KEEP ON KEEPING ON
When I first began writing, there was a little voice that insisted on intruding and whispering: What makes you think you can do this?
Whether you’re just beginning this
journey, or like me, you’ve been plugging away for a few years amassing piles
of rejections so high you don’t really want to admit how many there are, I’d wager
you, too, have felt fear, defeat, self-doubt, or even impostor syndrome. For
me, there are times the fear and self-doubt are so strong, I freeze even when my
characters are telling me exactly what to write.
You might see how a site called Insecure Writer’s Support Group
might appeal to someone like me. But, here’s the thing—until January 2019, I’d
never heard of them. But, I’ll get to that.
It’s important to share your experiences
with those negative voices because feeling these things means you care and want to succeed, that you’re
willing to fight for it. Use those emotions to help guide you.
Because the fact is, writing is hard. It’s discipline. It’s
getting your heart stomped on by rejection. But, it’s also handing a new world
over to someone else. It’s finding a way to stand up and dust yourself
off…repeatedly. It’s learning to trust, to recognize and appreciate
constructive criticism that helps better your craft.
It’s learning to keep on keeping on.
It took almost a year to write, edit,
and revise (a billion times) my first novel. And as the rejection pile grew, I
researched, studied, and refined. I’d heard it’s rare for a first novel to be
published, so I kind of set mine aside, and wrote another. Different genre,
different age group. And I queried my heart out, adding to my pile of
rejections. But, I’d also heard it could take three, four, or even five novels before one was published.
So, I wrote novel number three and spent two years querying it. And even
though, for the first time, agents were requesting more material, rejections
kept flowing in, each one another stab in the heart.
And, while I didn’t believe Novel #1
would ever see the light of day, every once in a while, I’d dust it off and send
it out.
It was during one of those times I ran
across other writers talking about this #IWSG Twitter event. Like I said, I’d
never heard of this group, so I checked out their website to see what they were
all about.
And discovered a smorgasboard of links,
encouragement, and well—support. The first thing I did was pin the site to my
taskbar for easy access.
As for the Twitter event, I almost
ignored it because I wasn’t prepared. But, another little voice nudged me, and
with a ‘what the hell attitude,” I took bits and pieces from everything I’d
learned during past events and sent off pitches for all three novels.
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much.
So, imagine my surprise when I received a coveted ‘favorite’ for… Novel #1. I
kept my excitement to a minimum because this was still a long shot…but, at
least it meant I was doing something right, and every little bit of encouragement
is worth clinging to!
After I researched the publisher, I made
sure every ‘i’ was dotted, every ‘t’ crossed. Then, I inhaled deeply and hit
send.
And forgot about it.
That’s right. I honestly forgot it was
out there. Until one day in March, I opened my email to find a message from
Keshini Naidoo at Hera Publishing. I clicked on it, assuming it was another
rejection for a different novel, so, it took me a second to realize, “Hey, wait
a minute. This is the opposite of a
rejection!”
I must have read that email a hundred
times. And then I read it to my husband who assured me I wasn’t imagining
things. Then, I read it to my son who said, “That sounds promising.”
So, I answered all the questions Keshini
asked and hit send again. Even then I didn’t allow myself to become too
hopeful. After all, I’d heard stories.
In fact, full-fledged panic with a new set
of doubts wiggled in. Did I respond too quickly? Not quickly enough? Did she
hate what I said? I made myself sick. My
poor husband had no idea what to do with me. I didn’t know what
to do with me.
Six weeks of correspondence passed
between us (and yes, those silent in-between times were difficult (waiting is
hard, folks!) before the official offer finally came in May—a three-book deal for
a series stemming from my very first novel. I was elated,
excited, and absolutely terrified! I thought Holy crap. What if I can’t do this? To which my son said, “You’ve
already done it; you’re just going to do it again.” (Isn’t he the best?)
I’d like to tell you everything has
changed, but the truth is, writing is still hard, even with a fantastic editor
with crazy good ideas and suggestions, and self-doubt still creeps in sometimes,
sabotaging my efforts and holding my brain captive.
What I can say is I’m happy I didn’t
give up. And, if I’m being completely honest, if it hadn’t been for my husband,
my biggest cheerleader, and my son (who is the world’s best plot-hole finder
and fixer-suggestor), I might’ve quit long ago.
As it is, I’m still finding it hard to
believe that this is actually going to
happen—October 2019, to be exact.
All of this to say: KEEP ON KEEPING ON. And
when you have those days when you’re wondering what the heck you think you’re
doing, remember, it only takes one. And when the time is right, you and that
one will find each other.
As for me, I’m sending out a collective group hug to
the creators of the Insecure Writer’s Support
Group. My gratitude is heartfelt, and I credit you for the path that led
Keshini Naidoo and Hera Books to me. Thank you for recognizing a need and setting up a place for writers like me to share their hopes, fears, failures, and successes. You all rock!
Charly Cox
P.S. If you get a chance, check out my website (a
work in progress, but I’m getting there).
Clcox-author.com
Twitter: @Charlylynncox
Thank you and best of luck, Charly!
Interested in joining our next event? Use this LINK to get more information!
The next #IWSGPit will be in January 15, 2020
8:00 am - 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time
8:00 am - 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time
Our annual anthology contest is now open! Use this LINK to find all the details!
The 2019 Annual IWSG Anthology Contest is now open for submissions!
Guidelines and rules:
Word count: 3500-5000
Genre: Middle Grade Historical – Adventure/Fantasy
Theme: Voyagers
Submissions accepted: May 1 - September 4, 2019
