Writing and the Seven Deadly Sins

Committing any of the seven deadly sins in life can do damage to your soul (or your pocketbook if you tend to think along different spiritual lines). Committing them in writing can put you in an author's graveyard before your next lines are fresh on the page.

It's not a writer's style that can be sinned against. After all, each writer is unique. Even a writer whose voice doesn't necessarily grab a certain audience can still be a hit among others. A writer can also change and learn as their writing progresses.

The seven deadly sins can become apparent during the actual process. They can keep a writer from doing any number of things: writing, editing, submitting. They can also make it hard for a would-be author to gain respect in any sort of venue. Even a good writer can fall victim to the sins and place themselves in a deadly rut. Watch out for the big seven in your writing so as not to fall prey to a fate worse than editing.

1.Greed - Those with a powerful hunger for money should put away their laptops right now. While there are bestselling novelists that have made a good living with their craft, there's hundreds more waiting for the chance just to see their work in print. If you want a career that will bring in the big bucks, you may need to rethink your future in writing. Greed will get you nowhere. For the most part, it's about the love of doing it.

2.Gluttony - For some writers, there really is too much of a good thing. Don't hide away from the world by immersing yourself in your work. While you do need to put a good amount of time into it for both practice and production, writing night and day gets old and can keep you from acquiring the life experience that good writers need. Get out on weekends. Take vacations. Take a break every few hours to watch TV, read a book, or do something with friends. Everything is good in moderation. Writing is no exception.