To start off, I thought I would talk a little bit about my own personal projects, and how everything is currently working out. Right now, I am in the process of querying literary agents for my third manuscript, titled The Masked Corsair.
I have four unpublished works, but I won't dive too deep into discussing them---instead, I want to talk about how I reached this point. It all began approximately four years ago, when I finally decided to sit down and start crafting my first book, The Author of Neraida, which is a fantasy story featuring faeries and dragons and magic and whatnot. It was, to be completely honest, a partially painful process, since I had hopes and dreams of getting it published almost right after it was finished. I thought I was special, see, being a young author and all. But I was not. Writing takes practice and experience, and rejection is inevitable. What I did not understand that the publishing world is a place in which manuscripts are discarded, one after another, like used tissues. Except, they aren't used. Most of the time, they aren't even read.
There was a period, shortly after my numerous rejections, in which I had lost my confidence. I seem to recall lying on the floor and letting my cat sniff me as if I was a corpse. I read some books---some really magnificent books, I remember---and realized that I did not necessarily lack talent, but instead lacked experience, and needed to once again regain the motivation to continue.
And so, I did. I wrote my second novel, Kingdoms Like Knives, which was a lot more refined than the first. I did not do anything with that novel, though. It's still sitting in my drive untouched. For some reason, I wanted to start something new again, and so The Masked Corsair was born, which is a story that blends the Arabian Nights vibes of Aladdin with the action and adventure of Pirates of the Carribean. I'm still querying it. It's been months.
In short, what I am trying to say is that nothing is instantaneous. And during these times of waiting, one most occupy oneself with other work, and so, while waiting for the literary agents to respond, I composed my catharsis novel, The Grand, about a young aristocrat who is accused of murdering a king. I call it my catharsis novel because it is full of bottled-up emotions that come with rejection after rejection after rejection.
Once upon a time, I told myself that rejection would be something I could easily handle. "Oh, but J.K. Rowling was rejected numerous times, and look where she is now!" Oh, how wrong it was. It hurts. But it is also a good kind of pain. Pick yourself up off the floor and go write something new.
When I was in New York City last year, I received the privilege of meeting the one and only Leigh Bardugo. It was a brief interaction, but I remember her worlds clearly: "Never stop writing." And it is as simple as that, isn't it? Never. Stop. Writing.
So, let me reassure you that you are not a failure, and that patience is a key part of writing novels. You will get there, I promise. We will get there. You just have to keep going.
Tomorrow, I aim to discuss some writing tips that I've collected over the years. Stay tuned.