Do you ever wonder what successful, published authors do behind the
scenes?
Every author has their own success secrets, quirky habits, and of
course fun and interesting advice. I recently had the opportunity
to speak with Sandra S. Kerns about what makes her characters tic,
how she got started and if she’s read 50 Shades of Grey. LOL! Her
answer might surprise you.
Here’s a snippet of that interview:

Do you have any advice for writers who are just starting out?

Of course!

1) Write.

Even if it is drivel appearing on your screen or paper, keep
writing. The old saying, writers write, is an old saying for a
reason. It’s true. If you aren’t writing, you can’t complain that
you aren’t published.

2) Grow a thick skin.

Rejection is hard, but it is part of the business. Even if you
publish yourself, you are going to get some negative reviews. You
CANNOT please everyone even some of the time. Read the rejections,
digest them, have a huge bowl of your favorite ice cream, then sit
back down and start writing again.

3) Listen to advice from other writers, BUT take what works for you
and let the rest go.

Most of the time, if you ask another writer to analyze something
for you they are going to give you praise for the good and
well-intentioned criticism of the ‘not working for them,’ parts.
Writing is a subjective endeavor. Always remember it is your story
and should stay your story.

4) Enjoy yourself.

I write because I love it. Characters jump in my head and won’t
shut up until I put them down on the page. Writing is a fun way to
do a lot of things or go places I can’t reasonably do myself. It is
also too much work to do if you don’t enjoy it.

You can find more of this interview and Sandra’s answer to the 50
Shades of Grey question
here: http://makealivingwritingromance.com/interview-with-award-winning-author-sandra-s-kerns

Enjoy and happy writing!