Joshua Savage's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
On Becoming a Writer
The illusion began during my childhood. I wanted to become a Jedi Knight. When no one was around I attempted to move objects with my mind. “One day,” I told myself, just like Luke Skywalker.
By early high school I realized I would never be a Jedi. Instead, I assumed I would become rich somehow, someday. No one told me differently. My parents had their own issues. My high school was huge and as an average student, I remained under the radar. The counselors never spoke or exposed me to resources or helped plan my future.
With a natural entrepreneurial spirit that I had maintained since my elementary days, I made my own money; selling cassettes or CDs, cutting grass (or selling a different variety of it), and whatever else I could do to earn dinero. Even before the days of eBay and Craigslist, I made my own money. I figured this skill would carry on throughout my life. But before I knew it, I was an adult with a regular job, regular pay, and not much chance for advancement, much less riches.
Writing has always been a passion of mine. Ever since the music teacher in third grade allowed our class to act out one of my stories, mostly for fun, I have continued to write, assuming for the longest I would just publish a book one day and get rich. The naivety of youth.
Life happened, and although I wrote frequently I never attempted to publish. Then, in 2008, when I finished my first novel, I sent it to a few publishers. I had no idea how to write a query letter and every publisher wanted something different, but deep down I knew my manuscript was amazing and the world would be lucky to have it.
Thoughts of grandeur entered my mind. I put myself in the position of Cormac McCarthy when he appeared at the Oscars. His book turned movie No Country for Old Men won Best Picture and there he stood quietly, applauding with the audience. “That will be me,” I thought.
Those few publishers I contacted either rejected me or never bothered to respond. My dreams, along with my ego, were crushed.
No worries, or so I thought. I moved on to self-publishing. Amazon was just becoming a thing. After countless hours spent learning to format, creating book covers, and the other rigmarole that goes along with self-publishing, I sold some copies. For a while I made myself proud, so much so that I continued to self-publish. Yet the time spent was never worth the trivial amount of money I made.
In fact, it took 10 more years and reading authors like Tim Ferris and Tony Robbins before I realized that I needed to ignore rejection. I focused on writing a good query letter and made a promise to send at least one a week. I took the initiative to cold call publishers when I could get their numbers. I attended literary conferences and networked with other local authors.
During this time, I learned that being a writer is more than creating an amazing story or colorfully describing events. The vocation has taught me to network, to communicate better, and most importantly, to be patient. I have grown a thick skin and learned the mechanics of business. My tech skills have improved.
In the back of my mind, even during the days of my Jedi apprenticeship, I always wanted to be a writer. Unfortunately and contrary to my naive youthful beliefs, riches and fame don’t just land in our laps. Hard work and persistence is the way to become successful, and even then, there is no guarantee. I wish someone would have instilled this wisdom to me years ago, but better late than never.
These days, I write fairly often for magazines and newspapers. My first traditionally published book can be found at bookstores. Most importantly, I carve out time every single day to write, whether a short story, a travel article, a poem, or a novel. This is the key. Make it a habit.
I still get rejections often, but it only takes the one ‘yes’ to get my work out there. I have not yet written the next great American novel, nor have I enjoyed fame and fortune, but I enjoy writing, and I get paid to do it. So, in this sense, I am living my dream.
Who ever thought becoming a writer would teach me so many life skills?
By early high school I realized I would never be a Jedi. Instead, I assumed I would become rich somehow, someday. No one told me differently. My parents had their own issues. My high school was huge and as an average student, I remained under the radar. The counselors never spoke or exposed me to resources or helped plan my future.
With a natural entrepreneurial spirit that I had maintained since my elementary days, I made my own money; selling cassettes or CDs, cutting grass (or selling a different variety of it), and whatever else I could do to earn dinero. Even before the days of eBay and Craigslist, I made my own money. I figured this skill would carry on throughout my life. But before I knew it, I was an adult with a regular job, regular pay, and not much chance for advancement, much less riches.
Writing has always been a passion of mine. Ever since the music teacher in third grade allowed our class to act out one of my stories, mostly for fun, I have continued to write, assuming for the longest I would just publish a book one day and get rich. The naivety of youth.
Life happened, and although I wrote frequently I never attempted to publish. Then, in 2008, when I finished my first novel, I sent it to a few publishers. I had no idea how to write a query letter and every publisher wanted something different, but deep down I knew my manuscript was amazing and the world would be lucky to have it.
Thoughts of grandeur entered my mind. I put myself in the position of Cormac McCarthy when he appeared at the Oscars. His book turned movie No Country for Old Men won Best Picture and there he stood quietly, applauding with the audience. “That will be me,” I thought.
Those few publishers I contacted either rejected me or never bothered to respond. My dreams, along with my ego, were crushed.
No worries, or so I thought. I moved on to self-publishing. Amazon was just becoming a thing. After countless hours spent learning to format, creating book covers, and the other rigmarole that goes along with self-publishing, I sold some copies. For a while I made myself proud, so much so that I continued to self-publish. Yet the time spent was never worth the trivial amount of money I made.
In fact, it took 10 more years and reading authors like Tim Ferris and Tony Robbins before I realized that I needed to ignore rejection. I focused on writing a good query letter and made a promise to send at least one a week. I took the initiative to cold call publishers when I could get their numbers. I attended literary conferences and networked with other local authors.
During this time, I learned that being a writer is more than creating an amazing story or colorfully describing events. The vocation has taught me to network, to communicate better, and most importantly, to be patient. I have grown a thick skin and learned the mechanics of business. My tech skills have improved.
In the back of my mind, even during the days of my Jedi apprenticeship, I always wanted to be a writer. Unfortunately and contrary to my naive youthful beliefs, riches and fame don’t just land in our laps. Hard work and persistence is the way to become successful, and even then, there is no guarantee. I wish someone would have instilled this wisdom to me years ago, but better late than never.
These days, I write fairly often for magazines and newspapers. My first traditionally published book can be found at bookstores. Most importantly, I carve out time every single day to write, whether a short story, a travel article, a poem, or a novel. This is the key. Make it a habit.
I still get rejections often, but it only takes the one ‘yes’ to get my work out there. I have not yet written the next great American novel, nor have I enjoyed fame and fortune, but I enjoy writing, and I get paid to do it. So, in this sense, I am living my dream.
Who ever thought becoming a writer would teach me so many life skills?
