The will to not give up....

Wish Webpageboda would. [%sig%]

Well this is an old topic I see... started a good 3 years ago already, but I guess this doesn't matter... It could have been started 3 decades or even 3 centuries ago and would have been almost identical to what it is now I reckon. Getting published will probably always be hard. I don't know why, but I'm guessing it will be. I've been thinking about not giving up... Like Hellen and all the other struggling authors in here, I've had my moments of utter despair and disbelief and still my success at getting published is utterly limited and I have not made a single € with my writing yet, while I know damn well I have the skills for it... Not giving up... it's incredibly hard to do sometimes, but at the same time, a true writer just keeps on writing no matter what, so I reckon it's also the easiest thing in the world. Sad thing is that we write out of necessity most of the time, something just needs to get out and in many cases, such things are 100 times more inspired and worth to read than Britney Spears' biography or loads of other tripe that clutters the book shelves these days. Sometimes I like to think I'd start a publishing company of my own later, when I am rich and famous, but it's a sad truth that maybe that day will simply never come and it will always remain just a dream. Still, I keep writing, in the hopes that something will come up eventually, since that's all I can do.

Hi, I'm all new to this and am rather (actually totally) petrified. I have always wanted to be a writer and have written ever since i can remember. But there is one problem, i am doing a degree in Fine Art, i didn not get pushed into this degree against my will, i do genuinely love it. But some people make me feel as though i can't be a writer and do art as well. I feel that if i was to do an English or Creative writing degree that all the passion would be sucked out of it. That is the reason i wish to pursue both avenues. I am a few chapters into my first novel and am very excited about the prospect of finishing it and finally sending it off for 'judgement'. (Please don't bombared me with letters about how soul destroying this is because, although i have never experienced it, i am well aware of how immensely difficult it is to get published. Anyway, my real question to everyone is ... do you think that i am wasting my time writing when i am doing an art degree? Can i possibly do both in life? I cannot bring myself to give up either.

Lauren, You're never wasting your time unless you start somethiing you don't finish. There is an old saying...since I'm old, I'll say it again. "You never hit any higher than you aim" There are very talented people out there in this world. There are more people out there that are "average". Most of the people you run into will be of the "average" type. The voice of the average talent will always find a way to promote "average." If you can't recognize this and don't overcome it, you're going to be "average." If you have a skill, talent and a desire, do it all. Do everything your mind and body is capable of. Those that are above average will more likely be successful. Not trying will end in not succeeding every time.

Don't give up! Yep, there's a lot of rubbish out there but that's just cos of the commercial world (ie, loads of people want rubbish ghostwritten stuff about celebs) Keep sending your work out, ask friends (and ABCtalers) to critique it, enter competitions and write, write, write! Believe you'll be successful and you stand a higher chance of getting success (to sound all hippyish for a moment) A few years back I was getting down about my writing but a mate told me to keep going. Since then, I've been published in 8 books, worked on a music mag, written most of the copy for the launch of the Sony Playstation Europe website, got shortlisted for the Cosmopolitan Scholarship, and now am editor of ABCtales - if I'd given up back then, I wouldn't have got any of this (and I wouldn't owe that mate quite so many beers). Cheers Emily

I know exactly what you're taking about, Hellen. I started off full of enthusiasm, convinced that my stuff was better than a lot of the tripe I've laughed at in "The Works", but it's difficult to retain that enthusiasm when you simply can't work out what agents want. I discovered one who sounded keen quite early on, but he wanted me to have my first three chapters combed through by a professional editor. Never again!! I found one from the yearbook and unwittingly paid good money to have my work skimmed through by a half-witted illiterate whose "improvements" made no sense whatever. I kid you not, this woman even sent out promotional material peppered with spelling and grammatical errors (I found out later). What depresses me most is getting "good" advice as to how to make my work more commercial, working hard to incorporate those amendments, then being told by the next agent that I need to do exactly the opposite.. yup, it's disheartening. Maybe it's better to simply post your stuff on ABC and at least get the occasional compliment. Makes my day, that.

cheers both of you. I have had some success but only very small and I will continue to write but its difficult when I want to be a writer so much and it doesn't look as if I ever will be. I sound like a moaning cow don't I ?? If any of you lot would be kind enough to look at anything I've done on here and critique it, I would be eternally grateful. I haven't actually put much up yet cause I'm fairly new to ABC tales but cheers for the support.

use words the man in the street don't understand. few sales but guaranteed a whitbread or two at your local awards ceremoani.

