A lot of folks think writing is easy. You just sit at the
computer, type out a story, and Viola!
You’re an author. Unfortunately, there’s a bit more to the process than that,
as I discovered six years ago when I sat down and wrote my first manuscript,
True Mates.
So what exactly is involved in becoming a writer? Not just a
writer, but a successful published author?
Creativity
This would seem to be a no brainer to many but you’d be
surprised at how many people want to skip this step. People are creative in a
lot of areas but to be an author requires being creative in the art of
storytelling. An author has to be able to take an idea, a storyline, or a
character, and develop it into a compelling story others will enjoy reading.
That is a lot easier said than done.
Commitment
To put it simply, commitment is the drive that keeps you
going when others give up. It keeps you coming back to the computer even though
the words have seemingly dried up or simply don’t make sense. It causes you to continue
writing even when your emotions aren’t in it and you think everything you’ve
written thus far is a piece of crap.
Confidence
Once you’ve finished your masterpiece, you’ll need
confidence in your abilities to submit your work out to publishers. Please
note, confidence is not arrogance. Confidence says, “I believe in myself, I
believe in my work, and if you take a chance on me, I believe my story will
sell.” Arrogance is offensive, prideful, and a big turn off.
Perseverance
Rejections will come. I don’t care how magnificent your
story, publishers will not always appreciate your brilliance. It takes
perseverance to push past the hurt feelings caused by rejection and submit,
submit, and submit again, as many times as it takes until your work finds a
home.
Patience
“Hurry up and wait” is a phrase I became intimately
acquainted with during my first editing experience. There’s excitement when you
receive that publishing contract from the publisher. Then there’s the rush to
get all the required forms in by their deadline, which somehow never seems to allow
enough time. Then comes the wait. You wait, and wait, and wait. Finally, the
first draft of your edited manuscript arrives in your email inbox. You work
hard to meet this new deadline and send it back, thinking, “Finally, we’re making
progress.” Then comes another round of waiting. This process goes on and on and
on, until finally your book releases and all your hard work comes to fruition.
Humility
It’s hard to be humble when you have a chorus of thousands
singing your praises, but it’s a vital component of being a successful writer.
How do you know if you have humility? You’ll discover the answer to that
question when you’re reading all your glowing reader reviews and then you hit a
few that if not outright trash your work, call it mediocre at best. What’s your
reaction to this insult? To borrow the words of an author I know, “Stay on the
porch,” meaning, don’t get caught in the trap of trying to defend your work
from someone’s negative opinion. You can’t please everyone, nor should you try.
Let them have their opinions, even if their opinion hurts.
Dedication
I think this is the hardest part of being an author.
Dedication not only entails being committed to your course and continuing to
write after being published, but remaining true to yourself and your values
after gaining a little fame. I’ve seen many authors who once said “I’d never
write this” or “never do that” cave and do the very thing they vowed they
wouldn’t. Why?
Reader pressure is one reason. Readers have very definite
ideas of what they think you should write, and how they believe your story or
series should go. Some writers give into that pressure in an effort to please
their reader base.
Another reason is money. They see that a certain genre, say
M/M or BSDM, is selling very well and want a piece of the pie. So even though
that subject may go against their belief system, they’ll branch out and give it
a whirl because of the potential to garner sales.
I say be true to yourself, write what you like to read, and
if you’re writing for the money, you’ve already short changed yourself.
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