Goodreads asked Darryl Donaghue:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Darryl Donaghue There's no such thing as an aspiring writer. You're either writing or you're not. We're a little hung up on personal labels these days. Writer. Author. Novelist. Blank-page defacer. How to 'self-identify' is a very modern anxiety. If you humbly learn your craft, write as well as you can and are patient enough to give these beautiful things time to grow, you won't have to worry about telling people you're a writer. They'll line up to tell you.

One thing very few people talk about is anxiety. Producing art in any form can trigger deep-rooted fears. Will anyone like it? What will my family think? Should I put this time to better use? Can I support my family on a writers wage? Projecting our fears into the future paralyses us in the present. The best advice, if your project is something you're nervous about, is to talk openly with your loved ones about your goals and get them excited about it. Accept that the creative process will leave you vulnerable to ridicule from self-hating internet trolls and, of course, the dreaded one-star reviews, but it'll also bring you hugs and support from places you least expect it.

And don't forget to get in touch with the incredible independent publishing community. There are a lot of amazing people out there and you have so much to offer each other. Being able to contact people from all over the world with the few taps of a keyboard is a truly amazing thing. You're a part of the most intelligent, well-informed, well-connected generation of humanity...start bloody acting like it.

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