No Dollar Sign

Are you planing on writing a novel next month? We’ve only got a few weeks left before the start of NaNoWriMo and if your like me you’ve been doing some research and reading up on writing advice to get ready. If you are writing your first novel, or one of your firsts, then this post is to you.

As I’ve been doing a bit of web surfing lately, for writing advise and such, I’ve found that quite a few of the posts and articles I’ve come across have been along these lines: ‘how to write a novel that sells’ ‘how to plot a best seller’ ‘know your audience, write what they want to read.’ Now I have nothing against writing for money, in fact I would love to do just that for the rest of my life, but I am a little concerned.

You see you and I are just beginning. We’re learning our trade and finding our voice. We have a lot of learning and growing to do. We’re fragile things, beginners. I’m not sure I even know how to write a bad novel, full fledged and completely my own, let alone a ‘best seller.’ I don’t think I could tell the stories inside of me, the ones as fragile as me, and worry about making it into something that sells. I want it to be enjoyable to read of course but I don’t expect people to pay to do so. Not yet at least.

I don’t want to discourage you, that's the not what this is about at all. Its only that I don’t want you to worry too about following a list of rules or pleasing everyone. You need to write this for you and maybe someone else: A friend, a family member, a stranger. In all the world there must be at least one person who is waiting for just such a story as yours.

Its hard enough to write your story for yourself and the few you know will love it no matter what. You don’t need that added presser of trying to fit a price tag to it as well. Learn about yourself the writer. Find your voice. Enjoy the writing of it.

Give the story you’ve been given a chance, it might surprise you.

~Rita