Friday, 19 October 2012

The story goes on


So here I was in December 2011, hurtling into 2012.

I was now on my third redraft of my manuscript.

I had joined two online communities and had entered into two new unpublished author competitions.

I had received nothing but rejections from the agents I had approached. My spirit collapsed with every rebuke but I was still plodding on. I was not going to give up, and I knew that I was prepared to learn from every set-back. Every set-back was just another lesson I had to learn from, on my journey from an amateur author to someone who would one day be published.

It was at this time that I found out about two local writing groups that I could join. They held monthly meeting and were set up to help individuals just like me.

I joined up.

Every community you join will never give you that magic bullet to stardom, but in their own way the small pieces of information you gain will help you on your quest.

I didn’t know it at the time, but I was to get one of the most important pieces of advice in my new career as an author. Some words that at the time felt like a lover throwing you out of their life, but an experience that was to totally change a future redraft of my story.

What I’m trying to say deep down is that anybody can write a piece of crap, but only by continuing to open your ears, to listen, to learn, and to improve, will you succeed.

It doesn’t matter what country you live in, be it America, Russia, Germany, U.K, France, China, Canada, or the whole host of other countries where people follow my blog; the same rules always apply! Keep on changing your manuscript, keep on improving.

Never give up!

1 comment:

  1. Hi, I joined a local writing group and found it more help full than the online groups. It's more friendy to sit round a table with a cup of coffee and to talk to real people.

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