Good Morning Folks,
I used to operate under the assumption that those who were working to get published were those who were certain their work was "good enough". The misunderstanding that writing was about being the next Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, rather than an ability to transport a person into another world.
There are all kinds of writers in the world. Some are better than others. Some published ones are better than others. Some aspiring authors are better than other aspiring authors. This means we can't compare ourselves to other writers. We have to research, read, and learn. These are things that will help all writers improve.
One of my biggest pet peeves in coming across writers who are talented are those who are too scared to put themselves out there. Why? Several reasons:
1. At one time I felt that way. I got sick of living in fear and decided the only thing I could do is learn, grow, improve and put my best work out there. Meaning: sometimes having to write something that's not as good, then going back and improving it. Or gaining experience from the writing and making my next story better.
2. When a writer is "too scared" or thinks "I'm not good enough." They've already set themselves up for failure. If you don't believe in your work, then who else is going to? You have to believe that you have something going for you: plot, character, dialogue...anything--a spark. It doesn't mean you know for certain you'll be published (none of us aspiring authors know for certain we'll be published until we have that signed contract).
3. The world of book publishing "is not an exact science" (check out this agent blog post to see what I'm talking about).
Example: Stephenie Meyer has said that she sent out Twilight to 15 possible places (publishing houses). 9 rejections, 5 no answers, and then the magic 1.
Other authors have drawers and stacks of rejection slips from agents and/or publishers before they got their agent and/or publisher.
You have to love it...want to write, want to publish. You have to be open to learning, growing, and everything else. No, none of us can promise anybody that the road is easy. Sometimes it's really difficult, other times it all falls into place.
Bottom line: You won't know unless you try.
I can't emphasize that point enough. Sure, it might take some time and work on your part, but do you want to keep your story and characters locked away in a file cabinet? Granted, some work authors prefer to keep locked away in a file cabinet, but I think any author with a grain of talent has a chance to grow and maybe, just maybe, achieve the "golden moment" that I call getting published. It's just a matter of going for it. So, go for it. I'm not sure what's around the corner, but I'm willing to find out. I owe my stories and characters that much to give it my best effort and work at it.
Your thoughts?
Have A Miracle Monday!
I used to operate under the assumption that those who were working to get published were those who were certain their work was "good enough". The misunderstanding that writing was about being the next Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, rather than an ability to transport a person into another world.
There are all kinds of writers in the world. Some are better than others. Some published ones are better than others. Some aspiring authors are better than other aspiring authors. This means we can't compare ourselves to other writers. We have to research, read, and learn. These are things that will help all writers improve.
One of my biggest pet peeves in coming across writers who are talented are those who are too scared to put themselves out there. Why? Several reasons:
1. At one time I felt that way. I got sick of living in fear and decided the only thing I could do is learn, grow, improve and put my best work out there. Meaning: sometimes having to write something that's not as good, then going back and improving it. Or gaining experience from the writing and making my next story better.
2. When a writer is "too scared" or thinks "I'm not good enough." They've already set themselves up for failure. If you don't believe in your work, then who else is going to? You have to believe that you have something going for you: plot, character, dialogue...anything--a spark. It doesn't mean you know for certain you'll be published (none of us aspiring authors know for certain we'll be published until we have that signed contract).
3. The world of book publishing "is not an exact science" (check out this agent blog post to see what I'm talking about).
Example: Stephenie Meyer has said that she sent out Twilight to 15 possible places (publishing houses). 9 rejections, 5 no answers, and then the magic 1.
Other authors have drawers and stacks of rejection slips from agents and/or publishers before they got their agent and/or publisher.
You have to love it...want to write, want to publish. You have to be open to learning, growing, and everything else. No, none of us can promise anybody that the road is easy. Sometimes it's really difficult, other times it all falls into place.
Bottom line: You won't know unless you try.
I can't emphasize that point enough. Sure, it might take some time and work on your part, but do you want to keep your story and characters locked away in a file cabinet? Granted, some work authors prefer to keep locked away in a file cabinet, but I think any author with a grain of talent has a chance to grow and maybe, just maybe, achieve the "golden moment" that I call getting published. It's just a matter of going for it. So, go for it. I'm not sure what's around the corner, but I'm willing to find out. I owe my stories and characters that much to give it my best effort and work at it.
Your thoughts?
Have A Miracle Monday!
Comments
And start asking, Why not me?
I don't want to have to say I never tried! Now I love it so much I would write even if I never became published.
Well, every author is different, of course, but she's the one I know off the top off my head.
Good attitude and totally true.
Exactly! None of us knows for sure until it happens. :-)