A Writer's Journey

From Wattpad to Amazon:

When I was accepted at my college for Creative Writing & Publishing, I thought that I had known every little thing about what it means to be a writer. Turns out, the extent of my knowledge simply just came from a small bubble of the literary world that even I had not properly explored yet.

Being a writer means more than just making a story; it's everything in between the words that you craft to make a sentence: the world-building, the characterization, the perspective, the choice of language, the tone, your targeted audience, the theme and so, so much more.

"Sounds easy," someone who isn't a writer might say. "Anyone could do that."

I thought the same when I started out my journey as a writer on the popular literary platform Wattpad. And sure, it's pretty easy to get yourself and your ideas out there; but how often is it that your ideas are fully fleshed out? Successful? How often is it that your story makes a mark in the world? There's a stark distinction between writing for leisure and writing with the intention to effect change within the industry--though delving into the intricacies of the industry is a conversation for another time. Navigating that landscape can feel as daunting as staring at a blank Word document or a fresh journal, waiting to capture your thoughts. Yet, there's a profound challenge in transforming those empty spaces into a canvas for your words.

See, at times, words may seem insufficient to fully express your narrative--but isn't that the essence of being a writer? To write, regardless?

Non! It took me five years to finish my first book for publishing. Another year was spent searching for the right platform, finding a reliable editor (which, admittedly, I didn't pursue), and crafting original-inspired artwork for the front and back covers. Even after publication, I've dedicated another year to refining and editing my work. It may seem like working in reverse, but it underscores a very, very important truth: being a writer is so much more than just putting words on paper.

We create our own reality. We forge a world that exists beyond our very understanding of what a world is and we play with letters to lure you into it. We are masters of creation and it has been for centuries, and it will continue to be so in the following centuries. Look at John Milton, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Harper Lee, and the other successful, talented authors who made a difference in the literary landscape and wonder again: is it easy?

Subjectively, it could be; realistically, it will always be a challenge. It was indefinitely a challenge for myself to get up every morning and or night to fill another chapter with words but imperfect ideas. I hated some chapters more than others, and loved rarely a few. Backspacing was a hobby; I knew that I could do better and so often would I push myself to write better--not knowing that I was irrationalizing the very idea of what was good or what was not--which, by the way, is a writer's antagonizing shadow!

Even after I had the incomprehensible opportunity to feel my 800-page book cradle itself into the palm of my hands, after an itching month wait, I questioned if it was even good enough. Would people actually read this? I had doubts. I didn't think that my dream was that achievable. And I scared myself out of the writing process so much that I couldn't write another book without feeling discouraged.

But still, I write. In the first two weeks of my Drama workshop class, my professor, Jill Connell, encouraged the class to write a sentence starting with our deepest insecurities in writing and ending it with: "but still, I write."

My high school English teacher didn't believe in me as a writer, but still, I write. My first writing mentor flaked out on me during the last few steps of publishing "KTBIB", but still, I write. I struggle with finding new ideas and inspiration for new original stories, but still, I write!

And despite everything else, I continue to put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, determined to carve out a place in the evolving world of literature. Each setback, each disappointment--it only fuels my resolve to be better as a writer.

Writing, now, isn't just a hobby or a career choice--it's sort of a calling. It's become part of who I am and I'd never trade that for anything else.

So, whether you choose to self-publish or have a professional publisher take on your work, rest assured that someone out there will read it. Even if it's just my friends who were excited at the announcement of the publishing, they constitute an audience.

Aim for the stars, but appreciate the small victories along the way. Dream big, but also acknowledge the significance of every step forward, regardless of whether the ultimate dream is realized. That, in itself, is an achievement of monumental proportions—something no one should ever underestimate.