Wondering how to start writing? Here's what worked for me.
Ladies and gents, I have wrapped up my first book of the planned trilogy. The journey was interesting, to say the least. The manuscript, which is being polished for publishing on Amazon as we speak, has been edited, re-edited, rewritten and changed several times. I must admit, that sometimes I was frustrated because I had no inspiration, or desire to write. Life was happening too and I had to focus on other things. But, perseverance pays off.
To all who are walking the same path as me or wish to do so but are too afraid or worried that your writing is not good enough or that nobody is going to read it, I wish to share a few things with you, which I have learned along the way.
For one, if you are wondering how to start, there is a simple solution for that, just start writing, whatever it is. Your initial thoughts, outlines of your story, the first words of a poem. It does not matter how good it is. As long as it is written. You will change it time and again, or delete it completely and start over. That's alright. That is perfectly acceptable. It is the only way to grow and improve as a writer.
Now, I do not wish to be too presumptuous and I must acknowledge, that I still have much more to learn and that I am yet to find an agent that will be happy to work with me and vice versa. Apparently finding a right agent is more important than finding the right spouse if you want to succeed. I have many steps to make to get there. But I can share with you what worked for me so far and maybe, my experiences will give you that little nudge you needed to start writing.
Since I was a child I enjoyed immersing myself into the stories and adventures that I found in countless books in the local library. Somewhere at that time, I also started dreaming of creating such stories. I wrote my first short story when I was around 9 or 10 years old. I still have it and I can safely say, that it was profoundly influenced by Lord of The Rings book. Nobody ever read the first story I wrote. By now the ink is fading too, but it is there to remind me that those dreams became goals and that I am now a writer, working on becoming a publishing author.
Goals, no matter how far fetched they seem to be and how challenging it might become, are achievable if you only do one small thing every day towards getting where you want to be.
I am sure many of you are writing and you have become masters of the written word in your own right. Yet nobody gets to see what you have scribbled down because you have no support, or you have poured your soul in the stories/poems you wrote and they are too intimate to share. Maybe you think that your writing is not good enough for anyone to read it.
Regardless the reasons, the way I see it, if 50 Shades of Grey, the worst book ever written in my opinion; which has a style of a deeply misinformed, sexually frustrated teen girl who thinks how a glorified relationship with an abusive sociopath and a stalker, which should be locked up in a mental institution is the way things work in a healthy BDSM relationship, can become such a success, trust me, your writing is not that bad.
There is a lesson to be learned there too, how not to write Erotica or any kind of genre for that matter and what kind of a man should every woman avoid. Literally run away from. 50 Shades is a textbook presentation of a highly abusive relationship and run-down of sociopathic behaviour. Why am I using her book as an example? Because despite her glaringly obvious bad writing, the end result is the bestseller list and three movies deal. That brings me also to the next advice I would like to share, which was ignored by the 50 Shades writer.
If you write on topics you are not knowledgeable about, do the research, read books, familiarise yourself with different styles and find what works for you. The devil is in details they say and those details give depth to your writing. For example, I have joined a Roman Legionary re-enactment group, since my story is set in Ancient Roman Britain. What better way to learn about Roman Soldier's life than immersing myself in living history. Learning small details like how the armour really feels or how to put it on or how to fight in a shield wall was invaluable. No reading can give you the details that come with actually doing things. Of course, the real deal is terrifying, but we came as close as we could without anyone actually dying. All these small things give extra life and depth to my writing.
(Yes, I know I got great legs and wind beneath my wings was refreshing. Thank you.)
Don’t concern yourself about the grammar or small details right from the start. Do not overthink things in the beginning. Let the plot flow and grow and in the process, you will add crucial details, learn about your characters. Polishing and editing come at the end.
Many see writing as a daunting task and it can seem that way in the beginning and you will be faced with criticism and negative people will be telling you how it is impossible to get published, that you are not the only one writing and a whole plethora of things aimed at discouraging you. My favourite; “I wouldn’t do this if I were you. It is too hard. It is waste of time.” It is not easy to face all that and many people will try to bring you down, intentionally or otherwise.
Most will never have the courage to sit down and put their thoughts into a story or a poem. To create a world of wonder and bring that world to others through a written word. If you are writing, you are already braver than most.
Moreover, if you enjoy writing and even if nobody reads it, then it is not a waste of time. It is something that brings you, calms you down, saves you from whatever is going on in your life, then it is not a waste of time. Never! Moreover, just because somebody does not see anything worthwhile in your goals, dreams and efforts, don’t take it to heart. It is your life, your pleasure not theirs and that is what counts.
Do not give up on the home stretch either, when you are searching for an agent. I am pitching my work to agents at the moment and as expected, I am getting rejections left, right and centre. It is what it is. I am not swayed by it and I know that there is an agent out there who will take a chance on me, (not like Abba song mind you), and help me to become a publishing author, which will improve and grow with the agent’s help.
Majority of writers got over 50 rejections until they got one positive answer. But here’s the thing, you only need ONE "Yes". To get there, might be a bit of a pain in the backside and there will be times when you will despair, comes with the territory. This is not a sprint, but a marathon. Endurance wins.
Writing and getting published is like life. You just need to get on with it, if you want to get somewhere. How long and how far you will get, is mainly up to you and of course that one crucial thingy, called LUCK. Let’s face it, sometimes you just need to be at the right time in the right place. However, the need for luck grossly diminishes the more persistent you are.
I mentioned that I will tell you what worked for me to get more serious about writing a book. It was a lovely way that a girl I thought I'll marry dumped me after 5 years and I found myself homeless to boot. Fun times. A saving grace was that I was building a career in the military aviation at the time. Eventually, I got a place too. That rainy evening, after I came home from a 12-hour shift and I could not sleep, I sat down, reflected on what led me to be alone in the said apartment and I've put my first words on “paper".
It took me a good 9 years. Yes, you heard that right. 9 years to wrap it up and all I had was my imagination, desire to write and help of many books I read along the way. That being said, I still have ways to go and I will make sure that it will not take the next 18 years to finish the other two books and like many writers out there, one of the biggest contemplation I have about my characters;
To all you writers out there, I wish you all the best. Keep writing. Do not give up and above all, do not take to heart what negative people will say about your work. None of that matters. What matters is that you enjoy writing and that you keep on writing and when you lack the inspiration to write, just put down one sentence that day. One is enough, just do not stop.
Till Next Time,
