Five Things I Wish I Knew When I Began My Writing Career

When I began my writing career, I was fueled by passion, determination, and naïveté. Like many new writers, I thought that if I worked hard enough and believed in my stories, success would naturally follow.  

While some of what I dreamed of has happened, some things have turned out very different from what I imagined them to be. I had to learn how to create my own definition of success the hard way. Looking back, here are five things I wish someone had told me before I began my writing career.

1. Writing Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

I imagined finishing my first novel, sending it out into the world on angel wings, and magically landing a publishing deal. I didn’t realize that the writing life is not a straight road but a winding path through fog. It took time for me to develop my own distinctive writing voice…time as in years. My writing skills developed as a result of putting in those 10,000 hours, and then another 10,000 hours for good measure. It takes time to learn how to craft a book that others wanted to read. 

I was the executive editor of a literary journal for 23 years, and during that time I learned what good writing looks like to me. Then I was able to take those lessons and apply them to my own writing. I had to learn how to be critical of my own writing, not critical in a negative way, but I had to learn what I did well and not so well (and how to improve the not so well). I had to learn how to revise and then re-revise. When I made the decision to become an independent author, I had to learn about the business of publishing. 

There was no overnight success for me. It took years of quiet persistence. I nearly gave up writing several times over many years. I’m so glad I kept at it, even when it was hard.

2. You Don’t Need Permission to Call Yourself a Writer

If you write, as in putting words on paper, you’re a writer. In years past, people used to think you needed to be published to give yourself the title of writer. That isn’t true. You don’t need a publishing deal, an MFA, or a certain number of followers on social media. The act of writing itself is enough. Don’t wait for someone else to validate your work, and don’t worry about the naysayers. Be proud of yourself for sticking to your dreams while others let their goals fall by the wayside.

3. Rejection Isn’t Personal (Even When It Feels Like It Is)

Every writer faces rejection. Rejection is part of the creative life. Like every other writer, I’ve dealt with my fair share of rejection letters. There’s no way around the fact that it stings. Sometimes it feels like a personal dismissal of your story, your voice, your style, or even your worth. But publishing is subjective.

What one editor passes on, another may love. I learned the truth of this when I was an editor myself. There were times when I passed on a story that I thought was well written, but it didn’t fit my publishing needs at that time. Maybe I had just published a story about World War II and it wasn’t the right time yet to publish another. I know the form letters feel like a gut-punch, but they’re necessary for literary journals with small staffs that receive huge numbers of submissions.

When I was a new writer, I let every rejection and negative comment weigh me down. In time, I learned to trust my own voice. Once I trusted myself, I stopped looking for others to define my writing. Learning not to take rejection personally and to see it as part of the process helped me keep going when I might have given up. 

I had a lot to say about how to handle rejection as a writer here. 

4. Your Writing Will Evolve 

When I look back at my earliest work, I can see how much my writing has changed over the years. That’s a good thing. If you’re thoughtful about your art, you should continue to learn as the years pass. If you think you know everything about writing, it’s time to find something else to do with your time. There is always something new to learn and different ways to challenge your art.

Whenever I write a new book, I challenge myself to do one thing I haven’t done before. For Her Dear & Loving Husband, the challenge was to write a dual timeline for the first time. For Down Salem Way, the challenge was to write my first epistolary novel. For my current WIP, the challenge is to write my first murder mystery. How can you challenge your art in new ways?

Growth is a natural part of the creative process. Over time, your style will deepen, your characters will become more complex, and your themes will feel more resonant. Allow yourself to change. That’s how you know you’re growing as an artist. 

5. Community Matters More Than Competition

I used to think of other writers as competition. I’d look at their sales rank and wonder why they were selling more books than me. In time, I learned to look only at my own growth. 

For writers who ply our trade alone at the computer, or with pen and paper, community is everything. Writing is an isolating occupation. At a certain point, we have to put our bottoms into chairs and write the words of our story, and we are alone in the world when we do that. Still, we can find community. Finding writer friends in person or online, joining critique groups, and supporting fellow authors makes the journey far more joyful. There’s enough room at the table for all of us since we all have our own unique ways of storytelling. If 100 people write a cozy fantasy, you’re going to get 100 different versions of a cozy fanasy because each of us has our own secret sauce. 

If I were able to go talk to myself at the beginning of my writing career, I’d tell myself that, despite all of the frustrations and detours, it’s going to be okay. Your career won’t look the way you imagined it would, but there is always something to be grateful for.

If I had known it was going to take 20 years to get my writing career off the ground, I would have said, “No thanks. It’s going to take too long.” But the 20 years passed anyway, as time will, and now I’ve published 14 books and I’m working on my 15th. I have amazing fans all over the world who love my stories and who look forward to each new book I publish. The career I have today is worth every frustration and heartbreak I had along the way. Resilience is key.

If you’re at the beginning of your writing journey, you should understand that it’s okay not to know everything right away. Keep writing. Keep learning. Keep showing up for your stories. Keep growing your creativity. The rest will unfold in its own time.

Here is my advice to young writers about how to get published.

Categories: Creative Writing, Creativity, The Writer’s Life, Writing, Writing InspirationTags: beginning a writing career, creative writing, creative writing inspiration, how to handle rejection as a writer, writing, writing inspiration, writing tips