Loner in the Garret: A Writer's Companion

Guest blog post by Jennifer R. Hubbard 

Last year, I gave a talk for the South Jersey Writers’ Group called, “It Was Sunny Just a Minute Ago: Weathering the Storms of Writing and Publishing.” It focused on an aspect of this business where I’ve needed a great deal of support myself, and have found myself encouraging others: the mental and emotional aspects. 

Writers spend a fair amount of time and energy coping with rejection, writer’s block, sudden changes in fortune, ups and downs. We try to quantify the qualitative, predict the unpredictable and control the uncontrollable. Even when we recognize how much of this is out of our power, that our power lies in our ability to tell our own stories, it’s easy to say, “Just sit down and write.” Doing it is another matter.

Out of all this came my latest book, Loner in the Garret: A Writer’s Companion (edited by SJWG’s own Amy Holiday!). There are so many good books on the craft and business of writing already. I wanted to focus on this particular side of it, on cutting through the emotional obstacles and mind games. I wanted to produce a book that would provide short bursts of inspiration, suitable for pre-writing-session reading. I wanted to provide the kind of reassurance to others that has helped me along the way: the simple knowledge that the path is unpredictable and rarely smooth, and it’s okay to keep going anyway.

We’re not alone.

Synopsis: Sometimes the most difficult part of writing is not coming up with a plot or the perfect turn of phrase. It’s getting motivated to sit down and start, or having the confidence to go forward, or finding the courage to move past the sting of rejection. Loner in the Garret: A Writer’s Companion provides inspiration and encouragement for that mental and emotional journey. Covering topics as varied as procrastination, the inner critic, fear, distractions, envy, rejection, joy, and playfulness, it charts the ups and downs of the writing life with honesty, gentle suggestions, and a dash of humor.

For more: http://jenniferrhubbard.blogspot.com/p/publications.html

Bio: Jennifer R. Hubbard (www.jenniferhubbard.com) is the author of three novels for young adults, several short stories, and a nonfiction book about writing. She lives near Philadelphia with a very understanding husband, a pile of books and chocolate, and a tyrannical cat.