[ SECRET POST #1989 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #1989 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 048 secrets from Secret Submission Post #284.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 1 - not!fandom ], [ 1 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Not to rain on your parade, but even if you'd spent all that time writing original stuff, you probably still wouldn't be published. Not knocking on you or your writing, just going by the odds. Publishing is a notoriously difficult business to break into, and even being a really good writer (easier said than done) isn't enough. You need to find the right agent/market for your work (again, easier said than done), and have good timing (ditto), and get a bit of luck, too (ditto again). And you're probably going to get a lot of rejections before that happens. I know I did.

If you want to be published, stop moping over your fanfic, get off the internet, and start writing. Write on a schedule--set yourself a daily word count goal and actually hit it. Finish the stuff you write, because WIPs are meaningless unless you're an established author. When you finish it, edit it. Then send out your work, grow a thick skin, get rejections, and send it out again. Even when you're crying because your writing is crap and your story is crap and you want to chuck it all straight out the window, keep going. That's what it takes to get published professionally.

And if publishing is more of a "what if" than a real, strong desire? That's fine. But don't think that writing 150 pages is all it takes to get published. If you try to get into the business with that kind of mindset, you'll get torn down so fast you won't even know what hit you.

[countess_k]

THIS.

Also I would go one step further (or back) and suggest: if you are serious about writing original fiction, get your hands on as many writing books as you can. Books about story structure, character development, internal journey, dialogue and scene structure and of course writing. Do as much practice as you can and visit these forums. Post your work there, watch it get shredded to pieces, then take their advice about what you're doing wrong and try again. Trust me only after doing all of that your writing would be at a level that agents just might send you a real response (not an automated rejection letter.) Like the above anon I'm not trying to rain on your parade, just recounting some personal experience that might be helpful if you're serious about publishing.

[(Anonymous)]

DA.

Having written three novels (soon to be four!), I could not agree more with this. Books on writing have been absolutely invaluable to me (especially "A Writer's Guide to Fiction" by Elizabeth Lyon - I recommend that book to writers at every level who are serious about completing a novel!).

I also want to third the sentiment that while writing 150 pages is an awesome accomplishment, whether it's fanfic or original, writing the novel is a much smaller part of the process as a whole than most people (even some writers) realize. There's writing a novel, and then there's trying to get a novel published. I spent the majority of two years writing the first draft of my current project. I've spent what is going on THREE years now editing it (and I'm nowhere near done). Getting a novel published isn't just about writing, it's mostly about editing and rewriting, planning and outlining, and research. Reading other books like your project to see what works and what doesn't in your chosen genre is also a must in a time when only a very small percentage of manuscripts are published. And that's not even getting into the challenges of getting an agent (speaking of which, I'd also like to add that authors who are of the opinion that you "don't need" an agent to get published are absolutely 100% KIDDING THEMSELVES), selling to a publisher and promoting your work!

Like those above me have said, just a bit of advice from someone who's been - and is still currently - there. Writing a novel and trying to share it with the world are worthwhile pursuits, but it's NOT easy, and you really do need to be serious about it. Keep in mind that even if you don't get published, having a completed novel or two under your belt - or even a completed work of fanfiction - is still more than most people can say! What I've found is that these days, writing a book seems to be the thing to do (especially among celebrities), and EVERYONE seems to want to write a novel. But remember, only a small percentage of us ACTUALLY DO IT. Because it's a LOT harder than people think it is!