Jeans and Work Boots

Not a Hemingway or an F. Scott Fitzgerald? Can't write like Mark Twain or John Steinbeck? Don't strive to. Most of us won't win the Nobel Prize in Literature or a Pulitzer, and most of us will not be the next J.K. Rowling or Stephen King, but that shouldn't deter us from writing, one iota.

I’m a jeans and work boots writer. Casual, comfortable, but ready to dig in. I'm not trying to be a literary genius. I'm content with a laid-back writing style that still cranks out an interesting story. If a black-tie moment happens to flow out of me, I won't run from it, but I'm not seeking it.

The more I wear my favorite pair of jeans the better they fit and feel. It's the same with writing. The more you write, the better you get. Patch the holes in your story as you would do with your best blue jeans. Shrink your manuscript until it feels as tight as your stone-washed denims when they come out of the dryer. If you’re still uncertain about your WIP, put that darling in a drawer next to your best-loved, ahem, dungarees. Oh, yes, I did use that old-fashioned word. Let it sit there until it soaks up the scent of cedar, then take it out and read it again. You may be surprised how well you will now see your novel’s finer points along with its flaws. You’ll have fresh ideas and new motivation to whip that baby into shape.

Remember, there's room for every writing style and every genre from children's picture books to chick-lit. So, whether you're a blue jeans and work boots writer like me, or you’re more hot pants and stilettos, suits and dress shoes, or ball gowns & Jimmy Choos, it doesn’t matter. Write, write, write! Find your niche, improve, edit, and keep submitting.