by G. Robert Frazier
If there was one common, oft-repeated piece of advice for writers at the Bouchercon Mystery Conference in Nashville this past weekend it was this: finish.
One panelist after another, one guest of honor after another, repeated that refrain throughout the weekend.
“Just do it,” implored Heather Graham, the best-selling author of some 200 novels. “You have to write and want to write. Keep going.”
Harlan Coben, whose novels have been popularized with several adaptations on various streamers, added, “Bad pages are better than blank pages.”
Simply put, words on a page give you something to work with, no matter how badly written. It gives you something to mold and finesse into a publishable work.
I admit I have a problem with finishing.
I have plenty of ideas for my stories. There is no problem on that front. It seems like any situation, any person I meet, any piece of science or history I read, can spark a new idea. I can launch my stories out of the gate with excitement and flair.
And then, as always, they fizzle out. A new, bright shining light or idea takes its place, and I am off and running on another tangent again.
Until the next light comes along.
I am really trying to change that. I have been participating in a couple of online writing challenges of late – Goalpost and now Zero Draft Thirty – with the goal of writing a screenplay in a month. I did not conquer that goal last month, although I did complete the outline to my work in progress. With that in hand, I now have this month to do the work. To do the writing.
Attending Bouchercon this past weekend was another step towards that goal.
I’ve attended writers’ conferences in the past, including the Writers Digest Writers Conference in Los Angeles, the Imaginarium Conference in Louisville, Ky., and, of course, many editions of the Killer Nashville International Writers Conference. With Bouchercon being right in my backyard this year at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Resort, I couldn’t miss it.
Every time I have attended such gatherings, I’ve come away inspired.
There is something about hanging around a bunch of other writers, published and otherwise, and their adamant fans, which excites me about writing. That reminds me why I love books, why I love reading, and why I love the craft of writing.
I was hoping Bouchercon – the first conference I’ve attended post-pandemic — would once again offer such impetus, and it did! How can you not come away feeling inspired after hearing the incredible success stories of people like Heather Graham and Harlan Coben?
I woke up this morning with one thing on my mind: writing.
We will see if the message sticks and if I can hold myself to it this time or whether I will lapse into my same old routine. I hope I can.
I am making it my goal to finish my current WIP by the end of the month and I will use this space to post frequent updates on my progress. Maybe these words will inspire the writer in you as well.
Let’s do this!
Story By G. Robert Frazier 