Ceara Comeau's Blog: Lessons From A Struggling Writer, page 8
November 2, 2017
My Fear
I just recently came back from a wonderful vacation at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Now it was definitely fun, but I also learned an important lesson.
This lesson came to me when I got to have the full "Harry Potter" experience where a wand chose me. (If you've read the books or seen the movies, you'll know what I'm talking about.)
The only thing I could think about after all that was, I wanted my future fans to feel that same kind of excitement toward my book as the "Harry Potter" books. But that euphoric feeling I had began to fade away and was soon replaced by fear and doubt.
I'm going to let you in on another secret. My biggest fear isn't one you would normally think. I can handle spiders, snakes are cool, and clowns...well...they aren't so bad. But my real fear is having to take a typical 9-5 job for the rest of my life and just write as a hobby.
This fear, over the last few days, has been at the forefront of my mind. But then I started to re-evaluate my life up to now and how relevant this fear was.
I then began to realize that I may have to take a 9-5 job at some point. But that doesn't mean I can't still try and get my work out to the world--it just might take a bit longer. I mean, look at J.K. Rowling, it took her a while to get recognized. She wasn't a sensation overnight. The fear of failure is very real for an independent author. But I know that if I let that fear control me, then I won't get much farther toward my dreams.
This lesson came to me when I got to have the full "Harry Potter" experience where a wand chose me. (If you've read the books or seen the movies, you'll know what I'm talking about.)
The only thing I could think about after all that was, I wanted my future fans to feel that same kind of excitement toward my book as the "Harry Potter" books. But that euphoric feeling I had began to fade away and was soon replaced by fear and doubt.
I'm going to let you in on another secret. My biggest fear isn't one you would normally think. I can handle spiders, snakes are cool, and clowns...well...they aren't so bad. But my real fear is having to take a typical 9-5 job for the rest of my life and just write as a hobby.
This fear, over the last few days, has been at the forefront of my mind. But then I started to re-evaluate my life up to now and how relevant this fear was.
I then began to realize that I may have to take a 9-5 job at some point. But that doesn't mean I can't still try and get my work out to the world--it just might take a bit longer. I mean, look at J.K. Rowling, it took her a while to get recognized. She wasn't a sensation overnight. The fear of failure is very real for an independent author. But I know that if I let that fear control me, then I won't get much farther toward my dreams.
"Success is not final. Failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." -Winston Churchill-
October 23, 2017
Publishing
In my previous posts, I've expressed how challenging writing can be. But, that's only half the battle. The real difficulty begins when you go to publish.
Years ago, a writer could only publish their manuscripts through a traditional publisher, but with the 21st century comes self-publishing. A writer no longer needs to beg an agent to take a look at their manuscript. The writer is their own publisher...sounds great! Right? Well it depends.
Self-publishing and traditional publishing have their pros and cons. Traditional publishing comes with their own editors and cover artists and the agent who you get will work with you to make your book "best-selling" material. But, it takes months just for an agent to return your email and sometimes the answer is a rejection...sometimes they won't even respond and you have to take that as a rejection. If you're like me and were rejected by about 100 agents, don't worry, because self-publishing is just as real as the traditional way.
In fact, in some ways it feels more fulfilling. Although, in my opinion, self-publishing is much harder than the traditional way. Sure it might be faster depending on how you do it. But you have to format your own book, look for the right cover, edit it over and over again, and do a bit of extra marketing.
What it boils down to is this. If you have a book worth reading, prove it to the world! You definitely don't need an agent to be accepted. They are only of the small minority of people and even if you can't land an agent, that doesn't mean your book isn't good. It just means you have yet to find YOUR group of readers. Trust me, they're out there!
Years ago, a writer could only publish their manuscripts through a traditional publisher, but with the 21st century comes self-publishing. A writer no longer needs to beg an agent to take a look at their manuscript. The writer is their own publisher...sounds great! Right? Well it depends.
