I'm not living by my own rules.
(The next few paragraphs is a bunch of ranting and other publishing nonsense. Scroll down to the skip to the update on my books.)
You heard it right there, everybody. Yep, that’s me, not abiding by my own rules I’ve set for myself. Missing my own deadlines. Shirking my own writing responsibilities. Falling off the wagon of authorship. Tumbling down the hill of failure.
Yep, that’s right. I’ve failed to live up to my own writing goals. What goals you say? The same goals I preach to other authors to help them pursue success in writing:
#1 Write everyday.
Do this to flex the muscle of talent God has given you. The more you write, the more you understand your own gifts.
#2 Learn to write by reading.
You can take all of the writing classes you want, but by reading how other authors make you cry, cringe, or plunge you into a fit of rage, you earn a deeper element of emotional passion you can use in your own writing. Reading other’s stories can also help you learn what doesn’t work to stir those emotional senses.
#3 Get vulnerable.
Jim Rubart said it best. “Open a vein” when writing. Don’t always write the warm and fuzzy. Characters should have tragedy and pain, just like we do. Sometimes that pain is our own.
In the same breath, we have to ask readers (and friends and family) to be truthful with us. Do they see room for improvement with your writing? Ask them to be real. Honesty may sting, but it promotes change. You just have to have a willing heart.
#4 Get real.
Many of us have a parent or friend who believes that everything we write is gold. My mother fully expects my face to be plastered on all the best seller lists any day now. Most of us, however, know the truth is that we will likely be starving artists the rest of our writing days. Only a small percentage (about 5%) get a traditional publishing deal, and of that percentage that is published, half of all titles sell a dozen books or less. A dozen or less! On the self-publishing side, most authors can expect to make $150-$250 (ever) with their book, with only a few dozen authors making more than 10k a month. I say this to keep things real. Don’t expect illusions of grandeur when you publish a so-so book. If you want to be successful, you have to work for it. You have to be the best. Write the best. Better than the best.
I’ve violated all of these rules. I haven’t written every day. I haven’t read like I should. I am too stubborn to show my vulnerable side and ask others what they think. And I would sometimes rather lie to myself and pretend I could be a successful author with minimal work. Yes. This is me.
Especially lately. Sure, my life has been busy. We’ve been publishing books, building our audience, selling at homeschool conferences, and renovating a house, and I’ve barely touched the third book in the new series I’m writing. And I haven’t addressed the issues in the first and second books yet. I have watched a few seasons of the SciFi show Andromeda, however. And played some Zelda on my Nintendo Switch.
I know. Pathetic. I am ashamed.
Sometimes rules are meant to be violated.
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about the publishing world, there are few rules on how things should be done. Sure, there are your basic formatting and publishing standards, but then the world is your canvas. I spent I-don’t-know-how-many hours trying to figure out how everyone else designed and formatted their books, only to discover that it doesn’t really matter. In fact, following other’s trends isn’t advised at all, because then you tend to blend in with the crowd.
Writing books is similar. As authors, we tend to fall into the trap of drawing on other book plots and worldbuilding concepts to craft our own stories. As one friend called it, we then contract “imposter syndrome” for authors. Our stories aren’t original. They aren’t unique. I know what you are thinking. “Aren’t we supposed to read books by other authors?” Yes. But only to draw inspiration from them to see how the boundaries of prose can be tested. Not to remake their stories. Think about the last hugely popular series you’ve read. Was it original? Most likely.
I keep this in mind, because sometimes rules are meant to be violated. Should I try to write every night? Yes. Should I read books from other authors? Yes. Should I stay vulnerable so that I can put emotion into my characters and learn how to impact readers? Yes. Should I stay real with myself to keep working harder to become a better writer? Yep. I should. But that doesn’t mean I beat myself up for not sticking to these rules. I am a creative, and the worst thing I could do to myself is place myself inside a prison of manufactured rules. Sometimes that means abandoning your goals (just for a little while) and watching a few episodes of Captain Dylan Hunt on the Starship Andromeda.
Writing Update (about time)
I promise I’m not trying to make excuses. I need to place some rules on myself so that I accomplish–something. And, I acknowledge that I need to get back on the wagon and keep writing.
That said, I’m still in the middle of the third book of Demon Tide. I’m having a bit of trouble nailing down where to go from here, since there will be a gap of time between the first climax and the dramatic (wild, actually) ending. I plan to develop some good character dialogue here, and push the characters a bit with their own conflicts. One of them will have a breakdown. And it’s going to be ugly.
The plan is to still publish books 1 & 2 late this year, after beta reading and a super-cool exclusive Kickstarter. Be on the lookout for that.
How you can help
#1 Stick with me. I have some really cool stories planned. Demon Tide will be an awesome series, but I’m already planning the next series. I really believe it will make some waves.
#2 Pray for me. I really want God to be in every story. Every word of every story. This is essential.
#3 Support me. Buy my books. Review them on Amazon. Email me and tell me the truth about my writing. Be an ARC reader when the book is released. I want to hear from you! Find me on my website www.troyhooker.com.
That’s all for now. I know I have been erratic with my updates, but I’ll do better. It was the house renovation thing that did me in. Wow. What a project. Glad it’s over.
Until next time, signing off.
