Dear Aspiring Writer (Jennifer R. Hubbard)
Dear Aspiring Writer:
This is your future self, telling 17-year-old you what to expect. You’ve just started sending stories out, and you’ve just made your first sale. Congratulations!
I need to tell you that it will be a long time until the next sale. A looong time. I don’t want to tell you exactly how long because I don’t want to discourage you, but it will be quite a few years.
Yes, years.
But don’t give up hope, because it does happen. After you pull some stuff in your life together (hang in there during tough times; things do get better), after you stop looking for someone else to solve your problems, if you keep writing, a story you believe in will sell to a journal that you thought would be perfect for it.
And you will sell more after that. You will even publish a book. More than one, in fact.
But it will take a long time. Sometimes you’ll wonder if you should even keep trying. Sometimes you will doubt yourself. Actually, I need to tell you this part, too: after you publish again, you will still doubt yourself. Publishing doesn’t “fix” anything. It brings you much joy, interesting opportunities, and a little money. But it’s not a magic ticket to Trouble-Free Land.
When you reach the age that I am now, you will wish that an even-older-you would drop by another letter, telling you how the rest of this journey plays out.
On the other hand, maybe we don’t need to know everything in advance.
Cheers,
Future Jennifer
This is your future self, telling 17-year-old you what to expect. You’ve just started sending stories out, and you’ve just made your first sale. Congratulations!
I need to tell you that it will be a long time until the next sale. A looong time. I don’t want to tell you exactly how long because I don’t want to discourage you, but it will be quite a few years.
Yes, years.
But don’t give up hope, because it does happen. After you pull some stuff in your life together (hang in there during tough times; things do get better), after you stop looking for someone else to solve your problems, if you keep writing, a story you believe in will sell to a journal that you thought would be perfect for it.
And you will sell more after that. You will even publish a book. More than one, in fact.
But it will take a long time. Sometimes you’ll wonder if you should even keep trying. Sometimes you will doubt yourself. Actually, I need to tell you this part, too: after you publish again, you will still doubt yourself. Publishing doesn’t “fix” anything. It brings you much joy, interesting opportunities, and a little money. But it’s not a magic ticket to Trouble-Free Land.
When you reach the age that I am now, you will wish that an even-older-you would drop by another letter, telling you how the rest of this journey plays out.
On the other hand, maybe we don’t need to know everything in advance.
Cheers,
Future Jennifer
This is lovely. I need to write one of these for myself.
ReplyDeleteGo for it!
DeleteI was EXACTLY the same way with that looooooong wait after the first sale, Jennifer!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Funny how we both thought publication would be magic fix.
ReplyDeleteJust another goal reached. Then you have to set a new one. There's never an end, is there?
ReplyDeleteI don't think there are many goals out there, that once attained, would solve all problems.
ReplyDelete