Insecure Writer's Support Group post 1

My first entry for this group.

I was sitting in a small cafe waiting for my interviewee. Suddenly the door burst open and a loud American voice could be heard, 'The kingdom of God is approaching right now!'

I put my head down and wondered if there was any way I could creep out unnoticed because, yes, this was the man I was waiting for.

Fortunately he calmed down a bit after that and we sat and he told me many life and death stories of his life as a cop in Harlem and the Bronx. At the end he said to me, 'A good story, yeah?'
'Yeah.'
'Make a good book, yeah?'
'Yeah.'
'You want to write it?'
'Yeah.'

And that is how I found myself ghost-writing the autobiography of a NY cop.

When I'd completed the first section I thought I should begin looking for a publisher: I'd read enough writing books and magazines to know it was going to be difficult. I prepared the synopsis and first three chapters and sent them off to Hodder, a large British publisher. I posted the envelope on the Thursday afternoon.

On the Friday afternoon I was cooking chips for the children's tea when the phone rang. It was an editor from Hodder saying they were very excited and wanted to read the rest.

They went on to publish A Cop for Christ and it's still available.

Fast forward to my first attempt at novel writing. Buoyed up by the ease with which my non-fiction was published I sent off the manuscript, sat back and dreamed of how it would look in a film with the now sadly deceased Alan Rickman as the hero.

Years and loads of rejections later I finally self-published This Time Next Year.

Just some of my rejection letters.
Yes, I've kept them all.

I've since written three more novels all with similar lack of success. And over the years I've written articles, short stories, and scripts that have been equally unsuccessful. Yes, I've had a few published but the majority are still sitting on my computer unread and unloved - except by me.

And I suppose that's the point. We write because we want to, because we need to. Sometimes it's to clear out my head so I can sleep at night; sometimes it's because I think what I have to say is important. Even if no-one else thinks so.

I really believe it only takes the right person in the right mood on the right day to like your novel for it to be a huge success. So keep writing and good luck.

Thanks for reading. Why not check out the Insecure Writer's Blog hop by clicking on the link in the side bar?