Author Confessions: Just Write
When I started writing, it was a mere lark, a response to a dream and I had a blast putting those words on a page. That first novel (The Virtuous Viscount) underwent years of rewrites and revising and I still love the story even if it was an arduous process. It wasn’t the first book I published either, it was my tenth published work, my fifth full-length novel. By the time it was published I had accumulated a series and was writing in other genres and lengths. But it began with that one story I had dreamed about for years.
I remember one of the first conferences I attended, surrounded by other writers and it felt like home! They understood the writing life, the lessons to learn, the arduous path and the long shot of monetary success.
Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to talk to others who want to write. They want to know all there is to know before they start writing that story on their heart. I tell them to write it. Just write it. If you worry about all you need to know before you write, you never will. Even attending a conference can seem like drinking from a fire hose with the amount of information that comes your way.
My advice?
Just write.
Then start getting the information you need to edit and revise. You cannot edit a blank page.
I have done critiques for conferences and at one I got two different submissions from one person. The first one I struggled with. If this was the start of the story, I didn’t understand what he was trying to do. The second was stellar. When I met with him face to face to share my thoughts, he confessed they were part of the same story. The one I didn’t get, was the first chapter. The one I loved, was fifth. I told him maybe it would be better if he started there. He whined about all that wasted work. Nothing is wasted. Every thing you write, even if you have to take it out, adds to the experience of your story and makes you a better writer in the long run. I’ve thrown out a few first chapters on my journey as a writer.
Kind of true with life isn’t it? We go through tough times, make mistakes and can think it was all a waste of time. Yet on the other end we have grown through the process to hopefully be more mature and make wiser decisions. Yeah, I know that doesn’t work for everyone. Especially in this current climate where everyone is a victim and have no desire to take personal responsibility for their lives.
That doesn’t work as a writer. Don’t even bother then. Don’t pin all your hopes on being a New York Time’s Best Seller and being offered a boatload of cash for your years of hard work and learning. Sure, we would all love that, but the reality is a combintation of things: 1) There are a lot of writers publishing, even self-publishing, which can make it hard to push through the noise, 2) The attention span of most has become quite short. Add to that the possiblity that what you want to write and enjoy doesn’t have a wide audience ready to read it, publishers call it a niche market.
Does that mean a wanna-be author shouldn’t write? Absolutely not. But do so realizing that you may be a long time away from ever seeing fame and fortune from those wonderful words that pour from your pen or fingertips.
I apologize if I’m being a Debbie-downer.
Writing is lonely and criticism can be brutal and the journey to publication isn’t a glorious ride on a cruise. It can difficult and filled with hard work. It can be fun and enjoyable as well, especially if you connect with other writers.
I was at a conference where there was a contest and the winner would get a contract with a publishing house. The head of that house murmured that he wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse, because once that person had a contract, the really hard work would begin. He wasn’t joking.
The winner wasn’t me but I have had contracts. I even had to terminate one when the publisher wasn’t following through on their end of the contract. That was hard. I had an agent, but never got anywhere with getting one of those coveted contracts with a big publishing house. I eventually stopped waiting for that big break. I don’t need fame to prove I’m a writer or that my words matter.
I was able to get published, but that didn’t come right away. I started writing for fun in 2009 and my first book wasn’t published until 2015 although a flash fiction and a short story were published in 2012 (shortly after that first conference!). Pretty much nothing more than writing credits. Six years but I had written so many books in that time and alternated between writing one and then setting it aside to edit a previous one, then writing another… you get the idea.
The reality is, I write books I want to read. My agent begged me to write Amish romances, but I refused because I thought they were cultish. I’ll tell you now, that after having adopted two Amish puppy mill rescues, the only story I would likely write would be one exposing how horrible they are. I have a sweet pup who has been with us for almost a year, just turning four–and is still traumatized. She didn’t produce enough puppies so they were going to kill her. My other dog, was going to be drowned because they couldn’t sell him for their exhorbitant prices.We got him at six months and in spite of a break in his tail which is camouflaged by the hair there, and a slightly wonky jaw, he is a delight to our home.
If you feel called or compelled to write, do it for yourself first. Yes, the common theme at writer’s conferences is to know your audience. Well, you are the first person in that audience so write what you would want to read and don’t worry about the rest. Not everything you write needs to be published, either.
There is no one right way to write a novel or non-fiction book. Sure, there are prinicples that need to be there, but you can get there by writing, reading, and learning along the way. Attend writer’s conferences if you can. If money is an issue, some have scholarships that can help.
It’s fine to dream of publication, but there’s no point in doing that if you haven’t written a word. Writing for the sake of writing has value as well.
My advice? Just write.
This is a reality in life but also plays out in fiction so don’t think this is only about our intellect. Our characters reflect real life and sometimes when a character is stuck perhaps in a twisted view of God’s forgiveness, they need to be confronted with truth about that which can be uncomfortable. This internal struggle, whether in real life or in the mind of a fictional character, requires growth which is somewhat uncomfortable.