Certainly.
But a blog isn't a blog if you don't talk about yourself.
Gulp.
So here is my personal journey as a writer.
Something to chew on.
I've started to write five years ago.
October 2006 exactly.
That is the time for me. Something clicked and since then it hasn't turned off.
But I wrote sporadically. Depending on my moods/how tired I was ect...
Sounds like an eternity.
It is.
The first story I wrote was a picture book called "the story of the werewolf...i mean of the warehouse."
Yes that was the title.
Terrible title.I know.
Terribly story.
It was a story of a drawer who lived in a dark warehouse and wanted to be a washing machine.
Sigh. Not the best of content for children.
I did the drawings myself too.
They were very amateur.
But I liked them nonetheless.
I still kind of do.
They make me laugh.
Let's see if I can rumage through my stuff and get it for you.
Ah there it is!
I completely fail to understand why a kid wouldn't sympathise with a drawer! ;-/
Anyway, I sent queries at the time. To 7 or 8 publishing agencies/literary agents.
I knew nothing of the industry.
Well would you believe?
I got rejections from all of them.
So I stopped for 3 months.
And wrote another story. A story about Peas and Carrots.
Sent it again.
Got rejected again.
Gave up.
Started writing another story for older kids. 8 and 9 years old about a girl who happens to be too curious.
It was messy. I gave up.
Then I wrote a story for young adults.
Worked on it for 2 years on and off.
And returned to the two previous stories I wrote.
I decided that I still liked it. Decided to revise it and queried it again.
And now I am waiting.
For answers.
On the three of them.
The 4 P rules -
Passion.
Patience.
Perseverance.
Purpose.
Reference to a post I wrote on the 31st of March:
http://laspeedwing.blogspot.com/2011/03/4-pss-rule.html
I love your four Ps. I'm glad you never gave up and someday, someone will love what you write as much as you and say, 'We'd like to publish.'
ReplyDeleteMaybe the two Ps that are hardest, are Patience and Perseverance.
ReplyDeleteKeep going though.
Even some of the most well known authors/authoresses had rejections for some time before their first book was accepted.
Maggie X
Nuts in May
Don't give up the fight!
ReplyDeleteThe 4 P's are a great guide. The hardest of the for me would be perseverance. If can't see measurable progress I have a tendency to try something else instead of sticking at it.
Just posted a comment on your "Would you Rather?" article. Better late than never!
You never know what will happen when you write. Sometimes, I think it's good to not know about the industry, because then you can just write and not think (worry) about publishing trends, marketability, etc. :) Good luck.
ReplyDelete