A Writer's Eventuality: teen writers

It must've been easier to be a writer when you weren't constantly plugged in to your numbers. I remember the good old days of stamps and envelopes and waiting in silence for so long that you forgot you even mailed something to a publisher. Of course those were also the days when you relied on a publisher or agent actually opening your envelope and giving it a fair chance. Those were also the days of high prices for self-publishing.
Right now Filter is lost in a sea of ebooks and I am fighting tooth and nail to get it noticed. That's why it's free right now at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/20957 At least if it's free people will read it and, I hope, enjoy it and leave a favorable review. I might have to wait until the next book to actually charge some minimal amount.
If writing does pan out I'm going to have to get a 9-5 which is NOT what I want. I've accepted my June Cleaver fate and I love being home to take care of my boys and shuffle them around. But I need my own home. My parents have been good enough to let us live with them for some time now while we get our degrees and establish our careers but I want my own home with my own decor and my own rules. I also need to get my broken tooth fixed. My Mac book attacked me. Broke my front tooth. And we're too poor to get it fixed.
I've spent the last week shamelessly self-promoting my book and I'm not very good at it. I don't want to just say, "Hi, buy my book." That's not me. I was never good at small talk. I like to be invested in people and hear their stories and know their thoughts. Problem is, that takes up a LOT of time. And that's time I should be spending working on Book Two and reading. I haven't had time for lazy days of reading because I'm busy peddling my free ebook. Ridiculous. And don't even get me started on Amazon. I've only sold two copies there because you can't find it. Everyday hundreds if not thousands of new ebooks are uploaded for the Kindle format. I'm only charging $2.99 and have only sold 2. That is not going to fix my tooth. At least I know at Smashwords people are downloading my ebook and I pray they are enjoying it. If they aren't I want to know why because I know I have a lot of growing to do as a writer. Sometimes I think I was a better writer back in high school before my adult ADHD kicked in (I don't actually have ADHD, it's just called an overly busy life).
I need coffee.

In my basement and on the archaic hard drive of a dusty old computer are hundreds of stories and poems I wrote between the ages of 8 and 19. There's also a binder, about 1 1/2 inches thick, that is filled with MacGyver teleplays, but we're not going to discuss that. Though I may not be Stephenie Meyer, I do have some wisdom to offer.

1. Read.

Reading a variety of genres and different forms of media (newspapers, blogs, poetry) helps develop your personal voice, your style. Everything you read becomes part of you as a writer. Read as much as you can. Be voracious.

2. Write.

And be willing to write crap that you would never, ever let anyone read. The fire hazard in my basement exists because I loved to create characters and stories, not because I wanted to get rich and famous. A true writer writes because her brain goes crazy if she doesn't.

3. Develop Thick Skin

It's hard I know but you have to let other people (in the beginning only choose people you really trust to give you an honest, constructive opinion...) read your work. It's part of the growing pains. Sometimes the truth hurts but you'll never grow as a writer if you don't allow the negative comments in. Ignore those people who are malicious just because they think it makes them sound intelligent and really appreciate the critics who offer harsh advice because they want to help you get better.

4. Read Your Own Work.

This was hard for me in the beginning because in my mind the story was excellent. That was only because I could see it fully fleshed out in my imagination. Read it like you paid twenty bucks for it at Barnes & Noble. Most of the time I hated my stuff after I read it.

6. Rewrite.

True writers aren't writers. They're rewriters. I actually started Filter in December 2009. By April 2010 I hated it. It wasn't going the way I wanted it to go. I scrapped it and restarted, yes from the beginning. And it was worth. My characters were much happier.

7. Revise after you've Rewritten

I've checked for grammatical and name errors until my vision was literally crossing. Enlist the help of a friend to help you comb through. If people are spending time and money to read your work, you'd better give them the best.

8. Take risks

With your writing and your sharing. Open yourself up to people who may not be just like you. They might offer some excellent advice you never would have considered. Allow the unintended to happen in your book. That's something called "originality" and a LOT of books are lacking in it. Let your characters do what they would do on their own and without your control. You might not be ready for them to take the dangerous leap but they are. Trust them.

9. Be proud of your rejections.

Even Stephenie Meyer and Stephen King were in the slush piles at one point. I use to tape my rejection letters to the wall. Being rejected means you're at least working toward something. It means you aren't giving up. Keep going.

10. E-publish

Publish your book online for free at http://www.smashwords.com or amazon.com. Just make sure you have an honest to goodness real copyright. There is no better way to safeguard your work. It's only $35 at http://www.copyright.gov List your work for free. Let the people get to know you before you dare ask for their money. Mine is available for free at http://www.smashwords.com

11. Support other novice novelists

Don't think of other writers as competition. There are so many readers and it takes us so long to write one good book. Support and encourage and help other authors with their marketing.

12. If you need some encouragement or an honest opinion message me.