Self-publishing and traditional publishing have their pros and cons. Traditional publishing comes with their own editors and cover artists and the agent who you get will work with you to make your book "best-selling" material. But, it takes months just for an agent to return your email and sometimes the answer is a rejection...sometimes they won't even respond and you have to take that as a rejection. If you're like me and were rejected by about 100 agents, don't worry, because self-publishing is just as real as the traditional way.
In fact, in some ways it feels more fulfilling. Although, in my opinion, self-publishing is much harder than the traditional way. Sure it might be faster depending on how you do it. But you have to format your own book, look for the right cover, edit it over and over again, and do a bit of extra marketing.
What it boils down to is this. If you have a book worth reading, prove it to the world! You definitely don't need an agent to be accepted. They are only of the small minority of people and even if you can't land an agent, that doesn't mean your book isn't good. It just means you have yet to find YOUR group of readers. Trust me, they're out there!
October 20, 2017
Writer or Artist?
You know the usual greeting when you first meet someone. You exchange salutations and eventually the conversations goes around to, "So what do you do for a living?"
Generally, when I say I am a writer, I get one of two looks. The "You're kidding me, right?" or my personal favorite, "You write? Oh, that's cute." When I first started out on this journey, I felt so insecure about my work that when I got this reaction I didn't feel writing was anything special. I ended up labeling writing as a hobby rather than my passion in life. At the time, it seemed a more reasonable answer to inquiring minds.
Writing not only became mundane for me, but I stopped seeing it as an art form. For years, I would tell people sheepishly that I was a writer and not an artist. But, is there really a difference?
Art comes in all forms whether it be dance, music, painting, or even graphic design. Each form uses its own medium to express something in a creative way. But that's also what unites them; the creation of something new.
I don't need a paintbrush to depict a beautiful Italian scene. I have words. And if put in the right order, I can create anything! So, after twelve years of feeling that my talent is insignificant, I've realized that it is one of the hardest and noblest art forms to take. After all, only a writer can carry you off to worlds beyond your imagination!
Generally, when I say I am a writer, I get one of two looks. The "You're kidding me, right?" or my personal favorite, "You write? Oh, that's cute." When I first started out on this journey, I felt so insecure about my work that when I got this reaction I didn't feel writing was anything special. I ended up labeling writing as a hobby rather than my passion in life. At the time, it seemed a more reasonable answer to inquiring minds.
Writing not only became mundane for me, but I stopped seeing it as an art form. For years, I would tell people sheepishly that I was a writer and not an artist. But, is there really a difference?
Art comes in all forms whether it be dance, music, painting, or even graphic design. Each form uses its own medium to express something in a creative way. But that's also what unites them; the creation of something new.
I don't need a paintbrush to depict a beautiful Italian scene. I have words. And if put in the right order, I can create anything! So, after twelve years of feeling that my talent is insignificant, I've realized that it is one of the hardest and noblest art forms to take. After all, only a writer can carry you off to worlds beyond your imagination!
October 18, 2017
Editing...Editing...PROOFREAD!
"Oh, I've edited my manuscript so many times, I forgot which draft I'm on!"
If I had a dollar for every time I've said this, I'd have enough to hire a book publicist. But is it really about how many drafts you're on? Is that a good measurement of when you should stop editing or proofreading your manuscript? Absolutely not.
When I first started out writing, I was so impatient when it came to editing my work. I didn't care about how I should improve my craft, I just wanted the editing done yesterday. Editing is, by far, the longest process of writing a book, but for me it was even longer. Was it to do with my impatience? Partly, but the real reason? I'll let you in on a secret. I'm terrible when it comes to English. In fact, I had to take remedial English class in college just so I could graduate!
To this day, I wish I had paid more attention in English class during my school years, but nothing can be done about that now. Sooo what did I do to improve? I read! I read as many books in the genre I was interested in and some even outside of that genre. I learned from other authors what writing style I liked best and from there I grew. Now, I'm not saying to forgo English classes as they are extremely important to a writer's life, but there are other ways to learn.
