Beth Abbott
Just go for it! That's my best advice!
I stopped writing for such a long time because I allowed everything else to get in the way. Family, work, excuses! I allowed my joy of reading replace my enjoyment in writing, and even though I loved (almost) every book I read, I regret that I didn't have the courage to get back to writing a long time ago. The scariest thing I ever did was publish my books on Amazon Kindle, because I think of them as "just my stories". I was petrified that people would hate them and leave awful reviews, and similarly I was convinced that people would think I was a fraud! Not a "real" writer at all! (I still have trouble describing myself as an "author"!)So far, at least, nobody has posted a one star review, or come back and said they hate my books, although I try and stay ready and braced for the day someone does. I keep reminding myself that not everyone likes the same books. But if I let my insecurities get the better of me, I might as well stop writing, and that would be heart-breaking for me now.
So be brave, and go for it! And if you get half way through a book and don't seem to be able to finish it? Start a different one, until the inspiration comes back to you! Write for pleasure rather than profit, and you'll get a lot more enjoyment from it.
I stopped writing for such a long time because I allowed everything else to get in the way. Family, work, excuses! I allowed my joy of reading replace my enjoyment in writing, and even though I loved (almost) every book I read, I regret that I didn't have the courage to get back to writing a long time ago. The scariest thing I ever did was publish my books on Amazon Kindle, because I think of them as "just my stories". I was petrified that people would hate them and leave awful reviews, and similarly I was convinced that people would think I was a fraud! Not a "real" writer at all! (I still have trouble describing myself as an "author"!)So far, at least, nobody has posted a one star review, or come back and said they hate my books, although I try and stay ready and braced for the day someone does. I keep reminding myself that not everyone likes the same books. But if I let my insecurities get the better of me, I might as well stop writing, and that would be heart-breaking for me now.
So be brave, and go for it! And if you get half way through a book and don't seem to be able to finish it? Start a different one, until the inspiration comes back to you! Write for pleasure rather than profit, and you'll get a lot more enjoyment from it.
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