I know it's impractical, but maybe impossible, but I feel the need to turn an idea I have been nurturing into a novel. I'm tired of being a prole... I'm sick of working harder and STILL not getting anywhere. I want to take a big step towards turning this idea with these characters and events I've had since 1999 (Which has been inspired by events and feelings I went through all through those years) into a full fledged published novel.
Posted by beverly (Member # 6246) on :
In the immortal words of Spencer W. Kimball: "Do it!" Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I think I will. I am fed up and annoyed with all this irratating struggling... And yet, I wonder why folks want to publish novels... I've been wanting to publish this thing for years... It has some awesome themes I have been struggling to get right for ages.
Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
I thought he said "Do it now!" Posted by beverly (Member # 6246) on :
Hmmm, not remembering the "now."
Or, in the immortal words of, uh, NIKE, "Just do it!"
Unfortunately, I've never tried to write a novel and have no good advice for you.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Good luck.
-o-
It sounds like you believe that publishing one novel will make you wealthy . . . Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I wish. I really just can't win... But I can't stand the thought of staying a prole... I don't even have a permanant job yet and it's so DIFFICULT to get one!
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
The reality of publishing is that very few and I mean a miniscule amount, of the people who get their first novel published will ever progress to living off their writing full time.
I remember reading an article, I think it was some years ago but it stuck with me, that the average income of professionally published writers belong to SFWA was around $2,500 dollars. That's annually. 'Course, I read it years ago so it's probably not an accurate number for today but I doubt seriously it's improved over much, considering how difficult publishing has become recently.
Before you label me just a complete downer, I say write but just don't write because you want or need the money. That's the wrong approach. Write the story because you love it and want to see it in print, and because you want to share it with an audience. If any money comes out of it, that's wonderful. Don't count on it making your fortune, however. You're likely to be incredibly disappointed.
The Writer's Market sometimes will list the advances that publisher's offer for first novels, and when I looked through it I didn't see anything larger than $3,000. Take that $3,000, subtract taxes, and then divide into it the number of hours you spent working on that novel and see what your hourly wage is. You'd probably do better working for minimum wage at a fast food joint.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I know it's hopeless, but so is getting a permanant real job at this point... I might as well try to finish something and put it out even if it doesn't make anything at least it will exist...
I think i've had enough of being realistic. All it has done is get me stuck in dull jobs unable to do anything or get anything done because I listened to practical well meaning advise and lost all motivation... Well, enough... I've got to believe in myself and the fact that there is some small chance of making my insane dreams come true... Otherwise, I'll just get depressed and crushed and will never get anything done!
But the problem is, organizing this story... and wondering if it's really good enough to put out there... I've put a lot of blood and sweat into this thing and there's no way I'd want it to be dismissed as some pulp novel or something like that... Part of me thinks I should just write the whole thing and make it as best as it can be then hide it under my mattress or something for someone to find...
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