With my latest book, I didn't even bother counting how many drafts I went through. To me, it was about the learning process. I even told my editor that I wanted her to highlight areas that needed to be fixed so that I could improve. Even after she went through it, and she did a good job, I re-read my book from a reader's point of view and found several weak areas within certain explanations.
In truth, the editing process is never-ending only because as writers we always want to strive for our best to give our readers the best experience possible.
If I had a dollar for every time I've said this, I'd have enough to hire a book publicist. But is it really about how many drafts you're on? Is that a good measurement of when you should stop editing or proofreading your manuscript? Absolutely not.
When I first started out writing, I was so impatient when it came to editing my work. I didn't care about how I should improve my craft, I just wanted the editing done yesterday. Editing is, by far, the longest process of writing a book, but for me it was even longer. Was it to do with my impatience? Partly, but the real reason? I'll let you in on a secret. I'm terrible when it comes to English. In fact, I had to take remedial English class in college just so I could graduate!
To this day, I wish I had paid more attention in English class during my school years, but nothing can be done about that now. Sooo what did I do to improve? I read! I read as many books in the genre I was interested in and some even outside of that genre. I learned from other authors what writing style I liked best and from there I grew. Now, I'm not saying to forgo English classes as they are extremely important to a writer's life, but there are other ways to learn.
With my latest book, I didn't even bother counting how many drafts I went through. To me, it was about the learning process. I even told my editor that I wanted her to highlight areas that needed to be fixed so that I could improve. Even after she went through it, and she did a good job, I re-read my book from a reader's point of view and found several weak areas within certain explanations.
In truth, the editing process is never-ending only because as writers we always want to strive for our best to give our readers the best experience possible.
October 17, 2017
Writing For A Living--Can It Be Done?
Now, by the sounds of this blog title, you're probably thinking, "Of course you can write for a living! Just look at Stephen King or J.K. Rowling!"
This statement is definitely valid. But I think as budding writers and avid readers we often forget how much work goes into the concept of "writing for a living". It isn't just, "BAM! I wrote a book, now everybody read it!" No, there is so much more to it than that.
I've heard it said before that "writing for a living" can be compared to that of a normal home business such as Mary Kay or Pampered Chef. But the difference with those two is that people know they have a need for those products. With selling books, an author has to show the potential buyer that they have a need. Its another added step which makes it ten times harder.
We only ever see the outcome of an author's success. But I bet if you asked some of the greats, they'll tell you that they put in a lot of time and money into their craft. Determination and perseverance leading them to their ultimate goal.
This statement is definitely valid. But I think as budding writers and avid readers we often forget how much work goes into the concept of "writing for a living". It isn't just, "BAM! I wrote a book, now everybody read it!" No, there is so much more to it than that.
I've heard it said before that "writing for a living" can be compared to that of a normal home business such as Mary Kay or Pampered Chef. But the difference with those two is that people know they have a need for those products. With selling books, an author has to show the potential buyer that they have a need. Its another added step which makes it ten times harder.
We only ever see the outcome of an author's success. But I bet if you asked some of the greats, they'll tell you that they put in a lot of time and money into their craft. Determination and perseverance leading them to their ultimate goal.
October 16, 2017
Who Will You Inspire?
This past weekend I attended a writing event at nearby library. A friend of mine from there asked me to come and take part. I was grateful for the opportunity as I was trying to reach out to more people. Unfortunately, no one, aside from other authors, showed up. But that's not to say nothing came out of it. In fact, this was a major learning experience for me.
You see, I've always considered myself an ambivert. This is not a term one usually hears, but its a combination of extrovert and introvert. Although, over the past few years, I've become more introverted. This, I found, doesn't really help when you're trying to show the world your masterpiece.
