Speed Bumps

Encouraging words for writers.

Image: https://stock.adobe.com/

I suspect that many writers harbor the urge to scribble from a young age. Whether the driving force is a hopper full of things to say in print or the draw of what looks like a carefree way to make money, writing lures many of us, seductively. Sadly, most probably never set words to paper, preferring the beautiful dream to the tedious reality of dragging words from your brain and stitching them to the page one keystroke at a time. I can’t speak for everyone. But it was a series of speed bumps which set me on this path.

Almost everyone will encounter surprise events. It’s like reality cleaning your windshield with a spray bottle full of cloudy liquid and a worn-out squeegie without being asked. Sometimes your wipers get bent in the process. But the clarity of view is almost always improved.

When I was 40, I suffered through a serious illness. I’m fine now, but the experience was like hitting a speed bump at the emotional equivalent of 30 miles per hour. Things got shook up, and priorities got rearranged. A long-dormant dream of writing suddenly tumbled to the front of the line.

Being me, I researched what it would take, and found a few surprises. Some aptitude for storytelling helps, a lot. But the most important factor is persistence. Writing is a skill, and the more you work at it the better you’ll get. It comes easier for some than for others, but most can pick up the knack with enough practice.

When first starting out, I attended a writer’s conference at the local library. One of the speakers was a published science fiction author. Of course, what most of the 50 people in the room wanted to know was: how do I get published? (This was well before Amazon and the super-highway to self-publishing it offers.) She sighed and described her journey. Which boiled down to; plant your butt in the chair and keep typing.

Then, she took us through a very interesting exercise. She asked, “How many here want to be writers?” Half of the 50 people put their hands up. “How many have actually started writing something?” Half the hands went down. “How many have finished what you started writing?” (Note the subtle, but important difference between “started” and “finished.”) Another half of the hands went down. “Of those that finished, how many submitted that to a magazine or a publisher?” Only a few hands remained raised.

It’s a s simple as that. Keep typing until you get better. And you will get better.

That was more than 20 years ago. And, frankly, it’s a lot easier to get “published” now than it used to be. Platforms like Substack have made it so. And social media opened up entirely new avenues to connect and interact with readers. Ironically, that’s also increased the work load for authors at the same time. But the world has always been a complicated place. It’s just complicated in different ways than it used to be. I’m just feeling my way into this brave new world like the rest of us.

Eventually I got good enough to start selling, and published a dozen short stories over about a 6-year period. It was a cheap hobby, except for postage. Then there was another speed bump. At 50, I got laid off of my job, which I’d held for 27 years. It took most of year to find another one. And I concentrated on keeping that one, at the expense of writing. Priorities.

Then, I was able to retire. A former coworker asked, “Are you still writing?” I had to answer her, no. I had to ask myself, why not? This speed bump was gentler, but more profound. I not only had more to say at that point in my life, but found I could say it better.

I jotted down ideas for novels which had been rolling around in my head for decades. One seemed more fun that the others, so I started with that story. A year (and the pandemic) later, it was done, and I self-published it on Amazon. I have always been a lucky guy, and an acquaintance from my short-story-writing days asked if he could publish it at a small press he worked for. As book one started to wind down, I’d started another. When it was finished, the small press published that one too.

At this point in time, I have 3 published books, one in the process of being published, 2 more finished, and at least 2 more in process. I owe this all to the speed bumps. Maybe they were there for a reason.

Don’t worry if you writing is good enough. It may not be, but it will get better. Practice and speed bumps will make it so. Just keep typing.

Check out my novels at Novus Mundi Publishing, or just order them directly from Amazon:

• A Grand Imperial War

• A Grand Imperial Heir (sequel to A Grand Imperial War)

• Fool’s Paradise

And visit my website, https://raytabler.com/, for Science Fiction You Can Enjoy!