Introduction

Welcome readers!

 Those of you who’ve followed me on twitter awhile have heard me talk about my WIP for years, and I finally released it September 1^st.

The idea for Palingenesis had been in my head since middle school, and after over a decade of working on and off it, I’ve learned many lessons, five of which I’ll explore today.

Lesson 1: Start Now!

The sooner you start writing, the faster you’ll get better. No time will ever be right, but you have to write anyway. I thought you had to know everything about writing before you could put words to the page, so I devoured every book, article, and webinar on the subject. Yet I didn’t write—at least not consistently.

I spent large chunks of my teens and twenties playing with the idea of being a writer, only writing when I was inspired or when it felt right.  If I could do it over again, I’d have started writing as soon as I could. No amount of knowledge will help you be a better writer if you don’t write. Forget shooting for perfection your first time. Write horrible first drafts and learn as you go.  And once you have a few manuscripts under your belt, you won’t completely suck.

However, as Hemingway said,

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one becomes a master.”

Lesson 2: Check Your Ego

No one starts out writing masterpieces, so be open to constructive criticism, and give yourself time to hone your skills. It takes time to get good at anything, so stay humble and accept you aren’t as good as you think you are. Trust me, I know this firsthand. I was an insufferable novice who thought I didn’t need to follow things like story beats or consistent point of view and characterization.

I got a reality check when my precious self-insert fanfic got roasted, and rightly so. No matter how good you get, there are still things to learn.  

Which leads me to my next point. Everyone won’t like what you write, and that’s okay. Don’t respond to reviews good or bad. This is considered highly unprofessionally, not to mention immature, and you don’t want to make a name for yourself as the thin-skinned author who harasses reviewers. Instead, focus on writing the best book you can, and your fans will thank you.

I know in the age of instant gratification we live in it gives us all the feels when people like and share our work, but don’t chase external validation. Your work matters regardless of whether it’s popular. Write because it’s what makes you happiest, not because it might make you rich and famous.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’ve fantasized of my work being made into a block buster movie, as I’m sure most writers have. But the truth is we write because it’s what we’re called to do, even if we never make a dime from it.

While it’d be nice to be the next Stephen King or George RR Martin, we must keep things realistic and shoot to be the next “us.” This leads me to my next point.

Lesson 3: Don’t Compare Yourself to Other Writers

We are all at different points in the process and comparing your first book to someone’s twentieth is like comparing a pebble to Mt Everest. There are things you’re good at while others suck at and vis versa; ask a fish to act like a horse and it’ll fail but ask it to act like a fish and it’ll excel. Do what you do best and don’t try to imitate others because a facsimile can never beat the original.

Besides, other writers aren’t your competition anyway. There are enough readers for everyone to make a living; jealousy of other writers will make you bitter and distract you from your primary goal: writing and selling your work.

Ultimately, the only writer we should be comparing ourselves to is ourselves.

Lesson 4: Write First for Yourself

We must first aim to please ourselves and then readers. This means setting standards for our work. Any fuckwit with access to a computer and the internet can slap a manuscript on Amazon and call themselves an author.

But that doesn’t make them one.

First, as self-published authors we must overcome the stigma the comes with it. And that means writing a book as good, if not better than a traditionally published one, which means we can’t half-ass things. You must set standards for what you’re comfortable releasing into the world. Set them and always try to meet or surpass them.

Second, write what you’re passionate about. Don’t chase trends, because they will have passed by the time your book is ready for publication. Instead, create them. Write the books only you can. Write from the heart and it will resonate with like-minded people; they will be your hardcore fans.

Third, don’t be afraid of offending people by including politics and social issues you’re passionate about. Writing is inherently political, and some people aren’t happy unless they’re finding fault with something. As I said above, no book will be universally liked. Stay true to your values and beliefs and your book will find an audience.

Your motivation for writing has to be strong enough to weather the storms because the road to publication is a long and lonely one. Trust me, I know. 

Lesson 5: Perseverance

As I wrote here, writing, like life, is a work is progress. There were many times I’ve doubted myself and my skills and whether I should be doing something else with my life that was easier than this.

But every time I wanted to give up, my WIP called out to me to finish it. So, I kept plugging away at it. Why would I inflect this madness upon myself? Because I know a book like this would have helped me a ton had it been a round when I was a teen. I remember what it was like being a geeky, queer, Black kid in the Midwest starved for depictions of myself. So, I write for the boy I was and all the those like me.

The journey to a published book is a marathon not a sprint. Sometimes it will feel like everyone except you is getting an agent/book deal or releasing a book. I’m not gonna lie: it sucks, especially when you see authors who churn out multiple books a year, while you’ve been working on yours forever. But trust me, have patience. Keep at it and your time will come.  

Conclusion

Writing has been my constant companion; it’s gotten me through the deepest of depressions when just getting out of bed was a Herculean effort. And during this pandemic it’s kept me sane as I revised and edited my WIP and worked on blogs and short stories. Writing is how I make sense of myself and the world around me, and I’d be lost without it.

Writing Palingenesis has taught me so much about myself and how I want to use it to empower LGBTQ+ people of color and other marginalized folks. Wherever you’re at on the journey know it’s worth it. Don’t give up.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, please share it on social media. And if you’re inclined below is the buy link for Palingenesis.

Books2read.com/Palingenesis