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.
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