I’ve been writing for a long time. Technically more than twenty years, but it’s been about that long since I first self-published an e-book on Kindle (it’s still there if you want to check it out). Since then I’ve self-published another e-book and have also had a rather long period without publishing any at all.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my experiences with writing recently and thought I share some things I feel I’ve learnt about it after all this time.
Writing with a day job is tough
I’m not a “professional” fiction writer and there’s no two ways about it; Virginia Woolf was spot on when she said you need money and a room of your own to write full time. Of course, she was referring specifically to the difficulties facing by women, but frankly these days it’s the case no matter your gender. Working a regular job and dealing with everything that comes on top of that means finding time, strength and headspace to write isn’t easy. There are ways and the desire to write will always be there, but it means you have to take any and all writing wins no matter what they are.
Self-publishing doesn’t guarantee success
Kid-shaped me would have been awed by the fact that I’ve published my own stories without having to battle for the attention of an agent and publisher. However, a world that makes it easy to publish, means a lot of people can do it. So now you’re battling with thousands of people for attention without any support. The likes of internet and social media have also widened your audience and your competition (which I’ll get to in a moment). Being good at marketing, seems like a skill you need more than your writing chops and one I’ve struggled with. But whilst my sales numbers are not very big, I’m proud that I finished a book (two books even) and sent it out into the world regardless of who reads it.
Tech is a tricky tool
For a while, many people thought books were on the outs because other forms of entertainment became so easily accessible at home. Films, TV, games and more all there whenever you want it. However, social media channels have become home to many book advocates with things like BookTok and BookTube. This upswing in interest is something of a double-edged however. Certain genres, writers and books are over-represented, with variety side-lined. And the more popular influencers make certain books, the more publishers clamour to find the next X and ignore anything else. And as I mentioned above, taking publishing into your own hands, isn’t an easy answer.
AI is a challenge
For the avoidance of doubt – I don’t support people using GenAI to write books. I know why certain people use it. The same folks that used to do bad cut-paste rip-off jobs, now use AI to generate something “new” to flood the online marketplace. But I don’t understand actual writers – or people who call themselves writers – using it. Because if you’re a writer, you write because…you love writing. Why would you use a bot to do the thing you enjoy? It also shows a lack of care for your audience. After all, if you can’t be arsed to write it, why should I be arsed to read it?
You can always improve
Right now, I think the book I’m working on is the best thing I’ve written. I thought the same about previous books too – in between bemoaning how they suck and I’m a terrible writer but hey we’ve all been there! Writing is a skill, a muscle that gets stronger every time you write. Think about your favourite author and how much their first book differs from their most recent. How they’ve developed with years and years of practice. That’s you too. So never think “I’m done”. You live and you grow and you change. Life willing, you’ll still be improving your writing when you’re eighty!
Sometimes you have to give up
I don’t mean entirely. I’d never tell anyone to stop writing – even writers I don’t like. But what I mean is you may work on a piece of writing for a long time and then decide to stop, and that’s fine. I spent an inordinate amount of time creating a trilogy which was far too convoluted and complex, then worked on a bunch of short stories for a collection that I also decided not to go ahead with. For the trilogy, I’m sure I’ll return to it one day, when I have the right mindset to make it work. And with the short stories, well some of them ended up as competition entries instead! As with anything in life, failure allows you to learn. It’s really annoying, but it always allows you to learn!
If you made it this far, thanks! I hope it’s been interesting to read my ramblings. I’d love to know if there’s anything important you feel you’ve learnt from your writing experience? Please share in the comments.
Related reading
If you’re after more writing advice, I recommend On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. Or the classic The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr and E.B. White.
Some of these are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.
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