Oct 17
Posted on
Friday, October 17, 2008 in
WritingToday, I saw ‘my’ book ‘live’ for the first time. Well, I’d already seen a copy in real life. We had a chance to edit it before the real edition went into print. But now it’s actually available in bookstores. Yay. Ok, it’s not really my book. It’s a book where I’ve contributed two stories and poem. But at least it’s the first time I’ve had anything published on paper.
Dec 29
Posted on
Saturday, December 29, 2007 in
WritingThere are times when I feel like this. That what I’m writing is of poor quality, lacks originality and is plain boring. At other times I can be more hopeful. But… The truth is, I know there are plenty of girls like me, some very young, some a bit older, who write about almost exactly the same themes I do. Many of them write as well as I do or better.
What do I have to offer, really?
Times like these, I just know I’ll never have my books published. Who would like to read them?
But then again, sometimes I consider this: others, less talented writers not only get published, but sell like mad. Then I think, why not me? If they can make it, so can I. Maybe I’m even a little better than they are, these writers who shall remain anonymous. They might be among your favorites. The last thing I want is to insult my readers.
At the end of the day, all I know is that I don’t know anything. Someone a lot smarter than I am, came up with that, but it’s still true.
Jan 29
Posted on
Monday, January 29, 2007 in
WritingI’ve been thinking a bit about being published by a publisher. At the moment that seems to be completely impossible. For me anyway, and for many people like me, who don’t write what’s considered ‘interesting’ right now. And I’m not an immigrant either, which is one criteria publishers go by here in Sweden. Don’t get me wrong. I love reading books by so called ‘immigrants’, though I’m not in the habit of categorizing people according to their country of origin. In any case, I also like to read other things. For me, what’s important is what the book is about, not where the author is from.
Another problem I have is that I write either too long stories, if I wanted to define them as ‘short stories’, or too short if I wanted to define them as novels. I really can’t write anything much shorter than 7000 – 10 000 words. Less wouldn’t be enough to develop plot and characters. It’s just not in me.
On the other hand, I might be able to write a little longer than the novellas/novels for kids that I usually write. In other words, I might be able to write about 70 000. But not that much more. I think I’m a person who writes succinctly, strangely enough, considering the fact that I can’t write what’s defined as ‘short stories’. But that’s probably because I can’t cut the plot short, not that I write lengthy sentences.
For a while, all this was quite depressing, not being able to have a book published by a publisher. Then I realized that it also means I’m free to write what I want. No one will tell me what’s ‘usable’, ‘interesting’, or ‘the current trend’, or whatever those editors say. When they’re not sending out a standard letter, which says loud and clear that they never read my book. They just left it lying around for a while, before returning it to me, if that’s what they do. I’d really appreciate it if they’d left a message on their home pages that they’re not currently receiving scripts from previously unpublished authors. That would be much better than letting you believe they’re actually interested in new scripts, when in fact they’re not. Unless it’s from someone who’s already famous for something.
Perhaps I should sign up for one of those so called ‘reality series’. If I flashed my hmm ‘assets’ I’d become famous and then maybe I’d be published. No, that’s not really my thing, actually. Besides, that’s probably very 90’s, becoming a celebrity just for flashing my ‘assets’. Nowadays, you need to have sex on camera, preferably with someone of the same sex. Shoot. That tore it.
No, I’ll have to find some other way of being published. Perhaps I could publish it myself, then market and sell it on my own. That probably won’t work very well, but what a rush it would be, seeing my own creation as a book. Even if I have to pay for it myself.
