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.