Also it strikes me that there's this immense burden placed on authors* re: their first book—like it's the fulfilment of/final word on the kind of book-writer you're capable of being—whereas so many prolific authors I admire had kind of mediocre debuts.
* Placed on them / perceived as being placed on them... not sure how real it is
Also also, this is not a plea to publish the fantasy novel, although I feel juvenilia fantasy-writing is itself a genre worthy of attention (so many people have them!).
like everyone here, i believe in you!!! if it matters to you, that's enough to make it worth doing, and we all know you have the skills!!!
i actually finished my first novel last month... it's a story i made just for myself, and it will never be seen in public, for several reasons, but mostly because the prospect of creating something that i expected anyone else to ever read made the stakes too high for me to complete something that was, in the end, really important to me. getting myself away from the gaze of the imagined audience is something i've had to do to actually hear my own thoughts and understand what it is i want to make. it's hard!!!!!! and ongoing!!!!! and i'm not a Writer, i'm just a doofus. but it's helped me heal my own relationship with what i create, and stop caring about the secondary ego game.
all that said, tho, this kind of thing is obvs easier when writing isn't your career. i hope that whatever you make, you are guided by your own creative joy above all... i know it sounds like a pinterest quote in wedding font but it's so real and i fucking mean it 1000%
I think might need to let go of my fear of flopping or causing secondhand embarrassment if I ever actually want to do anything worthwhile.
I agree! But I'd be excited to read your book someday, and I hope it does actually go somewhere =]
Please... BDM... the people want to read "Dog Person"...
Also it strikes me that there's this immense burden placed on authors* re: their first book—like it's the fulfilment of/final word on the kind of book-writer you're capable of being—whereas so many prolific authors I admire had kind of mediocre debuts.
* Placed on them / perceived as being placed on them... not sure how real it is
Also also, this is not a plea to publish the fantasy novel, although I feel juvenilia fantasy-writing is itself a genre worthy of attention (so many people have them!).
like everyone here, i believe in you!!! if it matters to you, that's enough to make it worth doing, and we all know you have the skills!!!
i actually finished my first novel last month... it's a story i made just for myself, and it will never be seen in public, for several reasons, but mostly because the prospect of creating something that i expected anyone else to ever read made the stakes too high for me to complete something that was, in the end, really important to me. getting myself away from the gaze of the imagined audience is something i've had to do to actually hear my own thoughts and understand what it is i want to make. it's hard!!!!!! and ongoing!!!!! and i'm not a Writer, i'm just a doofus. but it's helped me heal my own relationship with what i create, and stop caring about the secondary ego game.
all that said, tho, this kind of thing is obvs easier when writing isn't your career. i hope that whatever you make, you are guided by your own creative joy above all... i know it sounds like a pinterest quote in wedding font but it's so real and i fucking mean it 1000%