… this ol’ Scots Jurassic scribbler formally joined the ranks of the global writers’ diaspora over a decade ago… I use the term ‘formally’ there, because informally, the creative pens-crafting has been with me prob’ly since birth, which seems about a coupla hundred years ago… at infant and primary school in my hometown of Docklands, Govan in Glasgow, we children were introduced to ‘Composition’, the name used before the college level description, ‘Essay-writing’… no matter how short the offering, even if only a page or two, it was drummed into us to have ‘an introduction’, ‘a middle‘, and ‘an ending‘… as an early starter in reading books supposedly beyond my years, I habitually ‘borrowed big words’ from novels and from the dictionary, force-feeding them into my ‘Compositions’… the teen years crept up stealthily on me, and resulted in the angst-ridden poetries and short stories, so prevalent among my peers back then… fast forward to the past ten years to my Jack Calder crime thriller tomes, and not much, in truth, has changed… for sure, I hope, a tad more sophistication, and cerebral application toward plot development, character arcs, and all that good stuff the professorial tutorials demand of fledgling authors… with a back list that happily still gets regularly downloaded on Auntie Amazon Kindle, it would seem to some worthy folks that I am in a position to judge (nay, not ‘judge’, ‘pontificate’, Master Gallacher, ‘pontificate’!) what constitutes being a successful writer…
…for me, it is quite simply, transforming the desire to write into actual writing… no more and no less than that… it is NOT about selling a million copies of your wee masterpieces (although, that is not without merit)… nor is it about garnering any of the Nobel Literature Prize, the Man Booker Prize or any other labelled literary honour… similarly, rankings in bestseller lists, or the Noo Yawk Times ratings… no, sir… no, madam… How to be a Successful Writer is simply writing for yourself… taking pleasure, delight, and sum’times anxiety and mental pain, and just getting it down on paper, or laptop, or whatever, is ALL it takes in my not so ‘umble view… so, go be successful!…see yeez later… LUV YEEZ!
ALL MY BLOG POSTS ARE FREE TO SHARE OR RE-BLOG SHOULD YOU SO WISH – BE MY GUEST
You hit the nail on the head. Thanks, Seumas.
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Amen with bacon and chips! And maybe some chocolate for good measure.
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…betcha, m’Lady 🙂
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Oh, My God, I’m successful! I was foolishly waiting for the world to find out and wave it before me in 6-foot banners. I shall thumb my nose at the world. I got me!
Jay
http://bondingfyre.com/
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
Some good advice from Seumas 😃
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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Not only are you a GOOD wonderful writer and blogger, you are a wise one, my friend.
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…mwaaah 🙂
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You’ve reduced it to the fundamental important idea, Seumas. 🙂 — Suzanne
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..that’s all it ever is , m’Lady 🙂
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Reblogged this on TheKingsKidChronicles and commented:
Love the way this man writes. His sense of humor comes alive. He keeps everything simple and lets his Scottish heritage come through.
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Sorry, Suemas. I got so excited about following you again that I forgot to add the link back your site when I reblogged. Please forgive the oversight. it won’t happen again (I hope). I also posted on my FB page.
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… and when that one’s done, sit your butt right back down and start on the next one! … rinse and repeat. 😀
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..and that’s how it’s really done! 🙂
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Reblogged this on Plaisted Publishing House and commented:
Thanks for the great post Seumas
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…cheers, m’Lady, Claire! 🙂
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Welcome
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When fledgling authors ask me for advice it’s simple – Write – just write.
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betcha! 🙂
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Reblogged this on Have We Had Help? and commented:
More from our man in the Middle East….
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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True, well said Seumas. I doubt anyone enjoys my writing as much as I do! Lol. It’s my wee world created by me. 🙂
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..and that’s the perpetual beauty of it all ! 🙂
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