Writing 101: Sometimes it feels like make believe I have eleven books out, all published worldwide so I have readers in far away places like Denmark and Israel who have bought the book locally. My books have been translated to Russian, German, Japanese, and pirated into Hindu. (And maybe others but thats the one I know of.) Ive had my books film rights optioned and pitched to be made into television shows. Every year I get tax forms from agents and publishers and I add up all the numbers, minus out my business expenses, and pay taxes on the earnings I made solely by writing. Yet sometimes, its hard to believe that I have a career. Yes, I have the books in hand, hard cover and paperback and translated. They take up several shelves of my bookcase. I have the John Campbell Award hung on the wall. The art from TINKER hangs above my desk. I email back and forth with editors and agents and fans. I can see how my sales are doing on Amazon, and if Im brave, go to Goodreads where TINKER has a 4.10 average for 2,221 ratings. Day to day, though, I get up, I sit down in front of the computer, and I type. Typetypetypetype. And I delete a lot. And I talk to my computer: what do you mean I should use were instead of was? Day in and day out. Only by sheer I have done this before do I have complete faith that all these random letters on the white screen will someday be a book. That the book will be sold in a bookstore. That people that I dont know will read it. Probably love it. Probably reread it until the book falls apart and they buy another copy. (Because you dont get over a 4 star rating when over 2000 people are rating without a goodly number of those people loving it.) There are days that faith is not enough to convince that I actually do have a career. I have to go to the websites where fans discuss my work. I have to go to Amazon and see all the pages of listings. Sometimes I have to sit down with hardcover in my hands and reread what I wrote. I have to remind myself, yes, all this typetypetypetyping is an actual, real job. I am working. Im doing something that isnt all just in my head. Luckily I have that luxury. I can. For the writer that hasnt sold their first novel, that feeling is ever more elusive. There are no books in the bookcase. Theres no novels for sale on Amazon. Theres no fans discussing the work. But they are doing the same exact thing Im doing. Getting up. Sitting at the computer. Typetypetypetyping. I know its hard. I visit that place often. I want to say to all my fellow writers: it might all feel like make believe, but it is real. You are a writer. One day that book will be done. You will sell it. It will be out in bookstores. It will gather fans. Have faith. Its real. As long as you keep typing.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Jun 2014 02:42:29 +0000
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