Ive been told by all my teachers (english teachers that is) that i could be a great writer one day. Im pretty sure not single one of them understood what that means. Teachers like complimenting their students, ONLY, if it gets them to do their homework. Its not that they dont see the potential, its that they dont really know what it means and dont know how to help that "potential" blossom into skill. Now if authors stopped being authors and started being teachers, then we would have thousands of students becoming young writers. Most writers ive seen, became successful later in life. They toil for years and years, but cant get published because they didnt know who to go to or they just didnt have the money. But now we have crowd funding, an amazing, yet odd, tool. Honestly I really dont know what my "potential" as an author is. Ive gotten alot of support from family and friends, but the community on here has kind of just ignored me. They seem to ignore alot of the "potential" authors. if thats the norm, where authors are supporting other authors, how are you going to get fresh minds into the mix? how are you gonna get the little guy a chance to speak his piece if no one will listen to him? There are over 250 submissions to the G&S contest. How many of them have "potential"?
Thoster Chatwyn knows every story there is to tell in all of Elysia. But what if the greatest story he could ever tell was that of his own past and the promise of his future?
I can definitely relate. I’ve also taken for granted that I know the story in my head, so it’ll be totally easy to get those ideas out on the page when I want to, right???
Oh. No. Not at all. Sometimes making words happen is a full time job.
Would love to make a new friend. I’m still super new around here, and finding the way to DM you from my phone is eluding me. But hello!
I was always told by teachers that I was a good writer with a lot of "potential." This was true from grade school through university. The problem is it made me lazy - I always assumed I could just "be" a writer whenever I decided to. Then I sat down to write my first novel, and probably started 20 different stories without getting past a chapter or two. No one was reading them, I wasn’t part of a writer’s circle, I just assumed if I could finish one it would be automatically published because of all that "potential" everyone talked about. It was an arrogant attitude, and I didn’t finish my first novel until last year. I realized in the middle of that project that all the potential in the world is nothing without the grit and hard work needed to actually put it all on paper, edit ruthlessly, and then self-promote in the face of continuing rejection. You also need a project and a message you really care about, and that other people would care about too. Acquisition editors and agents don’t care about potential. Potential sucks.
Speaking of self-promotion, I’m happy with my novel Watchfires Against The Lord, but it required so much more than potential to get it done. If anyone reads this and wants to trade recommendations or reviews, DM me and you’ll make a new friend. I love to read and I’m really enjoying the community of kindred spirits here at Inkshares.
I think people really have responded to my reading of the first chapter. I have had numerous buyers tell me how great it is that I have that feature. I would advise that over a book trailer, or do both!
Im pretty sure not single one of them understood what that means.
Teachers like complimenting their students, ONLY, if it gets them to do their homework. Its not that they dont see the potential, its that they dont really know what it means and dont know how to help that "potential" blossom into skill.
Now if authors stopped being authors and started being teachers, then we would have thousands of students becoming young writers.
Most writers ive seen, became successful later in life. They toil for years and years, but cant get published because they didnt know who to go to or they just didnt have the money.
But now we have crowd funding, an amazing, yet odd, tool.
Honestly I really dont know what my "potential" as an author is.
Ive gotten alot of support from family and friends, but the community on here has kind of just ignored me. They seem to ignore alot of the "potential" authors.
if thats the norm, where authors are supporting other authors, how are you going to get fresh minds into the mix? how are you gonna get the little guy a chance to speak his piece if no one will listen to him?
There are over 250 submissions to the G&S contest. How many of them have "potential"?