Guest Post: Marla Martenson, Author of Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker

While I recover from my recent vacation and work on some book reviews, I'm happy to have Marla Martenson, author of Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker, as a guest on Diary of an Eccentric today.  Please give Marla a warm welcome as she offers some advice to aspiring authors (and stay tuned for information on how to win a copy of her latest book):

As the author of three books I am often asked, “Marla how do you do it? How do you find the time to write?” I wrote all three of my books while still working full time at a matchmaking company, so my writing time was all over the place. Sometimes I would write a chapter on my lunch hour, sometimes I would write after work, which was difficult because I didn’t get home until 7:30 pm and my energy was drained, so I mostly wrote on the weekends. Some people have the idea that to write a book one has to sit down all day everyday writing for months upon months to finish their masterpiece but actually if you make a habit of writing something everyday, even a couple of pages, a few months later, you’ll have an entire book. That is what I did with my second book, Good Date, Bad Date and it felt almost effortless; there was no pressure or deadlines because I was consistently putting something onto the page.

It all comes down to priorities and goals. If your goal is to become a published author, then go for it. Laser in on that goal and take a step in that direction on a consistent basis. I have a small desk in the corner of our living room where I write. I open the door to the balcony and listen to the birds sing, it’s very inspirational.  The times that I do write in the evenings, I like to sit in bed with my laptop; it’s very cozy.

Truman Capote, the author of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood, claimed to be a “completely horizontal author.” He said he had to write lying down, in bed or on a couch, with a cigarette and coffee. The coffee would switch to tea, then sherry, then martinis, as the day wore on. He wrote his first and second drafts in longhand, in pencil. And even his third draft, done on a typewriter, would be done in bed — with the typewriter balanced on his knees.

Stephen King, in his book On Writing, says that he writes 10 pages a day without fail, even on holidays. That’s a lot of writing each day, and it has led to some incredible results. I have not managed that kind of discipline yet, but maybe one day....

Find what works for you, what is comfortable and what inspires and excites you about the process and the routine, and you are sure to be a success!

Marla Martenson is the best selling author of three books, Excuse Me, Your Soul Mate Is Waiting, Good Date, Bad Date and her latest, Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker. She also works as a professional matchmaker, life coach and motivational speaker. You can find more info on Marla at www.marlamartenson.com.

Thanks, Marla!  I wish you much success and look forward to reading your work in the future.

Marla would like to offer one of my readers a chance to win a copy of Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker, in which Marla details her oftentimes hilarious dealings with eccentric clients.

To enter, please leave a comment detailing the most bizarre date you've been on.  Marla will be selecting the winner, so if you don't include this information, you will not be entered.  Also, please leave an e-mail address so I can easily contact the winner.

This giveaway is open to readers with U.S. addresses only and will end Friday, June 11 at 11:59 pm EST.

Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate.



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