Ask the Author: Bill Gourgey
Answered Questions (6)
Bill Gourgey
On a field trip to the U.S. Capitol where I was struck by its grandeur, knowing that in the shadow of the very same building a drastically different world exists.
Bill Gourgey
See my Writing Inspiration video trailer...
Bill Gourgey
My new YA series, Cap City Kids, which debuted in October (2015) with Capitol Kid. Check it out!
Bill Gourgey
Use all of your spare time to write BEFORE you leave your day job and try to get that manuscript published. Nowadays with so many social media and reading-writing communities, it’s a lot easier to find venues where readers will take your works out for a spin. Take advantage of them. But don’t give up the day job unless you’re absolutely committed or already have a bestseller in hand. It’s hard work getting “found” by readers and publishing industry professionals alike.
Bill Gourgey
Here’s a countdown of the top ten reasons why I write:
10. The page doesn’t talk back. (But sometimes it does have that chilling blank stare.)
9. My pen (keyboard) actually does what I ask. (Be careful what you ask for!)
8. Along with a prominent Do Not Disturb sign (which is as essential to a writer as a word processor), writing provides good cover for catching a few Z’s. (But that’s not the way to make dreams come true.)
7. I can make things up without being accused of making things up. (As they say, if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with…)
6. Words are the best kind of friends, always ready to play. (But too much of a good thing…)
5. I’ve been told I can’t think on my feet, so I compensate by thinking on my butt. (I just hope that when I write, I'm not making an ass of myself.)
4. Writing is the only profession with a respectable excuse for slacking off. (Whoever heard of Accountant’s Block?)
3. Since I can’t afford therapy, I write. (But I'd be sure to go insane if I ever tried to calculate the opportunity cost buried in revisions.)
2. Since I’m a wimp, writing allows me to exact revenge on reviled relatives and frenemies without fear of reprisal. (As long as I don’t forget the “This is a work of fiction” disclaimer on that copyright page!)
And the number one reason why I write (drum roll):
1. Writing is the best soul food around. (But eating your words is not recommended.)
Perhaps this old Latin proverb captures best what motivates me most: verba volant, scripta manent. In other words, being mortal (and more painfully aware of it every year), it’s nice to think I might leave behind something that could stand the test of time. So, I write.
10. The page doesn’t talk back. (But sometimes it does have that chilling blank stare.)
9. My pen (keyboard) actually does what I ask. (Be careful what you ask for!)
8. Along with a prominent Do Not Disturb sign (which is as essential to a writer as a word processor), writing provides good cover for catching a few Z’s. (But that’s not the way to make dreams come true.)
7. I can make things up without being accused of making things up. (As they say, if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with…)
6. Words are the best kind of friends, always ready to play. (But too much of a good thing…)
5. I’ve been told I can’t think on my feet, so I compensate by thinking on my butt. (I just hope that when I write, I'm not making an ass of myself.)
4. Writing is the only profession with a respectable excuse for slacking off. (Whoever heard of Accountant’s Block?)
3. Since I can’t afford therapy, I write. (But I'd be sure to go insane if I ever tried to calculate the opportunity cost buried in revisions.)
2. Since I’m a wimp, writing allows me to exact revenge on reviled relatives and frenemies without fear of reprisal. (As long as I don’t forget the “This is a work of fiction” disclaimer on that copyright page!)
And the number one reason why I write (drum roll):
1. Writing is the best soul food around. (But eating your words is not recommended.)
Perhaps this old Latin proverb captures best what motivates me most: verba volant, scripta manent. In other words, being mortal (and more painfully aware of it every year), it’s nice to think I might leave behind something that could stand the test of time. So, I write.
Bill Gourgey
I keep plenty of hand sanitizer, tissues, and other hygienics at my desk to avoid contracting that dreaded affliction in the first place. I hear it’s contagious!
The truth is I’ve never had a problem with writer’s block. I think that writer’s block happens when a writer’s self-expectations are set too high. I have lots of faults and foibles (don’t tell my family and friends!); luckily, setting my writing bar too high is not one. Whenever I sit down to write I know that I’m just as likely to write something crappy as good. The trick is not to despair when it’s crappy. As one writing teacher used to put it, “writers have to be prepared to kill their babies.” It’s an ugly image, and of course I rebelled against it at first, but her point was a good one and I write by it to this day—don’t become too attached to your words or run the risk of getting stuck.
The truth is I’ve never had a problem with writer’s block. I think that writer’s block happens when a writer’s self-expectations are set too high. I have lots of faults and foibles (don’t tell my family and friends!); luckily, setting my writing bar too high is not one. Whenever I sit down to write I know that I’m just as likely to write something crappy as good. The trick is not to despair when it’s crappy. As one writing teacher used to put it, “writers have to be prepared to kill their babies.” It’s an ugly image, and of course I rebelled against it at first, but her point was a good one and I write by it to this day—don’t become too attached to your words or run the risk of getting stuck.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more