Posts Tagged ‘Motivation’

“If You Build It, They Will Come.”

Posted: July 21, 2023 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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Picture about ten years ago. You’ve released a book, but after an initial ten or so sales, no one is looking at your book or leaving reviews. Your blog has barely a hundred followers, and you maybe only get one or two views a day. Sometimes you get more, but those days are rare and they don’t usually get you more than ten. Also, you’re sending out short stories to plenty of publications–non-paying, because you think those publications are easier to get into and you’re working your way up to paid publications–but over and over, it’s just rejection after rejection.

Thoughts about what you’re doing wrong and how are you supposed to become a writer like this flit through your head.

This was me at times during my early writing career, specifically after the release of The Quiet Game. Variations of it, I’m sure, other writers have gone through at various points of their careers, including well into them. Some may even entertain giving up fiction writing, that they don’t have what it takes to become anything in this industry.

Repeated disappointment can be quite the demotivator.

That being said, if you keep trying and can get through the disappointment, perhaps something amazing can happen.

Despite the disappointment, I kept writing and blogging and submitting. I published some more books (two of which I later took out of circulation for reasons I won’t get into), and they got fans. A few even scared people. My blog kept growing and people started rooting for me in earnest. I started working with some other writers to give advice on writing and self-publishing, and it helped increase my influence. I got a lot of rejections on my short stories, but I did get some publications, and that helped me stay motivated.

In 2017, I joined the Horror Writers Association, and not too long after, I joined the newly-formed Ohio chapter. Finally, I’d found my people. And somehow, I ended up becoming the chapter coordinator, which is still my position today (I was reelected by popular vote).

I honestly feel Rose was a turning point in my career, both as a validation of all my previous efforts and a sign of things to come.

In 2018, I got my novel Rose, which I wrote as a college thesis, accepted for publication. I was going to be traditionally published. Thus followed fifteen months of editing and rewriting, during which my anxiety disorder also manifested. Somehow, through all of it, I got the book published and people liked it. To this day, it’s still my most popular book.

Also, in 2019, I had a short story, “Car Chasers,” published in an anthology and was paid five-hundred dollars for it. To this day, it’s still the most I’ve ever made off a single story.

During 2020 and COVID, I kept writing. I met with my fellow writers virtually and we helped each other along. I attended my first event as a vendor in Iowa, and learned a lot. In 2021, I attended events and got more stories accepted and published, including The Pure World Comes and Hannah and Other Stories. In 2022, the former came out in paperback, ebook, and audio book, and I got more work accepted, including The Dedication of the High Priestess, which to this day I still think is some of my best work ever.

Also, after nearly two years of work, my friends and I created a small press and released That Which Cannot Be Undone, an anthology of Ohio horror.

This year, editing on Hannah reached the point we could set a release date. I went to Stoker Con, where not only did a lot of people know who I was, but many people, including my heroes in the horror genre, were eager to meet me. (And they were so nice!) A few even agreed to be eARC readers for Hannah.

Also, I’m working on a grimdark story for an anthology I’ve been invited to, and there’s a chance other stories may be released this year. This past week, The Quiet Game reached its ten-year release anniversary and more people are reading it than ever, especially this week. And I was at the Columbus Book Festival this past weekend and sold more books and made more than I’ve ever earned in four years of vending. I don’t expect the same results this weekend at Gem City Comic Con, but I’m hopeful for good things.

Me and my fellow Ohio horror writers at the Columbus Book Festival. I’m on the end.

And I’ve heard from plenty of people, including an old coworker and my tattoo artist, that they’re reading my work and enjoying it so far.

(Yes, I have a tattoo artist. Surprise!)

All this isn’t to brag. It’s to say that if you keep working hard and working to improve, things won’t stay the same. You can build a foundation for yourself, a catalog of work. And then readers and colleagues and more will be drawn to you. They may even eagerly await your work. You may not be able to write full-time, let alone live the Stephen King lifestyle, and it may take a shit ton of time, but you could become someone whose work people enjoy.

Or, to quote Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.”

And isn’t that what we all want, in the end?

That being said, I do hope I’ll be writing full-time by 2028. I actually asked my Tarot cards if I could be writing full-time in five years, and they said there’s a strong possibility. That’s poured gasoline on the fire under my ass. I can’t wait to see what happens under this level of motivation. Wish me luck, Followers of Fear!

