Helen Harper
Goodness, where to start?!
Read. Read good fiction and trashy fiction. Read out of your comfort zone. Read anything and everything you can lay your hands on.
Then write primarily for yourself. Don't fall into the trap of trying to think of what you should write because others will like it. Chances are if you enjoy it yourself, other people will too. Honestly, I wrote Bloodfire four years ago when I was stressed at work and needed an outlet. I didn't even know that publishing myself would be a possibility. I just needed to do something creative and wanted to read more urban fantasy but couldn't find anything that I'd not already read that interested me. The book sat on my computer for two years before I dared to put it out there. The audience I was initially writing for was me and me alone. I think that's why it's done better than I ever could have imagined.
Every writer is different but personally I don't plan my plots out beforehand. I get excited when I write when I don't know what's going to happen next! And don't sweat the times when the words won't come. Go off and do something else. They'll show up eventually.
It's a brave new world for writers now. Anyone essentially can publish what they produce on a huge variety of platforms. Embrace the possibilities!
Read. Read good fiction and trashy fiction. Read out of your comfort zone. Read anything and everything you can lay your hands on.
Then write primarily for yourself. Don't fall into the trap of trying to think of what you should write because others will like it. Chances are if you enjoy it yourself, other people will too. Honestly, I wrote Bloodfire four years ago when I was stressed at work and needed an outlet. I didn't even know that publishing myself would be a possibility. I just needed to do something creative and wanted to read more urban fantasy but couldn't find anything that I'd not already read that interested me. The book sat on my computer for two years before I dared to put it out there. The audience I was initially writing for was me and me alone. I think that's why it's done better than I ever could have imagined.
Every writer is different but personally I don't plan my plots out beforehand. I get excited when I write when I don't know what's going to happen next! And don't sweat the times when the words won't come. Go off and do something else. They'll show up eventually.
It's a brave new world for writers now. Anyone essentially can publish what they produce on a huge variety of platforms. Embrace the possibilities!
More Answered Questions
Cintia
asked
Helen Harper:
I'm an aspiring writer, but I'm dealing with two things: I get discouraged every single day because 96% of manuscripts are rejected, and I haven't had an idea for years, literally. There's too many people wanting to be writers, and knowing there's so much competition just kills me a little every day. When I get motivated, immediatly something appears about the industry that kills it. Any tips on how to deal with this?
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