Hopes and Fears of a Writer

Hello fellow creatives!

Are you embarking on the submission/ query phase of your writing journey? Or perhaps like me, you forged ahead only to feel lost, disorientated, and at times disheartened. Well fear not, I have years of experience and I’m here to guide you through it.

The querying phase has the tendency to make us obsessive, asking ourselves rhetorical questions with no answers in sight. Will you find an agent? Have you revised enough? Is your story unique and sell-able? Should you hire an editor? Blah, Blah, Blah.

When I first started querying, I understood the process. I’d read all about it. So I knew waiting and rejection would be inevitable. But, oh boy, was I unprepared for the emotional turmoil it would evoke. Let me reassure you, this phase will pass, you will grow a thicker skin and come to accept rejection, You will be successful, provided you persevere.

Yes, I’d done my research into finding suitable agents, polished my query, edited my synopsis and prepared my submission package. And so, back in 2017, I started submitting my YA fantasy novels, Secrets and Shadow Knights. I tugged on my big-girl pants and repeated my mantra: show no fear, you’ve got this.

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Those initial months were fought with anxiety and anticipation. I desperately want to be published, to be chosen, to be good enough. My biggest hurdle became battling my self esteem. I needed to learn that I was already good enough—despite not being published. And part of that was about developing my craft and building my skills. The truth was, back then, I wasn’t ready.

I’m sure you’ve faced something similar on your journey. And guess what, those fears are completely normal. You’re not alone, thousands of writers are walking a similar path to you.

• When well-meaning friends and family ask, “so, when are you going to be published?” Urm?!
• Having amazing dreams about being signed with a talented agent… only to wake up, disappointed. Well, at least you know you’re passionate about your writing career.  Right?
• Stalking agents via Twitter. Only to humiliate yourself with a miss-understood tweet. Mortified, you hid from all forms of social media. Yikes!
• Doubting your skills and creativity. Questioning every plot decision that has led you to this point.

Over the years, I’ve learnt from this process. Things Writing a perfect pitch, learning how to craft a query letter, and finding fantastic beta-readers. There are some amazing bloggers out there who have helped me develop these skills. Check these out:

• Ari Meghlen – Check out her podcast!
• K.M. Allan – Driven indie Author of the Blackbirch series.
• M.L. Davis – Uninspired Writers – Talented thriller writer, also in the query trenches.
• Rebecca Alasdair – Queen of epic fantasy and contemporary LGBT novels, trudging the trenches, too.

An important part of the process is self acknowledgement and self belief. Otherwise, the rejection can easily corrode your self-esteem. You’re not alone, every writer faces these challenges. Every writer battles with doubt. The whole experience is tinged with What if’s. Embrace those fears. Use that motivation to evaluate where you’re going, set small goals, and continue to grow.

I’ve come to realize that this process, as painful as it can be, is also liberating. Even if I don’t find the agent of my dreams, I’m not quitting. I can’t. Writing is in my soul, a passion that will stay with me for the rest of my life. There’s a sense of satisfaction, in knowing my craft, in the continuous growth of mastering a skill. I’m currently querying my third novel Crown of Lies, whilst editing my fourth.

Perhaps it will take a 100 submissions. Maybe, like Stephanie Garber – author of the Caraval trilogy, lucky book number 5 will be published. Either way, I have faith that one day my work will be published. Until then, I’ll keep writing, reading and improving my craft.

To my fellow writers embarking on, or wading through, the query trenches – I hope this post brings a little bit of hope. I wish you the best of luck with your submissions.

Do you have any advice about querying? How long have you been in the query trenches? And do you have a success story to share? Come on, share your journey with me, you know I love hearing from you.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time, Much Love.

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© Author Lorraine Ambers and http://www.lorraineambers.com, 2021.

Top Tips for writers to Overcome Doubt

Hello fellow creatives!

We’ve all experienced the depths of our doubt, and boy, it’s not fun. So where does it come from and how do we combat it? People can say the cruelest of things, and yet, when we say those things to ourselves, about our own writing, we allow it. We even back it up with reasons to prove it’s rubbish. Let’s be honest, sometimes we are our own harshest critique.

