Sunday, May 3, 2009

This Is For All You Unpublished Authors Out There

Have you ever wondered if you will get published?

I do. Sometimes I read what I have written and think there is no way that anyone would want to read it and no wonder that no literary agents have offered to read my work. I stare at it and think it's crap, wondering if I should shelve the whole dang thing.

Then I think, who am I kidding? Of course will be published one day, it's only a matter of time. So what if the agents don't want to read my work? I have to look at it as their lose and move on. One day I will be read and published.

I think every writer teeters between these two trains of thought. It's only natural. Sure, it can be frustrating, but that's part of what makes success so sweet when we finally achieve it. The road to publication is long and hard and the road won't get any shorter or easier even after all the contracts are signed, but yet we are willing to do it anyway.

Why?

Because some people are just born to do something. I know I was born to write, whether I get published or not. How about you?

9 comments:

Fran Caldwell said...

Absolutely agree! I am at that stage, too.

Good luck to you.

Madison said...

Welcome to the blog, Fran! :D

Turity said...

Ditto! I'm always frustrated by those two contrating views on my own writing. It can be hard to keep writing without incentive, but if you love it enough one day something's sure to happen. Keep at it!

Carradee said...

Technicality: an author by definition is someone who's published. So "unpublished author" is an oxymoron.

I think you meant "unpublished novelist."

You also mean to call it agents' loss, not lose, when they pass your work.

:D Just two little things you may want to pay attention to. If you usually have Internet access, Google has a "define:" function.

The ones who are driven to write will keep writing, regardless. I know I have enough talent to be published someday (other than a single short story that I hated). The main issue nagging me is should I be published?

I hope so.

Madison said...

Maria, I will def keep at it. Welcome to the blog! :)

Carradee, thanks for pointing out those mistakes. Can you tell grammar is not my strong point? And why did you hate that short story? Congrats on getting it published, though. :)

Ray Veen said...

You're right. Every writer teeters.

You have the perfect attitude though -- just keep writing cuz it's what you do.

Madison said...

Thanks, V. I really appreciate that. :)

Carradee said...

Madison: "Can you tell grammar is not my strong point?"

I plead the Fifth. :D

I hated the one short story because I read what the small Christian sci-fi e-zine published, thought "I can pull this off without the wacky theology," did it, and they loved it.

It was a short story done per what the 'zine liked, not per what I liked.

Summary: in a time traveling area, final exams involve living through a year in the ancient past. My main character, who's Christian, is assigned Jericho by her Bible-disbelieving professor. She becomes Rahab's slave. Her year's up in time for her to avoid getting cut in two by an Israelite warrior, and she tells her professor that the Bible is real right before she passes out.

Stupid. Remarkably tame for me, though.

Carradee said...

EDIT: I meant "time traveling era", sorry.