9:04 pm

    Good list, very thorough. My number is: Just write it.

    Reply
    • Sonya says

      October 3, 2012 at 4:01 pm

      Love that! Thanks for all the tips you give on your website. The photo in your ‘We are what we eat. Really?’ post looked scrumptious. I’ve never tried coconut milk. I don’t remember ever seeing it at the grocery store. I’ll look for it.

      Reply
  10. Tuere Morton says

    October 3, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    *sigh* I SO love these commandments!! Though it looks like I’ve broken a few. lol. But I love them all the same. And please let #10 be true so I can have the chance to keep my head small. Please, please, please!! 😉

    Reply
    • Sonya says

      October 4, 2012 at 6:35 pm

      Wow! The video and the blurb underneath the video on your website are very powerful.

      Reply
  11. Marisa Cleveland says

    October 6, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    Oh number 3… Great post! 😀

    Reply
    • Sonya Weiss says

      October 6, 2012 at 8:56 pm

      Thanks! You’re such a sweet person!

      Reply

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