Keep Calm and Carry on Writing
Wearing my editor’s hat, I recently had the privilege of reading two fantastic manuscripts, which reminded me why I love books and writing so much. The stories were captivating and compelling. They kept me turning the pages, laughing, crying and shaking my head at both the selflessness and selfishness of humanity as well as the wonder of creativity. They also had in common the fact that neither author is published and neither novel was their first attempt at writing a full-length book. Assessing these stories was a timely reminder that the more we write, the better we get at doing it. I’d read the first manuscript of one of the authors, and it was good, but this, her second book, was fabulous.
It’s easy to become discouraged as a writer. Most of the time you work alone. The field is intensely competitive, both for authors looking for a traditional publisher and for indie authors competing for market share. Rejection is hard. Even when you know it’s not personal, it is frustrating or infuriating, especially when you see something on the shelf, or the bestseller lists, that you know in your heart is no better than your book. So how do you stay inspired when days are dark and rain bombs cloud your creative horizon?
Inspiration is as inspiration does. A muse cannot make you a better writer. She might conjure up ideas, but you improve by doing, by putting pencil to paper and fingers to keyboard, which is worth remembering when you’re feeling discouraged and rejected. The better you get at something, the more likely you are to succeed.
The key to practice is to do it regularly, the same way a chorister or a violinist or a tennis player must. This applies to both professionals and part-timers. However, the trick to sustaining practice is to make it manageable and enjoyable. There is no point taking an oath to get out of bed to write at 4am every morning if, like me, it takes you two hours and three cups of coffee to get your hands and little grey cells functioning.
If you have a fulltime job or a houseful of kiddos who need to be taken here there and everywhere, writing every day can be an unsustainable challenge that leaves you feeling guilty and unproductive. However, if you can work nine to six and still take your teenager to rowing three times a week, it is only fair to allocate a certain number of hours for yourself and your writing, whether that is on Sunday mornings or Thursday evenings or every second lunch break. In between sessions, you can think about your characters, dictate line fragments into your Notes app and create devious plot twists to ensure that when you do get to the page, you are raring to go.
You also want to create your own education program. Aside from the obvious like signing up for courses and conferences, you can read craft books, listen to podcasts, sign up with a mentor or offer your services as a beta reader. Immerse yourself in your craft. Little ‘aha’ moments will light up your life. You will become a better writer book by book and in so doing get closer to your goal. The joy of learning is that knowledge is its own reward.
Education, formal or informal, is also a lovely way to create a network and build yourself a community to hold your hand and cheer you on.
Most importantly, keep going. Learn what you can, create opportunities alongside characters, and forge your own path. You decide when you want to write and how much: once a week or every day, one book or ten. You also get to decide when you’re done. Don’t let writing – make that the publishing industry – set limits on your creativity. In 2022, we can all be our own path to publication. You can write for yourself, your family, for others or for posterity via the Internet Archive. Van Gogh wasn’t ‘discovered’ until after his death, but aren’t we grateful he didn’t quit because he didn’t sell?
This post first appeared as a column in the February 2022 edition of Hearts Talk, the newsletter of Romance Writers of Australia. Refer to my book Tips from a Book Publishing Industry Insider for more insider information.