If you’re like me, your attempts at writing fiction have often felt like stumbling blind through a forest. Just when you think you have your bearings another branch slaps you in the face. I sometimes feel that good writing is as elusive as bigfoot, and I often think it would be easier to do just about anything else with my time.
Then I remember how hard my other career has been. I’ve been a software developer for close to twenty years, and I remember when programming seemed impossible. I remember struggling and failing at programming the same way I do now with writing, which I’ve only been doing seriously for a little over a year.
And it’s not like I could stop writing even if I wanted to. I’ve tried, but I always end up back at the keyboard, just like that movie Groundhog Day. No matter where life takes me, I eventually return to the keyboard, ready to write my first novel… again.
I’ve tried to write a novel three times so far, with varying degrees of success. The first time I got about 40 pages in before quitting. Years later I tried again and generated a hundred pages or so. Just last year I wrote a massive 200,000 word tome of rambling garbage that I’m never going to show anyone.
But I’m getting better. With the latest attempt I’ve proven to myself that I can write an entire first draft of a novel, something that once seemed like a pipe dream. Sure it was crap, but I finished it, and that was my initial goal. Success!
The simple fact is that writing — at least novel writing, which is what I’m endeavouring to do these days — is not a hobby, but a full-time career. As such, it should be incredibly difficult. The learning curve should be measured in years, or even decades. If you’re like me you’ve dedicated a good portion of your life to a traditional career. Why not expect to do the same with your writing career?
Writing is brave. It’s a journey. If you are, like me, at the unpublished beginning of that journey and find yourself intimidated by the path ahead, know that you’re not alone. Also know that we can do this. If you’ve built a traditional career as a software developer or accountant or doctor or banker, you can do this. It isn’t easy — it’s doable.
I’m going to be publishing weekly blog posts about my own journey as an aspiring novel writer on this site, and I hope to inspire you on your own journey. Please leave comments, because I love to hear from others in the craft.
Also, if you feel alone in your journey and want some inspiration and real solid advice on writing, I would suggest joining the Jerry Jenkins Writer’s Guild. I don’t have any advertising arrangement with the Guild, but I joined a few months ago, and I find the material just incredibly helpful.
Until next time, happy writing.