Thanks for reading, my Followers of Fear. I’ve been wanting to do a post like this for a while. I hope many of you found it helpful.

Also, I’ll be in Dayton, Ohio this weekend for Gem City Comic Con to sell books and do Tarot readings. If you can stop by, please do so. And if you can’t, click that button thing below. It’ll take you to my Books page. If you’re looking for new reading material, there’s plenty there to choose from. Just remember to leave me a review if you end up reading something of mine so I know what you thought.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Rami’s Books and Book Links

Inspiration, Motivation, Focus, Consistency

Posted: July 27, 2020 in Reflections, Writing
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Before I start on the main subject of this post, I thought I’d ask a question of you, my Followers of Fear: how are you? You doing well?

Hey, it’s a pandemic and the world seems to get crazier every day. Might as well ask. Let’s talk in the comments below.

Anyway, you see that title? Inspiration, Motivation, Focus, Consistency. They’re more than just words. In fact, I think they’re why I’ve had such a crazy output of stories since November, including two novels.

Inspiration. This isn’t just limited to ideas for stories to write. Yeah, you want to have stories that excite you and that you think will excite others to read as much as it excites you to write them, but you also want inspiration for your drive. Let me explain: since Rose came out more than a year ago, I’ve heard from so many people who’ve enjoyed reading the book. I’ve had the pleasure of signing copies and talking to people about it, and even meeting the narrator of the audio book!

Being able to share my work with people, and knowing that they like it and even want to read more, is a huge inspiration for me. Imagining what someone might say for Rose or another story inspires me to sit in the chair at my desk and pound away at the keyboard on the laptop.

Motivation. If inspiration comes from knowing that people liked Rose and want to read more, then motivation is making sure I can do it again. I’m motivated to prove to the world that I’m not a one-book author (or one book by a publisher and four books published independently). This is another reason why I sit down in front of the computer every evening.

It’s also a good motivator for me to spend more time reading and less time streaming TV or anime, even though that is fun. I’m reading authors who have gotten their stories published—sometimes a few, sometimes many—and I’m thinking to myself, “Why did this story get published? Why does this work? What can I learn from this to improve my own stories?” And I think it works. At the very least, even the rejections come with good feedback more often than not.

Getting to meet Sara Parlier and discuss the book we worked on together was a great inspiration.

Focus. I always set a goal in mind for when I’m working on a story. When it’s writing, I try to get around 500 words down on paper, and everything after that is icing on the cake. For editing, I aim for at least three pages, and again, everything afterwards is icing on the cake. They’re simple goals, but more often than not they work. And at some point, a switch usually flips and I end up getting way more done than just those goals above. So, it works.

Consistency. None of the above three work unless you’re doing them often, though, and I’ve noticed the productive authors are always the ones who are doing them often. I tell people that a time fairy isn’t going to come to grant you time to write or meditate or exercise. You have to carve out the time yourself. It may take away from watching Netflix, but those shows will always be there waiting for you. The goals you’re trying to achieve? They won’t be there unless you make them a priority.

And you don’t have to go crazy in being consistent. A gradual build is good as well. I didn’t start writing most nights out of nowhere, I had to build up that habit over time. And it may take a lot more time than you want to build up the habit. But that’s okay. Trying too much too soon may overwhelm you, so it’s better to take it slow and build up your stamina so you can eventually be as consistent as you want to be.

Inspiration, Motivation, Focus, Consistency. They’re not always easy to find or build, but when you gather them together and use them, you can accomplish amazing things (and not just writing, either). How you go about finding them is up to you. But once you have them, you’ll be amazed at how hard it is to let them go. And just how much they improve your life.

 

So that’s all for tonight, my Followers of Fear. I’m deep in researching and outlining, so I’ll get back to that. In the meantime, stay safe, ask your doctor if demonic possession is right for you, and until next time, pleasant nightmares!

Oh, and since I mentioned it, I’ll post the links for Rose down below. If you haven’t read it yet and would like to check it out, please do. And if you enjoy what you read, leave a review online and let me know. I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run. Enjoy!

Rose: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Audible