Aspired Writing

On my way to forever, I will become a published author. This blog will actually focus a lot on my goals and things going on in my life as an author, a newlywed, and other things that come up in life. They all make up my "forever" and hopefully there will be good advice in here for you guys! It has so far taken me about 5 years of writing, re-writing, editing, re-writing again, editing again ... and so on of my first novel. I began writing this 64,000 word novel when I was 16. It all started with a day dream of someone traveling through time that I just could not get out of my head. I decided that I should write the idea down and it flowed into a story on its own. I have had a ton of people read this book and review it for me. I am really grateful to all of these people and you better believe that the book would not be the same without their comments and criticisms. (Can you believe that the first draft had cannibalism in it?! Haha, thank you to Alyssa, Kristy, and Sharon for kicking that part out early!). Those who have read it are a mixture of every group out there. I've had young adults read it, male and female, I have had women in their late 20's and early 30's read it. Women older than 65 have even read it and enjoyed it, although my grandma told me that it gave her nightmares... that could be good. At least that means that the story has the potential to really envelope the reader. I am really psyched though! After attending many different writer's conferences, including Rhemalda Publishings "Got Stories?" conference in June 2012, I figured that I really need a published author to take a look at my work and give me an idea of how it stands compared to the work being published by actual companies. Either that or join a writers' group, but I have no idea how to find one so I am sticking with the first option. Fortunately, networking is everything when it comes to selling yourself and ultimately selling your novel. My dentist happens to have published a novel recently and agreed to review my manuscript and give me feedback!!! I'm way stoked! Most companies who I have sent my manuscript to, which have declined me, don't bother to say why... not all that helpful. I am not published yet, but for any future writers out there, let me share with you what I have learned: 1. Don't be fooled by self-publishing. They require that you pretty much do all of the work. You have to market, you pay them before you ever see a penny, you are betting on yourself to be the next best-seller. You definitely have to believe in yourself, but a self-publisher will publish your book even if they don't think it is going to sell very much because they are making money off of printing your book regardless. 2. Always be refining your writing skills. When you are in between writing projects, always be writing! Whether it is your journal, a blog, short stories, whatever-- don't stop writing. 3. Go to Writer's Conferences. Some people find them boring, but if you are serious about becoming a better writer, these are the most helpful aid out there. Most publishing companies hold these conferences for free. You get to learn tips and tricks from publishers & published authors. You get to meet these published authors as well as network with other aspiring writers. Plus, there is usually food... who can turn that down? ;) haha. 4. Let people read your writing. It was a long time before I actually let people read my novel. I was afraid that if I let everyone read it, then no one would want to buy it if I got published. The thing is, there is like 60 billion people in this world. The small group you let read it, isn't going to be the only ones who do. If people don't read it, then you're going to have a hard time making it better. Other people can catch mistakes and plot holes that you miss. Any questions? Please leave comments!!!