What "professional writer" means to me: Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour #16

Some people are going to say professional writer is all about acceptance -- either by an agent or a big name publisher. Others will say it's about getting your work out and accepted by the readers.

I disagree. I believe those are the things that can happen if you are professional.

This is, like many things in writing, all about attitude. A professional attitude in writing means doing more than toying with a story, writing something and saying 'good enough' or pretending you are going to write something and never getting around to it. Anyone who spends time with groups of writers comes across a few of those individuals. Or the pretentious fools who tell people they won't edit anything until it's bought because that's the editor's job, not theirs. (Yes, those people do exist.)

Professionals take pride in their work, published or not. Professional writers not only write, but they research, edit, rewrite and do whatever else it takes to make the best story they can. They also have to be willing to learn more. Nothing can be 'good enough' in this business. It has to be the best it can be. And if the writer is willing to learn from what he or she is doing, then the next thing will be even better.

And now for a bit of real life stuff. . . .

Yes, things have been busy. Crazy. Totally insane, and it doesn't even really have to do with Russ being home. He's been the bright spot so far.

I was ready for the Octobers newsletters, which are more work this month. As ready as I could be, anyway. But new templates and stuff made them a bit more work than I expected.

Then we learned we had to rebuild the Forward Motion site because it couldn't be upgraded to the latest version of the php standards. Well. That was a lot more work than I needed -- or Mar and Jean, both of whom have been doing a ton of work and who are as busy as I am in real life. (Real life? I have no real life. Who am I joking?).

I also have a new computer. Getting it set up has been . . . Fun. Yeah. Fun is the word I want to use (even if it isn't always true).

I got Vision up at least, but we'll be updating it soon, too. Ack.

I am trying very hard to get some outlines done for NaNo, but it's like everything in the world is conspiring against me getting more than five or six notecards done at a time. I have one outline done and just started the next one -- and yes, I do need at least two because these are going to be short. I probably need three outlines at least, but I don't see how I can even consider another the way things are going. That and the fact that my brain is not into outline mode.

And that's it. Middle of the month and I'm way too far behind.

Eeek.

If you want to get to read about nearly twenty other writers, check out the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour. Be sure to read tomorrow's post by Sharon Kemmerer