Cintia
asked
Patricia Bracewell:
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?
Patricia Bracewell
Dear Cintia,
Discouragement is something that all writers, published or not, have to face every day - whether it's because of the market, or because ideas evaporate, or because the words you need to convey what you see in your head as you write elude you. Your biggest difficulty, I think, looking at your question, is fear of failure; that your chances of selling a book are so small, why even try? I believe, truly believe, that the answer to that is to simply not think about it. Write to please yourself; write because you love to write; write because you have something to say, a story to tell, or a character who inspires you. Commercial success in this business is as much luck and persistence as it is talent, so if striving for that success is blocking you, re-define success. Make it about writing the best book you possibly can, and worry about what happens to your manuscript later.
The other difficulty that you're dealing with - "I haven't had an idea for years" - well, that's a tough one. I see from your website that you are a Christian. In the research I did for my novels I learned that the Anglo-Saxons, fervent Christians, believed that all inspiration came from God. You might find the answer to your difficulty in contemplation and prayer. We are bombarded with noise in this century. As a writer, you have to block it out, and listen to the silence.
I wish that I had more meaningful answers to give you, but I'm merely a struggling writer, just like you. I wish you all the best.
Discouragement is something that all writers, published or not, have to face every day - whether it's because of the market, or because ideas evaporate, or because the words you need to convey what you see in your head as you write elude you. Your biggest difficulty, I think, looking at your question, is fear of failure; that your chances of selling a book are so small, why even try? I believe, truly believe, that the answer to that is to simply not think about it. Write to please yourself; write because you love to write; write because you have something to say, a story to tell, or a character who inspires you. Commercial success in this business is as much luck and persistence as it is talent, so if striving for that success is blocking you, re-define success. Make it about writing the best book you possibly can, and worry about what happens to your manuscript later.
The other difficulty that you're dealing with - "I haven't had an idea for years" - well, that's a tough one. I see from your website that you are a Christian. In the research I did for my novels I learned that the Anglo-Saxons, fervent Christians, believed that all inspiration came from God. You might find the answer to your difficulty in contemplation and prayer. We are bombarded with noise in this century. As a writer, you have to block it out, and listen to the silence.
I wish that I had more meaningful answers to give you, but I'm merely a struggling writer, just like you. I wish you all the best.
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