First of all I want to wish everyone a happy holiday season. I hope everyone has been enjoying time with family as I have. Today I decided to write a piece to help aspiring writers. I know there is someone out there who was just like me pounding the keyboard and wondering when they would finally reach their goal. Enjoy.
When I initially started writing my book it was fun, exciting, and my imagination ran wild! There were so many opportunities, so many different outcomes I could choose from. So I went to work, I pounded the keyboard day and night putting “word vomit” to paper and when I thought I was done I had exactly that, word vomit. A slightly coherent and jumbled mess of creativity that I had carelessly thrown onto paper. The more I read it the more hopeless it seemed that it would ever become a real “book”. What was I to do?
This is where the hard work came in. It became less about writing and more about revising, reviewing, and revising again. At first it was painful, terribly painful….. I remember days where I did not even want to pick up the paper because of the agony felt every time I found a mistake. Slowly my confidence began to errode and my dream of moon lighting as a writer seemed it would fizzle into oblivion.
In truth it was my wife who finally helped me get back on track and motivated me to finish. I eventually found an editor and created a process that I stuck to for several months until finally on November the 24th, 2014 my book Marauder was published on Amazon! So what advice can I give to aspiring writers, what insight could a newly published indie author possibly offer?
1. DO NOT QUIT. IF YOU QUIT YOU WILL NEVER BE A WRITER.
2. HATERS GONNA HATE! Surround yourself with people who are supportive and dump the rest.
3. TIMELINE / STORY BOARD If you plan your story well upfront there will be less mess later.
4. REVIEW AGAIN AND AGAIN. No matter how many times you review you will find mistakes. Create a process that works for you and stick with it.
5. GET BETA READERS WHO ARE COMMITTED. It’s hard to find people who are willing read your book front to back in a relatively short amount of time (One Month) and give you insightful feedback or grammar corrections. Most people will promise to help you but when it’s go time if you don’t give them six months they will act like you were overly demanding on their time.
6. GET AN ONLINE EDITOR Let’s face it, at some point you will have to pay into your book. It’s an investment! Shop around and find a proven Editor.
I hope you find this helpful and ultimately reach your goal. Remember, don’t ever quit!!!
– David
D.W. Roach "Marauder" 