Just Keep Writing
As I write this post, I feel that I have grown accustomed to where I begin to doubt my abilities to create an enthralling novel that draws readers in. I have successfully published four books and a children’s book on KDP. My books are available for purchase and through Kindle Unlimited, but the excitement and initial buzz around releasing a new book has now diminished as the sales are falling. I’m finding it hard to think of other ways to promote these on my socials. Getting the books the attention I hoped for is challenging, and when I hit this part of the journey, I doubt it all.
I am writing the first part of my new novel, a prequel to The Last Coven, and I am excited about where it is going as the plot and themes develop. Still, I am forever mindful that this book will face the same anxieties that my previous releases have. All my hard work in writing and creating the narrative will have a sales peak of a few weeks before disappearing onto the forgotten titles of the KDP shelves, and I’ll yet again be left feeling despondent and become self-disparaging once again.
I’m at that point where I think it might be best to give up the writing dream and focus on the career I have long established, dedicating my time to the job and forgetting about the excitement and drive I feel when I begin to get my book on paper. I love that I get so lost in the manuscript and feel confident as the narrative fuses, plots, and twists are knitted together, plot holes disappear, and a concrete story begins coming alive on the page. I don’t want to lose that feeling, so despite the doubts and plummeting confidence in my abilities, I strive to create something better than I published before.
I consider new ways of writing, using a different voice or perspective and writing in a different narrative, opting for the first person instead of the third person narrative I am so comfortable with. I push myself to write in situations that make me uncomfortable, challenging myself always to try something new. I realise this is the aspect of being a writer that will help me improve my craft and my ability to tell stories, and over time, this will strengthen and become easier.
I didn’t write this post for sympathy but as an outlet to express my feelings. It may also reach other authors who think like me and may be on the verge of giving up, feeling the journey is too difficult or too consuming of their time and effort. But I hope this will help you feel more positive and know you are not alone in your feelings, that others are at that point too, and the dream of selling books to thousands seems like a pipe dream and unachievable. But we can not give up… if this feels like something you need or must do, then we stick with it and hope that in the future, the journey will be less turbulent and the dream will be achievable.
If you are interested in reading any of my books, see the links below:
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE PUBLISHED 
Leave a comment