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RE: How to Become a Successful Author Before You Publish Your First Book

in #writing • 7 years ago

Thanks for the great article! As an aspiring writer and future author (hopefully) from RSA, it's really great to see some useful and practical advice like this.

I'm a terrible introvert and even find it difficult to communicate with groups online. Thanks to Steemit I found some great communities, but I can't seem to bring myself to interact with them. Now it's been a couple months and suddenly jumping back in seems quite embarrassing. I wonder if you have any tips to interact with groups for a hopeless introvert?

I say I'm aspiring writer, I left my crappy job at the beginning of the year to focus on my writing using Steemit as a medium, at least for starters, and I was going relatively strong for a month and a half, and then suddenly I just got caught in a massive swell of depression and couldn't bring myself to write at all. It's just over 2 months later with little to no progress, and I'm trying my hardest to pull myself out of the deep well and continue writing again.

Trying to figure out how to earn a living with writing is overwhlming me currently. Without a solid portfolio or self-confidence I feel thoroughly hopeless. I know the solution is to just sit down and force it out, build up momentum and keep going, but get started is easier said than done. The dream is to be Freelance, any tips on how to get that going?

Again, thanks for the great and pragmatic post.

7 years ago in #writing by
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     7 years ago 

    The trick I have learnt as a fellow introvert is to simply watch the conversations and only take part when you really feel up to it. Sometimes you can't help but get caught up in a topic when I want to share my experience. You shouldn't feel forced to participate. You reaching out in a comment like this to me is a prime example.

    However it shouldn't become a point where you only participate to talk about your novel. I'm actually part of a discord group called the Writers Block where they talk about writing and even have segments where you can participate in certain writing exercises. Tbey are a very motivational group that may inspire you to write simply by reading what tbey are chatting about. If you are on discord, let me know your name on there.

    I'm sorry to hear that you went through a bad patch. I hope it gets better soon.

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     7 years ago (edited)

    Thanks, I hope it will soon too.

    I'm trying to drag myself out, forcibly at this stage. Otherwise, I'll sink so deep I'll lose sight of the surface, forget it was ever there. I just get lost in self-criticism and frustration, compensate by distracting myself. And the cycle continues.

    I have many ideas that I would love to put into words and place between some covers, but getting started, building that momentum is incredibly difficult for me for some reason.

    I did join TWB, as well as the Isle of Write, teamsouthafrica, steemPunks and some others, but I haven't hopped into a conversation in months now. I stopped checking them as well because I thought that they were too distracting. But alas, it's just me.

    I'm MajorMajorMajorThom on all those places.

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     7 years ago 

    Well I do hope to see something from you soon 😊

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