Tag: Personal

In my last post, I wrote about how it helps for a new author to look for the positive message, if any, hidden in a rejection then to focus solely on the fact that their work had been rejected by an agent or publisher. The truth is though that it can get to be draining when all that seems to come of one’s hard work are negative responses. Not only through whomever work is submitted to but also through feedback from test readers. It is a never ending onslaught of different opinions, comments, and there is always that hidden thought that keeps getting pushed away that perhaps the story is not good enough. So what keeps a newbie author motivated?

Beer

No, but beer does help. There is one thing that helps me the most, much more then beer ever could. I know it won’t sound like rocket science, but if one is planning on getting their story out there, they will need support. Whether it is from friends or family it really doesn’t matter so long as there is someone to lean on.

When it all seems pointless, sometimes all that is needed is a nudge to help one to realize what they have accomplished so far and that they have done something many other people out there have tried and gave up or gave up before they even started.

Many successful writers give advice not to seek feedback from their families or friends. I think that’s a bunch of hogwash. Sure, they may be biased, but given what an author faces – especially a new and unpublished author, any ally to offer their support is a huge benefit. I know that without the support of my family and friends that I have shared my endeavor with have kept me going in the hard times. When I find myself at my wit’s end with it all and want to give up, they are there to give me the nudge I need.

I’m sure there are those that think they can “go it alone” and maybe they can. I for one am glad I have the support I have. So thank you to everyone that shares my dream of turning my story into a success.

My book turned out to be a little over 80,000 words.  Part of me wants to simply set it up in Amazon and see what happens, but another part of me pushes that thought out.  I’m not quite sure why.  I don’t know if it’s fear of the potential ultimate rejection by the world, watching what I considered to be a fun read, to wallow in the depths of the internet, never to be found by anyone.  I of course would tear it down from the site to save myself more heart-ache then necessary, but it’s still a horrible thing to think about.  I know, I’m biased as were my editors, but I like to think that the words of encouragement I received through the process had merit.

I did have a lot of fun writing the story.  Some would say it is quite dark, but I do not think that it is.  My main intent was to try and create realistic characters and put them in an apocalyptic event.  What makes it dark is the realism that I used to provide each characters background before the action takes place.  Let’s face it, real life can be pretty dark.  There are some characters that show a beacon of hope and there are some that are pure evil.  I wanted my story to be somewhat of a thriller by capitalizing on fearful realities we all face today.  Those are the things I believe to be the most scary.  One’s that we all can identify with by what we see in the news everyday.

So, another day has passed and I sit here thinking about whether or not to take the plunge and set my story out to the world.  It’s right at my fingertips, which is an amazing thought.  I could set aside an hour, upload the book to Amazon, and a day later it’s available to the world.  Easy enough, but terrifying.

What a chicken….