Troy, how dare you.. you can eff and blind all you like, but never, ever, soil this site with the dreaded "W*******d" word again!

i know just what you mean.

Just how published do you want to be? My stuff gets published every day, 'cos I write for a newspaper, big deal. The world is changing, you could write for a website, which would mean you are published, or a magazine (not that hard to achieve). You could be a copywriter in advertising, which would mean lots of people see what you write but wouldn't know it was your work. Name some succsessful screenwriters - tricky, they ain't famous but there are many who make a living that way. Don't give up, if it's what you want to do, it will happen, just not necessarily to the degree you might crave.

One good idea to avoid sending your stuff to a crap editor is to ask for recommendations in forums such as this or other writing newsgroups. Good luck for next time, it can really help your work...so long as you get the right editor! Cheers Elizabeth

That truly was inspiring and sound advice.This thread really is a 'writers thread' each and every one of you have written something about your experiences, hopes and dreams that are diiferent yet essentially the same. Like Lauren I also want to do art as well as writing.I'm going to do both as well. Even though people discourage me and say that you can only 'pick one' or you'll go nowhere in life. For me art and writing are both interlinked.My paintings inspire me to write.My words give me idea's to paint and draw.Creativity fuels itself and comes back threefold.Thats a fact. Back to the main topic though.I'd like to say this to every author/writer/poet who can read this. NEVER GIVE UP. I know its easier said then done.Like you, I know how it feels to get my hopes dashed when I get piles after piles of rejection letters, and what I do get published are few and far in between with almost no payment.But if you really want to write.If you have a story , a song, a poem you know has to be shared with th world , you'll know that it is worth it to keep going on.No matter how long it takes. Its funny because I've read far better works on forums and websites then by actual published authors (no offense to them, many do indeed deserve contracts but the quality of works by us so called 'average people' is almost always of better quality.Why? Because we live life.And isn't writing about life as we know it, is what good authorship is about?) Keep at your craft everyone.Your perseverence will pay off.Try to think postively and eliminate negative thoughts. I wish everyone the best of luck in their writing careers. Sincerely -DreamsCometrue

If you write, then you are a writer already. I agree, don't we all want to be published? But I write primarily because I just like telling stories! Simple as that. It is, I've decided (after looking back over many years of garrulous tale telling) what I do. I can't not do it. Anyway, I'm writing a book for my son at present, and will be getting it bound when I'm through, so he can have a copy. I am a storyteller, and I love it! I enjoy the process, I love to be read, I love to share stories - one day, who knows...? Until then, I'm going to carry on, because I love what I'm doing. The day it becomes a trial and a source of pain to me, I quit!

Well, we’re certainly not living in the “right” age for novel-writing, if only because fewer people than ever are entertaining themselves by reading; consequently, it’s that much harder to make any kind of living at that kind of authorship. It’s even worse for short story writers. The publishers know this; that’s why they hardly ever publish short story collections, and even in novels they tend to bank on “name recognition” – it’s some hedge against the investment of publication. There are exceptions to this, of course, but they are few, and the majority of these are (from what I can see by browsing through NYC bookstores) of the “who you know” variety. My suggestion is not to give a fig about how big a splash your writing makes, or even on the prestige of the publishing house, but to concentrate like hell on how good it is. If it is very good, publish it and promote it yourself. Only, be sure that it IS good. Measure your work against the BEST in literature, not against what is most popular, since the two are rarely the same; and be brutally honest with yourself in the comparison. Literary history is full of people who called themselves “editors” passing up on great material. The good stuff, even when it doesn’t sell well initially, has a staying power that the junk just can not have. It is timeless -- it is always contemporary and in style, at least for those readers whose good opinion alone is worth having.

