Getting is right almost always starts with getting it wrong. Unless we put ourselves or someone else into danger, the only bad thing about making mistakes is failing to try again. And again. And again. And as many times as it takes to get it right.
That process, of trying it over and over until it works, has been my mantra in life, and in writing. How many times have we said, or heard, ‘we learn from our mistakes,’ or perhaps, if we’re lucky, ‘we learn from the mistakes of others.’
In life, I've seen many people who claim that they won't try something because they can't do it right. Sadly, they end up not doing something that might have brought them joy, or fulfillment, or a feeling of achievement, or the belief that they might have made an impact, or, perhaps, a sense of peace.
As a writer, I often read, to see what others are writing. I read what is selling and I read what is getting good reviews. I also read what is new, or does not have good reviews, or what might not be selling, yet. I read what appeals to me. This is how I learn from others’ mistakes, and successes.
As I writer, I look at my own work. I put my work out there. I see which of my books sell, and which of them earn good reviews. This is how I learn from my own mistakes, and possibly, from my own successes.
Getting it right, as an author, can be a long process. It almost certainly very unlikely that the first novel we write is going to be a great success. Almost any author will tell you that they did a lot of writing before they ended up with a work that they were happy with, or that sold well, or that got good reviews. But, the key is to keep trying. That means to keep writing.
In my case, I write because I want to write. I write because I need to write. I write what I want to write. I write for myself. But; I share my writing in the hope that some will like it, and perhaps, the hope that I might somehow tell a story that will have an impact.
But, most importantly, I realize that it’s okay to get it wrong, if I keep trying to get it right.
Wil
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