How would you feel if a stranger said your writing was crap? Seriously, how? Hurt? Angry? Crushed? It’s time we learnt to be kind to ourselves.

If only we were taught as children to see the best in ourselves. To see failure as progress. And to problem solve our doubts away. I think we’d take that nagging critical voice and lock it away. Or we’d shout back at that voice: How dare you speak to me like that. I deserve more respect. I’ve worked tirelessly on my writing and I will continue to improve.

Now that’s a world I’d like to live in.

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Here are my top five tips on beating doubt and crushing that nagging internal voice, because we can, and we will, succeed.

1. Realisation. When we pay attention to doubt we can stop it dead in its tracks. I don’t mean get out your pompoms and cheer along with it. I mean, pay attention to the times it kicks in. Acknowledge it and then kick it to the curb. The next time your inner critic starts shouting, try visualising a giant red stop sign.

2. Write a list of all of your accomplishments and what makes you great. I bet being creative comes to mind, because creative folks tend to struggle with self-doubt. But that’s ok, find the positive and jot it down. From being a great listener to passing your driving test, or finishing the first draft of a novel. Be proud of the small and major things that define your life and who you are. The next time doubt comes calling take a look at your list and remind yourself of how great you are.

3. Inspirational quotes. Not only are they great pick-me-ups, but they also make us realise that everyone struggles with similar issues. We are not alone in our doubts, but we can overcome them. So pop over to Pinterest and find your favourites. Try printing some out and pinning them on the wall by your desk, or saving one as your home screen. Let the positive words shine brighter than the negative.

4. Take some time to relax and unwind. When I burnout, I crumble. Therefore learning to stop before stress becomes a major factor is important. Equally important is to give yourself a break, if you do burnout, that’s ok too. Forgive yourself, Love yourself and take a dame break. The housework, your MS and the 101 other things that are building up will all be there tomorrow. I grant you permission to eat chocolate, watch Netflix and hug a pet or pillow.

5. Set goals and work towards them. Bite-size steps give us attainable and realistic expectations. Make them too big and we give up with the knowledge that we we’re right. We’ll never amount to anything. And that’s not what we want. But chop your dream into tiny pieces and celebrate each small success is how we can achieve even the largest dream. Maybe it’s to write 500 words per day, or join a creative writing class, or send your work to a beta reader. Whatever the step: it’s you building upon your dream and making it a reality.

So take that doubt. We’re crushing you and working our way up the success ladder.

I hope you found my tips helpful. I’m sure there are many ways to overcome doubt, why don’t you share some of your tips with me. Thanks for reading.

Don’t forget to leave a comment and share your thoughts. You know I love hearing from you.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time, Much Love.

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© Author Lorraine Ambers and http://www.lorraineambers.com, 2021.

Reality of a Writer

Hello fellow creatives!

I’m a huge fan of positive posts. Who doesn’t need a daily dose of inspiration? Sometimes, we need a little push to help us work towards our goals and chase our dreams. Also, it’s good to take a breath and check in with reality. To accept our struggles, knowing that they don’t define us, but that they do make us human.

Being a writer is tough. Don’t get me wrong, there are many perks to being an ink warrior. Take today for instance; I’m sitting in bed with my dog, listening to music, whilst drinking tea and blogging. But it’s not all glamorous: In fact, I’m not sure any of it is!

Today I thought I’d share the harsh reality of what being a writer is like for me. To let you know; you’re not alone in your fight. And that acknowledging our struggles doesn’t make us weak, it makes us honest. Maybe even a little enlightened.

First of all: Shout out to all working-student writers. Hurrah to us! Juggling a full time job/course with other commitments, housework, family and a myriad of other commitments, is enough for any mere mortal. Yet we’ve chosen to spend a dedicated amount of time and resources to build platforms, manage social media accounts and actually write a novel… or two. Congratulations!! Did you know roughly 80% of people dream of writing a novel but only a small percentage achieve this.

Next it’s a huge shout out to writer parents. Whoop! Do you have young children that need constant attention? Tantrums, potty training, endless kid parties and squabbling siblings. Or perhaps they’re older darlings: full of hormone melt downs, teenage dramas, social media fall-outs, confrontations over boundaries, boyfriend/girlfriend worries and … still squabbling siblings. And let’s be honest, that’s usually just one morning.

