Am I Fooling Myself...Can I Write?

It's Friday night and I've finally managed to find some time to sit down at my laptop and think about writing. Over the past couple of days I haven't done a lot to promote my latest thriller, The Marquis Mark, pre-ordering on Amazon.com (there, I promoted), although I’m guessing finding an audience or readership for the book will be more akin to a marathon than a sprint.

Although we haven’t seen every season, my wife and I are currently watching American Idol. Each year, during the early stages of the competition, we watch the auditions. As the show is entertainment, along with some great singers, they highlight those who are terrible. Some individuals show up for auditions that have no business there; they can't sing, and may even be tone deaf. What is surprising is their reaction; many of them truly believe they're good, if not great. Can't they hear themselves? Watching the show, it's obvious to us that they're fooling themselves. This is a question we must all ask ourselves.

Can I write? Well, yes. If we've all been through high school, we've probably written. The real question is, can I write at a professional level? Am I good enough to be justified in asking readers to spend money on my books? Or, am I tone deaf and fooling myself? Seeing as anyone can self-publish on Amazon.com, that's a fair question we should all ask ourselves.

The truth in my case, is it took time for me to develop my skills. When I look back at early manuscripts or scripts I've written, they're terrible. Along the way, mainly in the screenwriting field, I took a lot of constructive criticism from producers and was pushed to better myself. I didn't believe I got everything right on the first draft, and re-writes weren't required. I was open to the fact I wasn't as good as I thought I was, and because of that I got infinitely better. Feedback I've received from the industry, tells me that, yes, finally, I've reached that professional stage; I can write. I’m not counting the opinion here of family and friends, but working professionals; strangers who don't have to be nice to me.

This is important, as I think writing is something a lot of people marginalize. They don't realize it is a skill one has to work at; there are levels of ability. I've asked myself that American Idol question, I've researched, and I've never believed I knew everything, and as such, I know, after a long time, I've hit that stage where I can write at a professional level. This is important, because it is those who are fooling themselves, or who don't want to work at it, that is creating doubt amongst readers in the self-publishing marketplace. I don't begrudge anyone the desire to write, all I ask is that they respect the craft and strive to provide value, as I'm not only a writer, but also a reader.

If I am wrong, I assume readers will let me know; and seeing how Amazon allows readers to read the first two or three chapters of any book posted, readers can make that determination without spending any hard earned cash. – I'm just hoping that in this vast marketplace, they do me the honor of giving my work a look.

Who Knew Writing the Book was the Easy Part?

Who knew the easy task was the writing of the book?

During my formative years as a writer-journalist, I might not have agreed with the above statement. Like many who dreamt of writing a novel, I found my desk drawers littered with numerous half-finished manuscripts (yes, saying half-finished, might be giving myself a little more credit than is due). I’m sure most of us who write know that initial rush of a new and exciting idea. The characters are fresh, the story, hopefully, compelling, and the promise of what it could become is ripe with possibilities. Ah, yes, but at what chapter does all of that fade and the manuscript put away?

The desire to write is powerful; the discipline to write, for many of us, fleeting. I developed my discipline as a screenwriter, a task I found infinitely easier than writing books, and, in believing that, avoided attempting any further book manuscripts for a long, long time. At least until the insanity that is the film business and those who populate it, drove me in desperation to write something that wouldn't be scrutinized by producers, directors, development executives and their spouses, children, nannies, yoga instructors, etcetera – namely I decided to write a book.

This is not a record of my attempt to write my first book. That ship has sailed. Tripping on Tears is finished, and I’m quite proud of it. The Merry Pranked, my second novel is complete, as is The Marquis Mark, my latest psychological thriller. Both Tripping on Tears and The Merry Pranked were released on Amazon.com, but due to circumstances were not actively promoted. With The Marquis Mark, I plan to change that, and like all indie writers with a digital manuscript, I’m faced with the daunting challenge of finding an audience readership.

I’d never planned on writing a blog, but understand in today’s world of publishing it is important for writers to create a platform for themselves; but what to write about, and what to say? On other parts of my blog, With Malice Toward None , I've included articles I've written on a number of subjects, but in this section I propose to chronicle my attempts to market The Marquis Mark and find that readership. I believe if successful it will also serve to instruct anyone who cares about who I am and how my imagination and thoughts work. While I understand that presently I’m really only writing for myself, for those who join me, it will be a look at a journey towards success or disappointment; and while I hope it is entertaining and insightful, it may also serve as an example of what to do or not to do for those in the same predicament.

I guess, here goes...