Monday, May 28, 2012

Marketing Monday - Write for yourself

So often we ask advice from those amazing published authors we look up to on how they stayed in the game. They always have those key responses that you’d think we’d listen to.

Never Give Up.
Write for Yourself.
Now, when I heard these I laughed and said ‘what do you think I’m doing here? This is me not giving up… this is me writing for myself.’
Turns out I was wrong.
I was still writing for others and when someone showed interest I’d push a few chapters out before giving up because it wasn’t as effortless as I remembered.
I wouldn’t edit. I’d just let it sit in the drawer with my other half-assed projects.
I’d get a new idea and ask authors for advice again.

Never Give Up.
Write for Yourself.

Believe in Yourself.

They’d added one, believing in yourself. That seemed simple until two chapters in my characters and I weren’t getting along. From there the game of jenga started to fall apart. I still wasn’t writing for myself and I’d already given up before I’d truly begun.

I hear about writers who get into the game a lot later than those sixteen and twenty year olds. I pride myself for still being so young in the game and then I realize with that I’m not nearly as mature up as the sixteen year old writer. They got it. They understood themselves, they’re writing, and what it meant to write for yourself and never give up.

Now at twenty-six I’m finally writing for myself.

I understand what it means. Letting go of the judgment, the world, and the critiques. It’s not time for that yet. Yes, the end goal is to have people read your work but if you don’t love it why would expect others too?

You’re supposed to write what you love. Isn’t that the point of writing for one’s self.
It’s how I explain blogging to the newbies. Love what you’re doing. If you don’t find the passion step back until you do. The fire will ignite when the timing is right.

That’s how the marketing starts. When you love something chances are you’ll start sharing it and people will start growing intrigue for your work. Before the story is released you’ll have a fan base just because you showed passion and love for your own work.

Have you figured out the writing secrets yet? I’m still mastering them all.

10 comments:

Stina said...

I definitely write for myself. Always have. Always will. That's why I love writing. :D

Amy Saia said...

I love this post. I think you've nailed it on the head.

Natalie Aguirre said...

We spend so much time on our manuscripts we have to write something we love. Or it could turn into torture. Thanks for reminding us.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I definitely wrote for myself with my first book. Wrote for my audience as well as myself with my second, but I think that comes naturally.
As far as marketing, we're selling ourselves as much as our work. I think valuing ourselves and others matters just as much.

Clare C. Greenstreet said...

I always write for myself. Because if I'm not writing for myself it won't be good.

Meredith said...

I definitely haven't figured out all the writing secrets yet, but writing for yourself is such a good one!

Talli Roland said...

You have to love what you're doing or you'll never reach the end! I'm still trying to figure out all the writing secrets. :)

Jennifer Hillier said...

It's not easy to let go of the judgment. I struggled with this a lot in my second book - wondering what people would think, wondering if the second book would lose fans of the first because it was different. I'm hoping with the next book to get back to totally writing for myself, because honestly, there's no joy in it otherwise. Great post, Jen.

Carolyn V said...

I think when I write for myself, my writing is actually better. Weird how that works out. (But I'm still working on mastering that too.)

Liesel K. Hill said...

Great post! I agree that you nailed it! After all, if you don't love something, you aren't going to put your all into it, and in writing that means floppy and mediocre! Yuck! Love this post! :D

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