"Be not afraid of going slowly...be afraid of standing still..." ~ Chinese proverb
There are many (too many) books on the craft of writing, but the one I return to again, and again, is Stephen King’s On Writing. Without doubt, it remains one of the best books out there about both the craft and the life of a writer.
Several years ago, the fact that I was attempting to write a book was something I kept mostly to myself. But then a simple statement midway through the book reached out, spoke to me, and gave me permission to take myself seriously.
“If you feel you need permission to do all the reading and writing your little heart desires…consider it hereby granted by yours truly..."
Stephen King
Reading those few lines unlocked something deep within; enabled me, empowered me.
Not long after that I felt brave enough to update my social media to reflect that I was taking time out to write. I began talking about it openly.
Fast-forward to now and here's where things stand;
- Book 1 is done (although, thanks to Book 3, needs some chunky re-writing)
- Book 2, the sequel, is well on the way, but on pause because of aforementioned Book 3;
- Book 3, same series, parallel to Book 1, is currently centre stage
- Books 4 & 5, sequels, are simmering in the background
- Book 6, a prequel, is also simmering in the background
- And Book 7…well, I know what it's about, even what it will be called, but I don't know if I'm ready to write that one yet.
Alongside all that there is Inkpots, focusing on bringing together a community of writers.
So, if self-doubt, insecurity, or the fear of "am I even any good at this?" is holding you back, frankly…
GO FOR IT!!!
“…I’ll think about that tomorrow…after all…tomorrow is another day”
Margaret Mitchell