When do we find time to write? How do we fit it in? But as we writers know… where there’s a will, and often a desperate need for sanity, there’s a way.

Social life advocates: Bravo! This is a rare-breed of writer. If you’re juggling either of the above, or like me both, and you still have a successful social life… do you only need two hours of sleep???

I’d love to go out for dinner with friends, meet the girls for coffee, fit in a yoga class, and attend creative writing classes. But I wrestle to fit in all the other non-social stuff. Write. Walk my beagle. Read, and read more. Blog. Fill cupboards with food, cook, clean dishes… you know the drill. (You’re in it too.) It’s an endless cycle of mundane, just to stay at base level. Tedious, repetitive and frustrating!

To avoid these things is to ‘Attempt’ to change absolute reality, which will inevitably do more harm than good, internally speaking. (Internally = your mind and soul) Realise this is how life is and no longer will it disturb you, you can feel free.

Life is suffering – Budda

And there we have it. Life. Reality. Honest and raw. Be proud of who you are and the choices you make, because you’re unique and awesome.

Don’t forget to leave a comment and share your thoughts. You know I love hearing from you.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time, Much Love.

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© Author Lorraine Ambers and http://www.lorraineambers.com, 2021.

A Writer’s Journey to Publishing

Sometimes it’s good to look back and establish how far we’ve come. To self evaluate our journey and see what we’ve learnt along the way. While some of you may be published, I am still working my way towards that goal. As are many of my Critique Partners. It’s important to know, that no matter where you are on the path, it is not the end goal that counts, its the lessons along the way.

I heard a great mantra today: “Look how far you’ve come and not how far you have to go.” It put my writing journey into perspective. I’ve been writing seriously for the last five years. And in that time, I’ve made some wonderful writing friends through the blogging community. Working with them, I’ve watched their writing strengthen and flourish. And of course, they’ve helped me grow too.

Most of us have family and work commitments that need to be juggled alongside our writing. It’s no easy task, working on a dream that has yet to materialize. And yet we do it because it is our passion. Writing is in our blood. We see the world through a different filter. It’s in our essence to keep creating and to devour books in a bid to learn more, feel more, escape… just that little bit more.

This year I drafted my fourth novel, rewrote my second novel ready for querying, and I’m about to start the next round of edits on my third. No project is ever complete, and no manuscript is ever really wasted. So don’t give up. Keep pursuing that goal, keeping dreaming the big dream and follow your heart.

Many of you may know K. M. Allan who released her debut novel Blackbirch: the beginning, and recently release the second in the series, Blackbirch: the Dark Half. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Kate and seeing her journey flourish. She works with dedication to bring her dream to life. She’s an inspiration, keeping me anchored to my own aspirations.

Whatever stage you’re at; drafting, editing, querying or publishing, the journey never stops. We keep climbing steps, overcoming hurdles and plowing ahead. Sometimes its good to stop. To appreciate how far you’ve come.

So take a look at your own journey, and remember to congratulate yourself on your hard work. You deserve it. You’ve created wonderful things with nothing more than hope and dedication.

Where are you on your journey? And what are you most proud of accomplishing. Please share your accomplishments with me… you know I love hearing from you.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time, Much Love.

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© Author Lorraine Ambers and http://www.lorraineambers.com, 2020.

The Five Stages of Receiving Editorial Feedback

As much as we desire the truth about our writing it can be painful to hear the truth about our work. Of course, it can help us grow and become better, it how we learn and develop our craft. It’s a necessary part of the experience. If I’m being honest, I feel as though I’ve passed a benchmark in my journey, because I’ve dreamed of working with an editor, I just hadn’t expected such clarity from a brief one-to-one at a book fair.

Here’s a fun infographic poking fun at a writers experience of receiving critical feedback from an editor and the emotional process they go through. I hope you enjoy.

What have your experiences with editors been like? Good or bad, let me know if it helped you grow as a writer, you know I love hearing from you.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time, Much Love.

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© Author Lorraine Ambers and http://www.lorraineambers.com, 2019.

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