I have a very clean house. I vacuum almost daily, regularly dust my silverware drawer for crumbs, and organize my closets at least three times a year. What's my secret? I'm a writer who works from home.

Like many writers, when deadlines loom I circle my laptop, finding excuses not to get started. But because I do consider myself a writer (and my Mexico vacation depends on it), eventually I plant myself in the chair and get to work. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. I hear from a lot of people who long to call themselves writers, but have generated all sorts of reasons never to try. So here's a list of the top five dreamdashers, and why none of them hold any water:
I have no time to write. Every beginning writer is time-challenged, because until you're getting paid for your writing, you're probably spending a chunk of each day doing something else. But consider this: author Claudia Mills, who has two sons and works as a college professor, said at a workshop that she writes every morning while her family is still asleep. Many days, she only gets in 5-15 minutes of writing. But those are actual writing minutes; not minutes spent thinking about writing, or worrying about wriI'm too old. Editors won't know how old you are if you don't tell them. Your readers won't know if you don't put your picture on the book cover. If you write well, your voice will be ageless. I know of a woman who promised herself on her 65th birthday that she'd pursue a lifelong dream of writing a children's book. She followed the advice to "write what you know," and at age 69 received her first contract for a middle grade novel based on events from her childhood.

I don't have a college degree. Guess what? Neither do your readers. Sure, it's necessary to know the basic rules of grammar and how to express yourself on paper, but hopefully you mastered that by junior high. The best education you can give yourself as a potential children's book writer is to read children's books--many children's books, especially those similar to the kind of books you want to write. And don't let your lack of knowledge about a nonfiction topic stop you from writing about it. If you're a skilled writer who enjoys research, you can teach yourself enough about many subjects to write about them, or find experts to help you fill in gaps in your knowledge.

Everything's been written about. You're probably right, but next season the shelves will be stocked with brand new books. Why? Because though it feels like we're approaching the saturation point on new ideas, the way those ideas are presented can constantly change. You have a unique way of looking at the world that no one else can duplicate. So play around with those worn out ideas until you hit on something fresh.

Publishers are afraid of controversial topics/ religion/men writing for kids/books that teach a lesson.... The only thing publishers are afraid of is not selling books. Do cutting edge, issue-driven books get attention? Take a look at prestigious awards lists. Does religion sell? Go to any chain bookstore and see that even trade publishers are bringing out fiction and nonfiction with religious themes. Do male writers need to use female pseudonyms? Again, I refer you to prestigious awards lists. Can a children's book contain a moral these days? If you do it in an entertaining way without preaching, parents will snap up your work.

If you're tempted to start a sentence with "Publishers are afraid...," it probably means one of two things: you haven't walked into a bookstore recently, or it's easier to blame a pile of rejection letters on timid editors than to figure out why your manuscript isn't selling. Though editors are under pressure to show a profit (publishing is a business, after all), they're always looking for the next manuscript that will turn children's books in a new direction. If you're going to be that writer, in the end all you really need to do is plant yourself in the chair and get to work.ter's block, or staring at a blank piece of paper. When she assembles all those little bits of intensive writing over several weeks, she ends up with a book.

Recent news stories have reported accusations that yet another big-selling author inappropriately borrowed passages from other works. Cassie Edwards, a prolific romance novelist, is under fire after a romance readers' blog displayed selections of her books side-by-side with selections from other sources. (Here's the post that opened the debate.) The comparisons leave viewers with the distinct opinion that some entire sections of Edwards's books are nothing more than uncredited, albeit cleverly reorganized, montages.

Perhaps Edwards ought to bill herself "editor" rather than "author."
More astonishing than the implication of impropriety is Edwards's response. According to an AP article by Hillel Italie,

Edwards...acknowledged that she sometimes "takes" her material "from reference books," but added that she didn't know she was supposed to credit her sources.

"When you write historical romances, you're not asked to do that," Edwards said.

Really? The rules are different as long as one is writing historical fiction/romance?

Does anyone fall for this reasoning? What writer alive--particularly one who has been published umpteen times and doubtless signed contract clauses warning against such lapses--doesn't know that borrowing without attribution is not permissible?

While they fall along a very broad spectrum, the conclusions I find myself drawing about a writer who plagiarizes are never positive. At best, the writer is woefully ignorant of the entire body of knowledge surrounding intellectual property. Even schoolchildren are taught how NOT to plagiarize; it is inexcusable for an informed adult who makes a living writing to have not the vaguest notion of the issue. At the other end of the spectrum is the conclusion that the writer in question is nothing more than a thief, having knowingly stolen another's material on the arrogant assumption that no one will ever find out.

Paul Tolme, a scientist and wildlife writer who found himself one of Edwards's unwitting contributors, is more gracious in his assessment. While no one would wish to be plagiarized, he admits he feels less anger than pity over the lack of literary invention that led Edwards to turn his nature writing into "bad dialogue. It stands out as clunky and awkward." (Tolme's words, by contrast, flow smoothly. He reveals a talent for wry, even absurdist humor in the article in which he addresses the Edwards case. It's well worth reading: Move Over, 'Meerkat Manor'.)

Ms. Edwards's transgression goes far beyond a few overlooked attributions; she crosses the line into outright plagiarism. The quoted passages reveal that she borrowed concepts. But they also show very little variation in vocabulary, organization, and syntax from the originals. Recasting the verbiage is no less necessary a step than including a list of references. Of course, doing it correctly takes a little work. If she felt proper citation would be prohibitively time-consuming to do while cranking books out at the rate she is accustomed (100 books in approximately 25 years)--well, that's what good writing assistants are for. It is doubtful anyone would have batted an eye over that kind of assistance. Instead, this recent exposure is likely to leave an indelible mark on her credibility.

Many people want to write a book and have it published. However, very few ever have a successful book published. Just like "making it big" in any art form, becoming a rich or famous author takes a lot of hard work, talent, and perseverance.

To get a book published, you first need to find a literary agent. You do this by sending query letters to agents. Generally, you want to write a short, concise, one-page letter telling the agent about yourself and the book you want to write. You also probably want to tell the agent about how you found him or her. You can find agents in various directories; try doing a Google search.

If your query interests an agent, the agent will then ask to see an outline or synopsis of the book. Such a synopsis needs to follow strict rules regarding formal outlines, so you will need to learn how to write one if you do not already know. You probably want to write the outline even if an agent has not asked for it yet. That way you will have it ready when an agent wants it.

Most agents will only consider an offer exclusively. In other words, each agent will want you to send your synopsis to him or her only while he or she makes a decision. So when you send an agent your synopsis, tell the agent that you will not send it to any other agents until you receive a response. You also probably want to set a time limit for the agent to send you a response in case the agent takes too long or does not respond at all.

Remember, you may have to query a lot of agents before one shows interest. And you may have to send your synopsis to a lot of agents before one decides to represent you.

Once an agent decides to represent you, they will try to get a publisher to agree to publish your book. The agent will work out the details of the agreement with the publisher, but you will have the final decision of whether or not to accept what the publisher offers.

The publisher will generally pay you an advance to write your book, assuming you have not written it already. Writing the book will also entail working with editors. You will go through many drafts and make a lot of revisions before you have the final manuscript.

Once you already have an agent and a publisher, the agent will help you understand the rest of the process. The agent makes money based on your success, so the agent will want to help you succeed.

During the entire process, most importantly, you want to remember that most agents do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Start with a query letter, and prepare for a lot of rejection. You may have to go through nearly 50 agents before you come close to signing your novel.

Whatever you do, good luck and have fun!