Escape and sh-... stuff
Writing may seem useless when you look at all the writers out there trying to get a piece of the pie, but I don't think of it like that. It is interesting to look at emotionally, when you're this little underdog standing below these massive behemoths--but save that for writing inspiration when you have a character who is hopeless. We aren't hopeless, i'll tell you why.
What is it to really be the best? To get to the top? Being successful is just as good, no?
I think to make someone escape, to go to the world you create, and keep them wanting to come back is a great accomplishment. You can toil away at your work and get nothing (for now, but if you push you will make it), and if all that hard work only reaches one person and changes their life, well then you've accomplished something big.
We all start out small. Once you pick up that little handful of snow it seems like nothing. But roll it along the ground and watch more snow stick to it. Now, yes, it may crumble into little flakes again. But when that happens, you just pick up more and go at it again. Sprinkle on some Laws of Probability and that little handful of snow will get bigger and bigger until it's a nice sized ball. Keep rolling that ball and it will be hard at first, but you'll get it and soon that ball will be a huge snow ball. And if you want to write in pen names, perhaps that huge ball can be the bottom of a snowman and you start rolling other balls and put it on top of the big one...you get the point (I hope haha).
Sometimes writers forget about what this is really about. A lot start for themselves, but then it turns into more. Personally, if I could change the life of someone, if I could have them looking forward to picking up a story of mine and escaping when their life is hitting them hard, that's something magical.
Think about it. Is Z Nation as good as The Walking Dead? To some it may be. To some it may suck. The Walking Dead is definitely at the top of it's game right now. But just as much enjoyment can come from Z Nation. And a lot of the time monetary success depends on other things like exposure--which plays a big part. But also word of mouth and how many stories you have under your belt (get to that in a second). See, that person who you changed their life? They are a die-hard fan now and will tell any one they know who reads about you, may even write about how much they love you in blogs and such. Totally forgot the writer, but I remember someone said (as i'm sure others have, as well) you build your readership one at a time.
Now to get back to the belt thing. If you write three, four, TEN novels and they don't do great, just keep going. Once you get that hit, and subsequently the die-hard readers, they will go back to all those other stories and buy the sh-... well, you know. Those other stories will start doing well.
Well, hope I sounded somewhat coherent. I try not to edit this too much unless I feel it is beyond repair, but then I probably just delete the post. I want this blog to be somewhat raw.
Talk (write) next time. Keep writing.
WCM
What is it to really be the best? To get to the top? Being successful is just as good, no?
I think to make someone escape, to go to the world you create, and keep them wanting to come back is a great accomplishment. You can toil away at your work and get nothing (for now, but if you push you will make it), and if all that hard work only reaches one person and changes their life, well then you've accomplished something big.
We all start out small. Once you pick up that little handful of snow it seems like nothing. But roll it along the ground and watch more snow stick to it. Now, yes, it may crumble into little flakes again. But when that happens, you just pick up more and go at it again. Sprinkle on some Laws of Probability and that little handful of snow will get bigger and bigger until it's a nice sized ball. Keep rolling that ball and it will be hard at first, but you'll get it and soon that ball will be a huge snow ball. And if you want to write in pen names, perhaps that huge ball can be the bottom of a snowman and you start rolling other balls and put it on top of the big one...you get the point (I hope haha).
Sometimes writers forget about what this is really about. A lot start for themselves, but then it turns into more. Personally, if I could change the life of someone, if I could have them looking forward to picking up a story of mine and escaping when their life is hitting them hard, that's something magical.
Think about it. Is Z Nation as good as The Walking Dead? To some it may be. To some it may suck. The Walking Dead is definitely at the top of it's game right now. But just as much enjoyment can come from Z Nation. And a lot of the time monetary success depends on other things like exposure--which plays a big part. But also word of mouth and how many stories you have under your belt (get to that in a second). See, that person who you changed their life? They are a die-hard fan now and will tell any one they know who reads about you, may even write about how much they love you in blogs and such. Totally forgot the writer, but I remember someone said (as i'm sure others have, as well) you build your readership one at a time.
Now to get back to the belt thing. If you write three, four, TEN novels and they don't do great, just keep going. Once you get that hit, and subsequently the die-hard readers, they will go back to all those other stories and buy the sh-... well, you know. Those other stories will start doing well.
Well, hope I sounded somewhat coherent. I try not to edit this too much unless I feel it is beyond repair, but then I probably just delete the post. I want this blog to be somewhat raw.
Talk (write) next time. Keep writing.
WCM
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