The Legion Method: Part One

 Writing for Your Life

As an author of moderate success, I am often asked how I achieved it. I typically have only one word to offer.

Luck.

Bad books get made into movies all the time. Why? Because it was in the right place, at the right time.

Or, the author knows somebody; that is about the only other exception.

How can I succeed at writing? I get asked this one a lot. I have to ask what the definition of success is for that person. If they mean financially, I suggest they become a journalist, something regular, something with a guaranteed paycheck.

Don't ever expect to become financially successful as an author. It is a lottery. You stack the deck the best you can, but there is no guarantee. If writing isn't enough for you, you are in the wrong business.

My best advice is to write because you love to write. Publish. Pat yourself on the back from the thrill of being available in print. This is the only type of guaranteed success a writer will ever get. Being available in print is leaving behind a legacy. It is immortality.

Writing and publishing will probably cost you money, not make any. And you should learn to accept that gracefully because the odds that someone will love your work as much as you do are slim. Have no expectations of success, and you will never be disappointed.

Develop a thick skin. Rejection happens frequently, often without explanation. Sometimes, your story or novel is not what they are looking for, or you don't have the clout to have your work even read in the first place. Like any industry, it can be a who's who and who you know game. I don't play that card. I do my thing, get in, and get out. If I get noticed, terrific; if I don't, oh well. It is the healthiest attitude to have, in my opinion. I don't like drama. I tend to stay away from people who enjoy drama. I don't like games. I refuse to play.

I realize that not everyone is like me. You do you.

But.

I can honestly say, after being in the business for many years, having been published over forty times, and having produced and worked as an editor and a producer, that drama is a drain of resources better used elsewhere. Because I steer clear, as best as I can, of dramatics and playing the game, I have kept my sanity, and I am still working.

Not everyone is going to like you. Get used to it. Get over it. Writing is art, and art is subjective. I can't stress this enough. Your work may be liked by some, hated by others, or cause indifference. We all like what we like, whether in a story, a novel, or a painting, and we are entitled to our preferences. It is OK to love your work but never expect others to feel the same. Expectations are like wishes. It is hopes and dreams. We hope that what we strive to produce is appreciated, lauded, and exalted. The truth is, the best you may ever achieve is lukewarm praise. This is where that thick skin comes in handy because if you only publish for attention and do not get it, it will hurt! So, don't expect it!

I know, I know. What kind of business operates on the principle of having no expectations of money, success, or praise? What kind of business expects you to expect so little yet work so hard? What kind of business practically guarantees that there aren't any guarantees yet expects you to tear pieces of your soul, put them on paper, and have people reject them, not read them, not even like them?

Writing.

Writing demands all these things and more. It not only expects you to expect nothing, it expects you to keep on writing because you are a writer and for no other reason.

Write because you must, want to, and have to. Be your own champion, critic, and fan base.

And, most of all, don't ever stop writing. 

Shebat Legion

Her work can be found wherever fine books are sold.

Shebat Legion is an award-winning, internationally best-selling, consummate storyteller/producer/publisher whose quirky tales have appeared in numerous anthologies of various genres, and offerings of her work have been archived on the moon via The Lunar Codex associated with NASA.