A common question that readers have for me is how do I write. For me the answer is simple, I write the same way that I breathe, naturally. At least it seems like a natural gift because I had been making up stories since I was six years old. Although I have been practicing my craft for eleven years now, it doesn't mean that I was always a great writer, in fact I used to be terrible. This brings me to my first point.
1. No matter your ability good writing takes time and practice. It is very easy to be discouraged. Oh, I'll never be as great as this famous author. Even famous authors at one time were terrible. Many bestselling authors were rejected by publishing houses hundreds of times. My first book, Bloody Nightmares, was rejected a total of four hundred times before anyone was interested. I revised and rewrote my work until I was proud of the result. You aren't going to just wake up one day and write the best novel ever written. Writing takes time to perfect. Each time I write another novel, I look at the last and can see where I improved. The key is not to feel bad about your previous work and say that it is terrible, it's to say that you have improved as a writer. Visual progress is good. It means you are putting effort into your work. 2. Don't be discouraged if you have a hard time selling your work to publishers/agents. Often times agents and publishing houses are looking for what they feel is marketable or would be easy for them to sell. They would have a hard time selling a product they didn't believe in. Just because one agent or a hundred agents don't want to take on your work doesn't mean that no one will. You have to believe in your work before anyone else will. Keep working on revisions and eventually you will get there. 3. Don't sell yourself short. Don't jump at the first publishing opportunity you get. Make sure that any offers you get are legitimate. Meet with an attorney to go over the publishing contract. Even if it seems cut and dry sometimes there are hidden conflicts you would not notice. Remember that you don't need a publishing company as much as they need you. Without authors and their work they would not be in business. They don't care about your work as much as your readers do. They want to make a profit. Also make sure to research the company on Predators and Editors; it's a website that can tell you which companies/ agents are legit or not. That's all the writing advice I'll give for this week. Remember to keep writing and when you aren't writing make sure to read your genre and books on writing. I'll be here next Saturday with another article. Chao. Like Dark Fantasy? Make sure to check out my series, World Domination.
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February 2017
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