Six things I've learned as a struggling writer

Deciding to be a writer is just about one of the dumbest things you could ever do. There are no guarantees with anything. You could write the best damn book in the world and if you can't get it in the hands of the right people, it means nothing.

The writing process is filled with sleep deprivation, heartache, and the struggle to learn what is good writing. I've had my fair share of rejections, setbacks, and manuscript rewrites.
So here are a few of the things I've learned that may help you on your journey:

1. Don't just start writing a novel. Start by teaching yourself the elements of a book, and learn how to write well first. Write short stories before attempting a novel. Teaching your self the basics beforehand will save a lot of time during the editing process.

2. Editing is harder than writing. You've completed your manuscript and you're super proud of yourself, and you should be. But don't start celebrating yet because the hard work has just begun. Edit, then edit again, and then edit just a bit more. Get rid of those cliches. Round out those characters. Make that small town feel real. It takes work, but once you get it right, it's worth it. 

3. Read and write everyday. Now I know what you're thinking, if I'm writing and editing all the time how could I possibly have time to read? Well you better find the time, because without reading you won't have the tools to know what makes good writing. Read across genres and read books on writing, like The Elements of Style and Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark. And you know to write everyday because that's how you get better, it's how you hone your craft. You won't get better if you don't practice. And if you think your writing's already good enough, it's probably shit. 

4. Share your writing with fellow writers. If you write in a vacuum, you won't get better. You can't see everything that's wrong with your writing, and close friends and family can't either. Meet other writers through workshops or by joining a critique group. It might be uncomfortable at first, but it will teach you to handle criticism. Everyone has room for improvement.

5. There will be rejection. Get used to that idea. Let that sink in, and know that there will be many people who don't like what you've written, or who would have done it differently. Fuck those people. This is where belief in yourself becomes crucial. If someone offers some constructive criticism, then by all means listen, but if they're just saying that what you've written isn't right for them or they simply don't like it, then cry for a bit, and move on. Get over it as quickly as possible because there's more work to be done and lots more rejection to be had. 

6. Never give up. This is your dream, and even though it's a stupid, completely unrealistic dream, there exists something in you that wants to write. Don't deny that part of yourself, feed it as often as you can and just keep hoping for the best. That big publishing contract isn't out there for everyone, but that doesn't mean it isn't out there for you. Work hard and it could happen. You just have to keep trying.

Love,

Kris

Handling Criticism

With the wide span of social media, it's easy for a new author to be eaten alive by the Facebook and Twitter masses. The reality is that even if your book doesn't become a bestseller, you will still have your fair share of critics. Everyone isn't going to like your book, and you need to be sure that you can handle reading those gut-wrenching, negative reviews.

Reviews are crucial. For most Americans, reviews of restaurants, books, and movies guide our lives.

If a book has too few stars, I won't read it. I'll typically thumb through the pages of the reviews to see why it was so poorly rated, but that's it. A few bad reviews on your book and it can be difficult to recover, and that's why it's important to prepare yourself for criticism and to learn how to handle it once your novel, which you love, is published.

It can be difficult to hear the opinions of others, and if being attacked on social media is new to you it can be earth-shattering. Luckily for me I have already experienced what it feels like to enrage thousands of strangers and can share with you what I'm sure you already know: it fucking sucks.

A few years ago when I was just catching my bearings as a writer, I wrote a column for my college newspaper on the implications of shopping at Wal-Mart. When I wrote the piece, I thought nothing of it, surely there were many people on my college campus who felt as I did, and those who didn't, I assumed would ignore the piece altogether.

But the demographics of my college skewed conservatively and the next day after the column ran, I got a call from my editor telling me that radio talk-show pundit Neal Boortz had read the article and was discussing it on his morning show.

At first, I panicked. I wasn't sure why of all the columns I'd written, this guy decided to pick up on this one, and I didn't realize just how popular of a radio host he was. Hate mail flooded in to the newspaper almost simultaneously. People that I didn't even know were talking about me, saying rude, judgmental things, and then to top it off this guy wrote a column about me.

I could have let this break me, shatter me to pieces and give up writing all together, but instead I used it as fuel to the fire. This guy thought I would never amount to anything, and I decided to prove him wrong.

With the release of my debut novel Logost, I'm reminded that there will be those who love the book, there will be those who feel they can't relate, and the there will be those few hateful people who never seem to like anything. Ignore those people, have faith in the product you created and don't let their opinions of it drive you crazy. Do you like your book? If the answer is 'yes' then that's all that really matters.

Love,
Kris

Writing through Trauma

In life, everyone struggles. We all have times where we can't see the good in the world, where too much trouble and uncertainty has crossed our paths. And in my short life, I've seen more bad than good. The situations and circumstances that have befallen me would make most want to give up, but I'm not about to give up because I have a rare opportunity on this planet to create a life for myself.

I could be bitter about things, internalize my hatred for everyone and blame the world for the trauma I've suffered. I could also say that everything happens for a reason and I'd be destined for something great in the future. But all of those things would be a false hope -- either clinging to one extreme versus the other. No one knows why bad things happen to good people, but I will never stop trying to be good.

I wrote my first book four years ago during my first-ever long term depression. Sorrow clouded my vision. I cried in the shower and in my car on my way to work everyday. I couldn't see past my miserable life, and then suddenly a brilliant idea: why not take your suffering and use it as something that someone, somewhere else could learn from. Why not write to understand what's hurting you and in turn help others to deal with their own hurt.

And just like that my debut novel, Logost, was born. And it wasn't just like that. It took years of writing, re-writing, fixing plot holes rounding out characters, getting themes and motifs to flow perfectly. And I love doing that shit. It was torture for me to write about sexual assault and mental illness. It was torture writing the book in general, but the added fantasy element made it seem more real, if that makes any sense.

Don't be fooled by the magic of the world. Decide for yourself what's real, and if you are so inclined, buy my book and write and review. We can only support each other.

Love,
Kris

You can purchase my debut novel here.