What We All Needed to Hear

 I’ve finally finished what I would like to be my first novel which I’ve been writing for the past three years and is currently trying to get published.

So far, I’ve been rejected by two agents who specializes in the new/young adult fiction genre which is the genre of my book. However, those two agents said my book was not for them and because of the changing publishing industry they have to be very selective in what they publish in these times.

And I do understand that. As Nicholas Sparks said, “publishing is a business. Writing may be art, but publishing, when all is said and done, comes down to dollars”

But the scary part is that’s only two rejections and based on the stories of other writers, I have many more rejections to get.

It’s an extremely frustrating process that I know of, through reading about the journey of successful authors, but wish someone told me about three years ago when I actually started this book. Because it’s not easy coming up with an idea, spending years bringing that idea to life, keeping in mind perfect grammar and to avoid writing fallacies, and create realistic characters and experiences, then after hundreds of query letters, emails, submissions and even editing and re-editing your story later and you are still being rejected.

It’s very demotivating to think of and to experience.

But what I have learnt through the words of Sparks is that “above all, a query letter is a sales pitch and it is the single most important page an unpublished writer will ever write. It’s the first impression and will either open the door or close it. it’s that important so don’t mess it up…”

The thing is just like the entrepreneurial/business world, or pretty much life in general, you’ll always start out with failures. Whether it’s being rejected, or told your book needs a lot of work, or it’s too controversial. You will start out with failing.

But that doesn’t mean that is where it stops. The fact that you could write and complete a book means that there is so much more that you can do. So, if it needs work, it’s your story go and work on it. If everyone thinks your story is not for them to represent, represent it yourself, go into self-publishing and get your story out to the world.

It’s also very important that writers know that the taste of readers often change constantly, there will always be that audience who wants something new and different so it’s not that your story is terrible it’s just not simultaneous with what the industry demands at that moment or during that period. And it’s your job, your duty to understand that and be current with what you write or set the trend, be on the cusp of change in the literary world and write content that people want to represent, that people want their names, their brand to be attached to and associated with.

Writing requires creativity, originality, uniqueness, essentially, what art in general is made up of. So, writing is art. And to break into the art industry is not easy, whether it’s literary art, performing art, visual arts or music, it’s tough especially in the publishing industry and wanting to get published. However, it’s not impossible to make it and you can.

As a writer and creative person, I’ve learnt a few things, over the years about the creative world and I’d like to share them with you.

Firstly, DO NOT EVER compare yourself or growth to other people it only sends you into an unnecessary comparison/jealousy/insecurity spiral, only compare yourself to your yesterday. You will feel like trash and be discouraged when you see people growing faster than you or developing pass you. And I can promise you there will be people like that, they exist in every aspect of life. However, the reality is we all as creatives learn and grow differently, it’s not a competition, so embrace your growth and your pace because that is your journey.

Secondly, no one should tell you how to do your art and how to be creative. That what you are doing is essentially wrong or incorrect, art isn’t math or science. Now, don’t get me wrong. You can always better your work by learning and being taught different brush techniques, writing styles or vocal freestyle. But you shouldn’t let anyone dictate how you express yourself as a creative person, it’s your uniqueness and it comes from you. The key is accepting your work for what it is, originally you, acknowledge that there’s room for improvement and growth, and act accordingly.

Thirdly, practicing and following other writers, musician, artists, dancer or actor that you can relate to or have the same style as is very important. You can learn so much from doing that; about things you never knew that you never knew and get a lot of inspiration especially when you’ve hit a bump.

And lastly, do not force creativity. Art block which is like writer’s block but covers the more general area is very real. But in that time, you can take a break and feed yourself with the works of others and you’ll be surprised how that block disappears. And in regard to writing and the actual physical process, as Hank Green said, “not all writing is writing. Thinking, staring, researching, stressing, reading other people’s work, reading your own work again, reading stuff that you’ve already written…all of that is writing”. I do believe that can be applied to the work and process of other creatives too.

With that said I want to zoom in on writing

Whenever you get an idea for example for a novel, a poem, a short story, memoir, children’s book, blog post, etcetera. And you start working to bring that idea to life, keep in mind these tips, that has proven to be very helpful to me.

1.      Take a break when you need to. Don’t force yourself to write when you are having trouble because that just creates a whole mess. And usually what you write in that sort of mental space, usually doesn’t turn out well. I have a friend that said whenever she forces herself to write, she gets nauseous and that for her is an indication that she needs to stop, take a five, ten-minute break or sometimes the rest of the day off. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I understand for some, you know if you take a break you may lose your flow or the idea. But then you have to be disciplined with your time, it’s easy for that break to turn into months and even years. It’s up to you to set yourself a schedule that includes healthy breaks.

2.      For those of you guys who like to plan out your writing, your plot, your story and set up a kind of structure that you want before you actually start fleshing out the ideas, try not to focus on that structure too much. Just kind of follow the flow and direction of your writing or story as you begin writing. Because when you try to limit what you are writing to the plan or structure you’ve already set out, it takes so much away from what your story, your work, your piece can be and is capable of being. And of course, you want to be cognizant of plot holes and such but it’s also important to let your story chart its own course and feel natural.

3.      Get a grammar assistant website, app or browser extension like Grammarly. You find that they help give your writing a little fluff.

4.      Explore all five senses when you are writing. You have to write what you are seeing in your head and sometimes saying dialogue and sentences out loud will allow you to judge if they make sense. Also, a common mistake among writers including myself is focusing on visuals only, especially when describing a scene. Understand that readers also need to experience what you are describing and need to get a clear picture, sort of like a 3D/4D vibe of what is taking place in that scene. Including things like smell and sounds can really embellish your description and enhance your writing or story. 

I hope this has proven to be helpful to you guys!