My introverted side has a tendency to come out when I'm surrounded by writers who I believe are more experienced than I am. But my friend at the event expressed to me how glad she was I could make it. According to her, I was a huge influence to the kids who came. But when I had to leave for college, many of those kids lost interest in writing.
I had no idea how much of an impact I made on them. I felt quite guilty that I lost contact. I tried to convince myself that I was at college and there was nothing I could do. That's not true though, I could have definitely kept everyone updated and even communicated more with my friend at the library.
This weekend I've learned that it's really important not to cut ties with people, even accidentally. Networking is a HUGE part of being an author. Even if you aren't in the process of publishing your next big project, that's okay! Take the time to reconnect with people. You never know who you'll inspire!
You see, I've always considered myself an ambivert. This is not a term one usually hears, but its a combination of extrovert and introvert. Although, over the past few years, I've become more introverted. This, I found, doesn't really help when you're trying to show the world your masterpiece.
My introverted side has a tendency to come out when I'm surrounded by writers who I believe are more experienced than I am. But my friend at the event expressed to me how glad she was I could make it. According to her, I was a huge influence to the kids who came. But when I had to leave for college, many of those kids lost interest in writing.
I had no idea how much of an impact I made on them. I felt quite guilty that I lost contact. I tried to convince myself that I was at college and there was nothing I could do. That's not true though, I could have definitely kept everyone updated and even communicated more with my friend at the library.
This weekend I've learned that it's really important not to cut ties with people, even accidentally. Networking is a HUGE part of being an author. Even if you aren't in the process of publishing your next big project, that's okay! Take the time to reconnect with people. You never know who you'll inspire!
October 15, 2017
Descriptions...My Worst Nightmare
When I first started writing, I was about ten years old. At the time, I had just found my way into the writing world and I didn't know all that much. I was mainly self-taught and learned what I could through reading mystery books like Nancy Drew. I found the world of writing to be fascinating and wanted to discover myself through this art form.
Looking back, I wasn't all that great at it. I could write dialogue effortlessly, but descriptions were the bane of my writing existence. But over the years I developed ways that helped me get what was in my head out onto paper. Sometimes I'd talk it out with my writing friends and for the most difficult descriptions, I'd act out the scene...alone of course.
It took me years to become comfortable with writing descriptions, but I've looked at my older books and saw the progression through the years. I'm still learning different methods to perfecting my descriptions as there is and always will be more to learn.
Looking back, I wasn't all that great at it. I could write dialogue effortlessly, but descriptions were the bane of my writing existence. But over the years I developed ways that helped me get what was in my head out onto paper. Sometimes I'd talk it out with my writing friends and for the most difficult descriptions, I'd act out the scene...alone of course.
It took me years to become comfortable with writing descriptions, but I've looked at my older books and saw the progression through the years. I'm still learning different methods to perfecting my descriptions as there is and always will be more to learn.
October 14, 2017
Memories of Chronosalis
Exciting news! My new book, Memories of Chronosalis, will be available in late November/early December. I am really passionate about this book as it has taken me a couple years to put together. After several drafts, I am confident that this book will blow everyone away!
At first, I was very nervous about writing this book as I was taking a huge leap of faith with it. Memories of Chronosalis is primarily fantasy with elements of science fiction. It is loosely based on my old Amber Oak series, the only thing I really kept are some names of the characters.
I really wasn't sure where the book was taking me, but I was so happy to go along on the adventure! I can't wait for it to be published so I can tell the world what new and exciting things Amber Oak has been up to!
At first, I was very nervous about writing this book as I was taking a huge leap of faith with it. Memories of Chronosalis is primarily fantasy with elements of science fiction. It is loosely based on my old Amber Oak series, the only thing I really kept are some names of the characters.
I really wasn't sure where the book was taking me, but I was so happy to go along on the adventure! I can't wait for it to be published so I can tell the world what new and exciting things Amber Oak has been up to!
