From the first day you start writing you being for yourself. Clearly for the love of well...writing. But as you read all these blogs and as you discover how to get your novel published that’s what your goal is. The simple joy of writing is well...gone. Admit it.
You still enjoy to write and it is still your passion but would you write that novel if you knew it would never be published? If only a few family and friends praised it and then you were forced to stash it in the drawer? As I think more and more of this, most of us do write to be published.
Most of us want to be those 1 in a million people that become famous with writing, even if we know its practically impossible. But when critiques come in and say that there is no chance how do you take it? If you really love writing you won't give up. Instead you will keep going and improving, using those critiques to improve but if you are writing to be published you might as well trash your novel now.
What about you? What keeps you writing when you are feeling rejected by agents?
I didn't begin writing to get famous, rich, popular, or the like. I wrote a story because my muse wouldn't shut up. LoL. Seriously though, I didn't write it with the sole thought of getting it published. I wrote it because I had a powerful story to tell, so I told it. All that other publishing (nightmare stuff) came after the fact. I didn't even think about actually being "published". I;m still not, but now I'm trying - only because my muse still won't shut up. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI keep writing being I still have powerful story to tell, no matter if it ever gets published. I did a rant about this on Nathan's blog under the thread "Do you have a rejection contingency plan?". My answer? Yes, I do - keep writing. Because I love it.
Nice post.
~JD
Thanks Justine. I must admit I didn't even know how the heck anything gets published when I wrote my novel but I did get sucked into the wirlwind of wanting to get published now. I guess I still do write my story for myself but I want my characters to be out there for everyone to know, like I do! LOL. I admit though if I don't get published I probably also will keep writing though, especially once I get a great idea.
ReplyDeleteFeeling rejected by agents? Sorry, I expect to get rejected by agents because I think of them as working inside the norms, as well they should.
ReplyDeleteMe? I've never fitted inside. On the other hand, my soul itches if I don't write. (Getting endings on stories may be a different matter.)
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ReplyDeleteI write solely for the fun and thrill of writing. It's like going sky diving for the first time, or riding your first roller coaster. You're scared at first, but after you rode them, you want more.
ReplyDeleteBut then again, I'd be lying if I say that's all. Of course wanting to be publish is one, but it's not the major back pusher for me.
Other than the fun and the thrill, I write so that I can proudly say before I die "Yeah, I did that too!".