Story Telling

Some people believe story tellers are born not made, others that writing is a skill that one can acquire. Debates on this topic run red hot. But I feel fiction writing is another animal all together. I think fiction writing is an act of love. Only a deep, intense and ultimately unhealthy love of the craft could explain being a fiction writer. Especially in the old days.

 

It used to be, a writer spent five or ten years submitting work until they found a literary agent or landing a book deal. Five years of typically silence or the slightly better form letter. Five years of unadulterated pain and self doubt, all the while the story wells up inside of you. You write, you spend more time writing, you send it out to beta readers and critique partners. Most of the time these "others" only want to make your words sound more like them. They criticize your voice, they find plot holes, you correct them. You get lost. You spend time crying. You get migraines on days the contests are supposed to notify the winners, you are inevitably not one of them. You quit, you come back you try again. You hear about self publishing, you wonder if it's for you. You think about it, you wonder if you will ever have the courage to enjoy to try. This is love, in its purest and most deeply unhealthy form. You believe your work is better than half of the drivel out there, you are convinced your writing is worse than everything else. You need a therapist to get through the day.

 

What you really need is an editor, so why aren't you out there beating the multiple menial jobs it takes and squirreling your cash away to hire an editor? Because deep down, you believe one day you will break through and be worthy.