Bryan Robinson - Daily Writing Resilience: 365 Meditations & Inspirations for Writers

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Daily Writing Resilience: 365 Meditations & Inspirations for Writers 2018 by Bryan E. Robinson, PhD.

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First e-book edition 2018

E-book ISBN: 9780738754796

Book design by Bob Gaul
Cover design by Ellen Lawson
Editing by Aaron Lawrence

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data (Pending)
ISBN: 978-0-7387-5343-0

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Acknowledgments

I dont claim to be an expert on writing, but if experience plays a role, I am an expert on the struggles and trials and tribulations of writers. Writing for forty years, I have paid my dues and earned the right to sing the blues. This book is a culmination of those turbulent yet exhilarating years of everything from writing hundreds of professional journal and popular magazine articles to several consulting editorships, thirty-five professional and self-help books, and three novels. Along the way, a stadium of people supported me.

Id like to thank my spouse, Jamey McCullers, for his undying support over the trajectory of our years together. My deepest appreciation for my agent, Jill Marsal at Marsal-Lyon Literary Agency, for her steadfast belief in this project and me from the get-go and her pit-bull resilience and perseverance in finding this book a home. I owe a debt of gratitude to my publicist, Rowe Copeland, who saw this project through from beginning to end with her creative advice and support. And to Sara Wigal and everyone at JKS Communications and Literary Publicity for their enthusiastic promotion of this project.

Thanks to my dedicated readers and editors who did a magnificent job editing and providing feedback on the manuscript: Rowena Copeland, Jennifer Fisher, Glenda Loftin, Edith Langley, and Debra Rosenblum. To all of my novelist colleagues and friends at International Thriller Writers who do the best job of any organization I know of supporting aspiring scribes, debut authors, and seasoned writers: Kimberley Howe, Jenny Milchman, Lee Child, Steve Berry, M. J. Rose, Wendy Tyson, Mark Leggatt, Barry Lancet, Elena Hartwell, Sheila Sobel, and Josh Frank.

I want to thank my technical advisor, Charlie Covington, for his masterful help with formatting the manuscript and guidance on internet and electronic issues of which I am totally ignorant. A huge shout-out to photo artists Carlo and Carol Pieroni for the generous time they spent taking the photograph for the book jacket. And I am so appreciative of all the wonderful professional folks at Llewellyn Worldwide, Vanessa Wright and Aaron Lawrence, and especially my editor, Angela Wix. You were all a joy to work with.

I extend my appreciation to all the talented writers of diverse genres who took their valuable time to read the manuscript and write a blurb when they could have been penning their own work: Steve Berry, Sara Gruen, John Hart, Cassandra King, William Kent Krueger, John Lescroart, Jenny Milchman, Chris Roerdon, M.J. Rose, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Wendy Tyson, and Karen White.

And last to all of you struggling writers of all genres whose love for writing fuels your grit and determination for inspiring me over the years to never give up no matter what.

No matter what.

Dedicated to aspiring scribes, debut authors,
and seasoned writers of all genres.

Contents

Writing is so difficult that I feel that writers,
having had their hell on earth,
will escape all punishment hereafter.

Jessamyn West

Introduction

We have met the enemy and he is us.

Walt Kelly

When you started writing on a regular basis, did you think it would answer all your prayers for fame and wealth, and youd live happily ever after? Did you dream your book would be on bookstore shelves beside Lee Child, James Patterson, or J. K. Rowling? That it would hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list and garner the Edgar, the Barry, the Agatha, and Thriller Awards? That Steven Spielberg would beat down your door to sign you for the screenplay?

I did.

Were you perplexed to discover that nightmares come with the dreams? Did an agents rejection, publisher expectations, blistering reviews, no-shows at bookstore signings, deadline pressures, zero awards, or agonizing writers block besiege you? Did you have trouble locating your book on the shelves at Barnes and Noble? Did you make a little money but not enough to pay off the mortgage? Did you find that what few bucks you earned had to go toward paying a publicist? Are you still waiting for Hollywood to call?

I am.

After dashed dreams, do you still love to write?

I do.

Writers like me with ink in their blood have to write. Not writing isnt an option. When the going gets rough, we persevere through literary stormsalbeit bruised, bereft, and beleaguered. Ive seen themwriters frazzled from publishings frenetic pace, spirits dead from unfulfilled and stressful career demandsempty shells comatose like zombies moving among the living.

The dead arent supposed to walk among us, but they do. I know they do. I was one of them, too. In the still lonely hours before dawn, I plopped into the armchair, elbows digging into the knees of my ripped jeans. I dropped my head into my hands, grabbed a fistful of hair, and wept. Thats right. This grown man cried. After finishing my best mystery yet, or so I thought, an editor Id hired tore the plot to shreds. Rewrite after rewrite, dead end after dead end, confusion and frustration mired me. I wailed at the clock and shook my fist at the heavens, cursing, slamming things. At every turn, I met one roadblock after another. Distraught, I didnt know what else to do.