By

Steven M. Wilson

There are thousands of us out there and a very few of us has had the opportunity to see their words printed in a book or books.

My journey through writing began, as it does for nearly all of us, as a child, in school. I was in elementary school on Neenah, Wisconsin when I wrote my first play. It sounds grand but I was a kid of course so let’s skip that.

As an adult I wrote short stories, scripts (for myself with none placed), for M*A*S*H, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. I even tried my hand at greeting cards. I began my first novel in 1991 after perusing some books in a bookstore and thinking, “Hey, I can do that.”

My first novel attracted an agent but unfortunately, that’s as far as it got. That process took about five years, but I wrote constantly, honing my skills as it were. That’s probably the most important lesson I learned during this period; put words on paper. During that time, I read, observed, saw, and heard, meaning I followed other writers, listened to how people spoke, observed all I could, but most importantly, thought.

Thinking can’t be overlooked and while it seems that simple, single process is just an excuse not to write, thinking about a novel’s course, plot, characters, and place is incredibly important. Thinking allowed me to craft dialogue, embellish, or establish characters, and define the plot. Thinking is just another way to say mental examination, and its certainly that. Don’t give thinking short shrift. Consider it a critical component of the literary process. I often found my mind drifting from one element of the book to another, which helped me to become familiar with the plot and characters. My books followed me in the car, on the subway, just before I dropped off to sleep, and as I sat in boring meetings.

Ten years after beginning the process I began to hunt for an agent to represent me. Of course, the question that haunted me was, ‘Am I good enough?’ Yep, there it is, the writer’s dilemma. The question begs an answer, and the answer is as elusive as the ideal agent. I had many talks with myself, trying to allay my fears, building confidence in my talent and abilities, seeking answers from the story of other writers and their struggles.

Five years or so later, after countless attempts, I landed an agent. That is, however, just a step in the publishing process. Now, he had to land a publisher. It took several years, and during that time I continued to write. In fact, during the entirety of this process I wrote. Since I originally focused on historical fiction it was necessary for me to conduct research. And since I’m a trained historian I over-researched. While I researched, I wrote. Several of the books I began either fell by the wayside, or languished, uncompleted. I did learn a valuable lesson from this activity. If it isn’t working, it isn’t working, so stop and go on to something else. It’s not a failure, it’s your gut telling you this isn’t the story you want to write.

I didn’t expect writing to be easy and it wasn’t. But if it becomes a drudgery, as if you’re arguing with yourself, the plot, and the characters I believe it is a novel that doesn’t want or need to be written. Sounds strange, but hey, writers are a bit quirky. We’re the guys who sit looking into space, lost in daydreams of our own making, who wonder what imaginary characters are saying to one another in a make-believe world.

My first published novel came out in 2007. Remember I started the process a decade and a-half before. So much for over-night success.  But hey, I envisioned flying first class to New York, a suite at the Waldorf-Astoria, being wined and dined by an exuberant editor, and followed by the paparazzi.

Yeah, none of that happened.

Eventually, I published five novels through Kensington Publication, and expected the world to beat a path to my door. I think the world was out of town because they didn’t. My publisher disappeared, followed by my agent, and I did the only thing I could do. I wrote.

There it is, writers must write, We can’t stand to see blank pages, and those imaginary characters insist on being heard. So, I wrote, trying to interest other agents in my novels. They must have followed the world out of town because I wasn’t successful in placing any of my books. It was a frustrating and confusing period. I had placed five novels with a major publisher before, why couldn’t do that again?

The bottom line is I didn’t, so I did the only thing I could; I wrote. Congratulations, fellow writers, you have chosen to embark upon a field that is demanding, demoralizing, and painful. Oh, you could stop writing. Give it up and say never again. Save yourself the heartache that comes with every rejection letter you receive. But you can’t. I can’t.

Here’s one writer’s opinion. Write for yourself and continue writing no matter what happens. The whole process is subjective. People have differing opinions on what makes a good novel. Nearly every rejection letter says exactly that, and I’ve gotten my share of them.

In the end the only person you really must satisfy is yourself. Regardless of genre, trends, or influences, it’s you and your words against the world. Write. Don’t let someone tell you that you can’t or that your novel is no good. Critics abound, but how many of them actually write.

To beat a dead horse; write. Sit at your desk, put words on paper, disappear into your imaginary world, and frolic with your characters. Maybe the world will beat. Path to your door, maybe not. Just make sure when they ring the doorbell, you’re ready.