How I Found the Write Path

This is my contribution to the “How I Found the Write Path” project. Details are HERE.

Dear Me (from 8 years ago),

I know you’re in the middle of writing your first manuscript. You’re going to belt it out in 6 weeks, look at it a few times, and declare it done. Then you’re going to query it.

DON’T.

You’re so naive. You have much to learn.

In fact, if I were you I’d quit NOW. Seriously. (And invest in Apple.)

If you ignore my advice, you’re going to set yourself up for 8+ years of self-doubt.

It’s like being a model—not that I’d know—your friends and family tell you how beautiful you are. When you go on casting calls others will tell you that your eyes are too small, your legs aren’t long enough, and you need to lose 10 lbs. After that, all you’ll see are flaws and all you’ll hear are the comments about what’s wrong with you.

If I can’t convince you to quit—because you already feel the pulse of the ideas flowing through your veins, digging into your marrow, crackling in your nerve fibers—I’ve compiled 8 pieces of advice:

1.     Don’t be hasty. The average writer takes 10 years to become published. (And even then, it’s not like you can quit your day job.)

2.     Don’t wait 5 years to take that grammar course.

3.     Read more books about the craft of writing from the start. (Read lots of fiction too—but I don’t have to tell you that.)

4.     Don’t wait for bouts of inspiration to write or you’ll experience devastating droughts.

5.     Find more critique partners early in your writing journey.

6.     Realize that following 1-5 here doesn’t guarantee you’ll be published faster.

7.     Rough drafts are just that. Most of writing is revising.

8.     When you hit year 7, you’re going to start having “almost made it" moments. Don’t despair.

As I write this, I must admit, I’ve been despairing. A LOT. I’ll read a fantastic novel and think, “I’ll never be able to write this well. I’m a hack.” It’s also hard to hear about the writers who have written for less time and nabbed agents and publishing contracts. Sure, there are writers who toiled for longer before they reached success, but how can I be tough on myself if I concentrate on them? And it’s not jealousy. I’m asking, “What’s wrong with me?”

Try not to compare yourself with other writers’ journeys or anyone’s “rules” for success. You don’t have to write every day (though aim for nearly every day). You don’t have to write a certain word count per day. You don’t have to plot. There are examples of great writers in either the plotting and panstering camp, and most writers are a combo. You’ll read blogs, attend conferences, and workshops where people tell you what you HAVE to do. Just like with critique groups, you’ll get lots of advice, but you have to follow your INSTINCT.

The writing community is amazing. Supportive. Selfless. So, give as much as you get. In fact, give more. Console setbacks. Check in. Lift up. Cheer on. Celebrate successes.

And be sure to reach out for support when you need it.

Much about writing is lonely and angst claws at our gut. Sometimes we resemble that piece of Voldemort’s fractured soul at Platform 9 ¾.

Nobody understands this like other writers.

You’re a bad writer right now. You have to be bad in the beginning in order to get better. A novel is woven with many-colored threads. To become a master weaver, it takes hours of practice and we can always improve.

If you keep at it, be prepared to meet people who say, “I’d like to be a writer, but I don’t have the time.” Writer friends will quit, no matter how much you try to encourage them. You will also contend with people who don’t understand why you’re still doing this writing thing when you no agent or publisher to show for it. And those rejections, even the kind ones, even those “almost” ones, will hurt. In those moments, you’ll need to dig deep to muster the courage to continue.

The thing is, we writers have stories to tell. And when we weave the many threads—we wonder how our brain could accomplish something that amazing. WE DID! We want out stories to touch others the way certain books have saved us. We want those readers to feel like we wrote the book just for them.

On this journey, hold every glimmer of progress to your breast.

We can’t give up.

Because just taking the journey is its own success.

Love,
Theresa

Theresa Milstein
MG and YA Author
"Theresa's Tales" http://theresamilsten.blogspot.com
Permission granted to use this post in the "How I Found the Write Path" e-book

Writers, any advice you'd like to add?  

Diversity and Revenge

Sometimes I read an article that demands: WE need MORE DIVERSITY! 

There are also those posts with colorful charts to show the tiny percentage of covers representing people of diversity. There’s outrage over a book with a clearly dark-skinned main character who has been lightened a few shades like a tooth-whitening commercial. 

Then silence.

Author Ellen Oh has decided to do more.

Here’s her Tumbler campaign LINK. 

This is a 3-day campaign with something new each day. I hope you participate.

Even though I’m not a person of color, I in a very small way remember not feeling represented as a child and teen.

I noticed when most of the superheroes in cartoons were men.

I remember reading Beverly Cleary’s Fifteen. When I realized the girl in the book had short, dark curly hair that frizzed, I did a double-take. Then why did the girl on the cover have blonde hair? Why couldn’t she look like she was supposed to look? Was having brown curly short hair really THAT BAD?

And I think her eyes were brown in the book too.

I had brown curly hair and brown eyes. And I paid attention to what the media showed me. When I grew up, blondes with blue eyes ruled and brunettes played the sidekick. Those blondes had straight or wavy hair. "Three’s Company" was just one example.

And don’t even get me started on Barbie. By the time they made a brunette version, I’d outgrown playing with dolls.

If there was a brunette who broke the mold, I noticed. Everyone knew that Farah Fawcett ruled Charlie’s Angels, but at least Jacqueline Smith wasn’t a sidekick. Wonder Woman and Princess Leia gave me powerful brunettes. Sigourney Weaver was not only a powerful woman, but she also carried the movie.

Then Flashdance came out—a woman with curly hair was the attractive star.

(Didn’t they do a terrible job with the stunt-double’s curly hair?)

As a girl of European descent, if I felt like that with many representations of people like me on billboards and TV shows and books, then what do Asian, Indian, Muslim, Native American, African American, and Hispanic youth think when they see covers of books?

Where are they?

I was a kid a looonnnng time ago.

So much has changed.

Let our stories and our covers finally reflect us in all our varied glory.

Speaking of, before I heard about this campaign, I had chosen early May to promote Medeia Sharif’s new book. Two years ago, she was on my BLOG  for Bestest Ramadan Ever.

My picture for Ellen's campaign.

I'm not wearing makeup, but it's all about the cover,

right???

Now Snip, Snip Revenge is OUT! Perfect timing for Ellen Oh’s campaign.

SNIP, SNIP REVENGE by Medeia Sharif

YA Contemporary, Evernight Teen

Release Date April 25, 2014

Beautiful, confident Tabby Karim has plans for the winter: nab a role in her school’s dramatic production, make the new boy Michael hers, and keep bigoted Heather—with her relentless Ay-rab comments—at bay. When a teacher’s lie and her father’s hastiness rob her of her beautiful hair, her dreams are dashed. The fastest barber in Miami Beach has made her look practically bald. 

With all her pretty hair gone, Tabby doesn’t believe she fits the feminine role she’s auditioning for. Michael is still interested in her, but he’s playing it cool. Heather has taken to bullying her online, which is easier to do with Tabby’s ugly haircut. Tabby spearheads Operation Revenge, which proves satisfying until all of her problems deepen. After messing up, she sets to make things right.

Author Bio

I’m a Kurdish-American author

who was born in New York City, and I presently call Miami my home. I received

my master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. After becoming

a voracious reader in high school and a relentless writer dabbling in many

genres in college, I found my niche writing for young people. Today I'm a MG

and YA writer published through various presses. In addition to being a writer,

I'm a middle school English teacher. My memberships include Mensa, ALAN, and

SCBWI.

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