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I've been writing for about forever.
For as long as I can remember, I've been dreaming up stories in my head and trying to put them into words. It's just who I am.
It wasn't until about two years ago, though, that I decided to really pursue this as a career.
It's not like writing is that easy, I realized. There's a lot more to it than just what I assumed when I started. Over the past two years of doing my "serious writing" I've learned a lot.
Here are 11 things I wish I knew before I started writing:
- Not everything you write is going to be good. I'm a perfectionist and, unfortunately, not everything that I write is perfect. (Actually, none of it really is.) Some of it will be good, and some if it will not. That's just the nature of it.
- Coming up with stories isn't that easy. Trying to come up with different, unique plot lines and characters is a lot harder than I thought it would be.
- You won't finish everything you start. There have been many projects that I've given up halfway through. Maybe I'll get back to them one day, and maybe I won't. It's okay either way.
- Your first draft isn't going to be what you send to publishers. Editing is a necessary evil in this business. The thing about writing is that it takes time for it to be good. You could write and rewrite a hundred times before it's where you want it. That's okay too.
- You have to be careful which publishers you let have your book. I got a call from a publisher about Coffee Colored in September-ish last year, and was so ecstatic. But then they asked me for $2,000 and I looked into reviews of them and found some shady stuff. Needless to say, they don't own the rights to my book. Be careful not to be deceived.
- Your first book isn't likely to get picked up by a publisher. It's probably not likely that your first book will get published (it could, don't get me wrong), it's just that usually, your first book isn't up to "publisher standards." Writing takes a lot of practice.
- Self-publishing is awesome. I never thought that I would self-publish. I thought I would just take my time trying to make my books perfect and exactly what publishers were looking for so that I could end up in the rows of Barnes & Noble. And while that is still definitely something I am pursing, I have also found self-publsihing to be very rewarding in the meantime. ((Shameless plug) You can buy Coffee Colored here, if you'd like.)
- It's okay if you write fan fiction. Personally, I don't, but I do read it. And let me tell you: I've read some fic that is better than some published novels that I've read. Don't let people discourage you from writing fic if that's what you want to write. It's totally a totally valid genre.
- Reading a ton is the key to good writing. The more you read, the more you will learn about how to write. It's been so helpful for me to read other books and study how those authors write. It's helped me improve my writing so much. (It's even okay to read fic, especially good fic, because that can help you improve as well.)
- NaNoWriMo is an excellent motivator. I wouldn't have finished either of my two books if it weren't for NaNoWriMo, honestly. Coffee Colored was mostly written in November 2013 (although I didn't finish completely until January 2014), and Scavenger Hearts (which will hopefully be available soon) I wrote completely in November 2014. (I'm working on editing it right now.) ((p.s. don't forget that it's okay if you don't reach 50,000 words. 50,000 words does not a make or break a novel. As long as you're happy with where it ended, then you've done it.))
- The most important thing to do when you are a writer is to write. This seems like a no duh type of thing to say, I know. But the fact is that writing is really, really hard. It seems glamorous and oh yeah, I can totally write a book, but it's not that simple. Writing takes time and dedication and discipline. Set aside time everyday to write, and you will reach your goals much quicker.
If you have anything that you wish you would have known when you started writing, let me know in the comments below! I'd love to hear how you've all grown as writers. :)
Blessings,
Shi.
