They’ve got your back... 23/02/20212323
Over the last few years, I’ve discovered that writers are amongst the most supportive people on the planet. Not all of them, obviously: some writers are self-centred, manipulative, hard-nosed egomaniacs.
Luckily, I haven’t come up against many of those.
The writers I have got to know, are incredibly generous human beings. They read and critique each other’s work; they commiserate over failure and they applaud success. They rally round when times get tough and they reassure when doubt sets in (which it does frequently, because self-doubt is in the job description: when you become a writer, you leave your self-confidence at the door).
Published authors can be particularly supportive. Not only do they know how hard it is to write a book, they also know it’s even harder to get someone to publish it. They have gone through the stress of submitting their work, so know how exhausting the process can be. They understand what a struggle it is to keep going in the face of repeated rejections, how difficult it is to keep believing in yourself and the words you’re churning out, when you’re getting no interest from agents or publishers. Even when they’ve made it themselves, they take the time to support those who aren’t quite there yet. Although, ironically, few authors accept they’ve ever truly ‘made it’, because the literary lack of self-belief doesn’t end when you finally see your name in print on the front cover of a book. I know a couple of successful authors who have sold millions of novels, who still worry that the next book won’t sell, or the one after that may not live up to expectations...
But if you’re trying to get published, you really need those friends who keep telling you that you’ll make it. You need to be reminded that getting a book deal can be a numbers game, and there’s an element of luck involved (your manuscript has to land on the right person’s desk, on the right day, when they’re in the right mood and aren’t so overloaded that they can’t take on any new clients). Struggling writers also need to be reminded that, although being able to write decent prose is important, what you really need if you’re going to make it as a writer is resilience and skin as thick as a rhino.
Since I started writing fiction, I have met fellow writers on courses, at literary festivals, through workshops and via Twitter. My writing buddies come from all over the UK (all over the world, in the case of social media); they are different ages, from different backgrounds and have vastly different styles of writing, but we are all part of this fantastically supportive community. Distance means most of us stay in touch by email or Zoom, but I’m lucky to have also become good friends with writers who live so near that we can share literary highs and lows over a couple of bottles of wine. Most recently I was invited to be part of a Twitter group, where a dozen of us tapped away like fury last November, creating novels as part of NaNoWriMo. Nearly three months later, we’re all still writing, and the group has moved to WhatsApp where we chat, share tips and encourage each other on a daily basis.
Supporting fellow writers can take up some of your precious writing time – and a lot of your head space. But it’s worth the effort, and you get back the love in so many ways. I’m incredibly proud of my friends who are already published authors and grateful to them for their support, and hope that, when I join them, I’ll be able to help others who are just starting out on this journey.
Luckily, I haven’t come up against many of those.
The writers I have got to know, are incredibly generous human beings. They read and critique each other’s work; they commiserate over failure and they applaud success. They rally round when times get tough and they reassure when doubt sets in (which it does frequently, because self-doubt is in the job description: when you become a writer, you leave your self-confidence at the door).
Published authors can be particularly supportive. Not only do they know how hard it is to write a book, they also know it’s even harder to get someone to publish it. They have gone through the stress of submitting their work, so know how exhausting the process can be. They understand what a struggle it is to keep going in the face of repeated rejections, how difficult it is to keep believing in yourself and the words you’re churning out, when you’re getting no interest from agents or publishers. Even when they’ve made it themselves, they take the time to support those who aren’t quite there yet. Although, ironically, few authors accept they’ve ever truly ‘made it’, because the literary lack of self-belief doesn’t end when you finally see your name in print on the front cover of a book. I know a couple of successful authors who have sold millions of novels, who still worry that the next book won’t sell, or the one after that may not live up to expectations...
But if you’re trying to get published, you really need those friends who keep telling you that you’ll make it. You need to be reminded that getting a book deal can be a numbers game, and there’s an element of luck involved (your manuscript has to land on the right person’s desk, on the right day, when they’re in the right mood and aren’t so overloaded that they can’t take on any new clients). Struggling writers also need to be reminded that, although being able to write decent prose is important, what you really need if you’re going to make it as a writer is resilience and skin as thick as a rhino.
Since I started writing fiction, I have met fellow writers on courses, at literary festivals, through workshops and via Twitter. My writing buddies come from all over the UK (all over the world, in the case of social media); they are different ages, from different backgrounds and have vastly different styles of writing, but we are all part of this fantastically supportive community. Distance means most of us stay in touch by email or Zoom, but I’m lucky to have also become good friends with writers who live so near that we can share literary highs and lows over a couple of bottles of wine. Most recently I was invited to be part of a Twitter group, where a dozen of us tapped away like fury last November, creating novels as part of NaNoWriMo. Nearly three months later, we’re all still writing, and the group has moved to WhatsApp where we chat, share tips and encourage each other on a daily basis.
Supporting fellow writers can take up some of your precious writing time – and a lot of your head space. But it’s worth the effort, and you get back the love in so many ways. I’m incredibly proud of my friends who are already published authors and grateful to them for their support, and hope that, when I join them, I’ll be able to help others who are just starting out on this journey.