I am determined that no matter what l will not give up my dream. Why? because l have been assured over and over again that tough times never last but tough people do. If l give up my dream, then l am defeated already but if l do not give my dream, there is victory ahead.

keep this topic alive friends. i dream of the day where I finally get published. i won't give up.

I just came back to ABC tales after a long absence and noticed my post was still at the bottom of this forum. So whatever that proves it must mean it's a long running topic since I first posted it in 2001! It's very weird because now I work for a local paper so I do get my writing published weekly but anybody who writes news stories and creative writing will know they are two very different things. Having read the posts after mine I have to say that no I do not want Jk rowling type fame and I have never wanted it. Almost for a while my job drained all my energy and i thought about stopping the creative writing but I didn't because I found it just came naturally whether I wanted it to or not. I'm still sending stuff off to publishers, still getting rejected, still sometimes getting accepted. I suppose my point is that in four years (which I suppose is not that long in writing terms) I haven't given up and I'm not going to now. I agree with all of the writers in here it is hard but worth it no matter what.

Keep at it, Hellen.

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still keep at it girl... well done in the publishing sector

It seems to me, Hellen that I have good days and bad days. Are you the same? One day I'm so optimistic, thinking that i just have to have that lucky break and I'll be as famous as Stephen King (I know, you shouldn't see the fame thing but I can't help it. God, I even dream of signing my book in bookshops!). and, on the other hand, I have my pessimistic days when i know I will never be a published writer and I think about all the good books out there and how I could never compete. Saying that, there is crap about too so i suppose it breaks even. Sometimes i get so depressed i cry. and sometimes it is the joy of writing that keeps me happy. I just can't win! I'll check some of your work out anyway & will be back with some constructive comments. Bye, and good luck PS. Have many agents have you actually approached? I think you and I should get together and form our own agency & then we can submit all our own work. Hurray! We have an answer!!!! ....maybe not :(

keep at it everyone

I suppose it would be easier not to give up under normal conditions. However when you are a middle aged Son striving to get your Fathers Memoirs published before its to late in the midst of the Fathers old age, and sickness that you are dealing with,well then it becomes a great battle. Then it ,and all else wieghs down on you till youre ready to fold your cards,and maybe, just maybe that is the most sensible thing to do. I bite my tongue as I say the word before I type it yet it is more than I can handle.

Instead of seeing yourself as a failure look how much interest you have created... You can see how many have read your work, and given genuine feed back from the heart... As Lord byron said, to have you work critisised is an insult...to be paid for your work is vulgar... but to be read is the whole meaning... You certainly have been read... be proud of all of your work... Keep at it... Jan

First off, the person that started this topic is most definatly doing it for JK Rowling like success. Most of us get into writting as an outlet, expression, whether it be poerty, short stories or just messing around with an idea of a scene. But once most us got a good idea of an ideal book coming together, we write down those rough chapters, print a few chapters off then sent it to some publisher, hoping for the best. I've done this many of times. Of course, there's a bit of naivety at first, but once the reject letter(s) start coming in, the more you want to see your work in print. In the meantime, just improve the drafts, day by day, have another idea for another book or whatever. There was one time when I almost got close to being with a publisher. I had sent some work, and after two months, I wrote for a reply (this is standard practice for those who are trying to get published) and with my work returned, I had a letter from the 'children's' department of the company. I was rather baffled, since I had no intension of writing a children's book. Then about a few days later, the company (whom I remain nameless) phoned up, with a keen interest, thinking the book would suit the 12 - 14 bracket. Nothing against kids books, mind, but my ideal audeince would be between late teens to thirty (though I don't think there should be an age bracket for fiction). I said that I'd do up the first chapter so it would appeal to the 'adult' market. However, I got a reply saying that they were publishing a simlier book, but thanks all the same. If I remember rightly, I think I'd senf the novel out as something that it wasn't, but I've long since correted that. Though the caller said that it be a good idea to get an agent. I've also tried that, but that's another story. But I had no intesion of giving up. In an age of celebrity crap that fills the shelves in book stores (and where I have to order titles that are not in stock), the true writer will have it's day again. Big company with best sellers or a small indie one with a few cult classics to its name, it don't matter, but its always nice to think you've contributed something to the art world.