Writers Anonymous

Ten years.

That’s how long it’s been since the idea of a girl going into an imaginary world popped into my head – very original, I know, and believe me I thought I was breaking ground here.

And yet the ruddy thing is still not finished! Well, it has been finished. Many times over. I am currently on version número cuatro (I know cool people like Ellen Page say it in French but for me switching to my mother tongue mid-sentence is a problem and not to be encouraged). Even though it’s been written and edited so many times, I’m still not happy with it, and neither was the book doctor to whom I showed my first chapter. That was in 2012. And there’s virtually no difference with the version I’m working on now. Where did 2013 go? A whole year lost.

So this is it. This is the year I finish. It has to be. And you are to hold me accountable (no pressure).

That’s the first reason for this blog: you bugging me until I finish. Demons whispered in my ear I’ll spend more time blogging than writing, but I expecto patronumed them away: after all, the reason I didn’t write in 2013, other than the lack of time, is that I lost touch with my world. This blog is to be my anchor.

The other reason is that writing is a lonely thing. 

Yes, I am a misunderstood writer.

For most of those 10 years I never even told anybody but my close family that I wrote. A mixture of shame and misplaced pride. I didn’t want to be one of those annoying people who like to place in conversation (cue posh voice), “Oh, yes. I’m writing a book, don’t you know?”.

And at the same time I didn’t want to risk anybody shattering my wildest dreams of being the next JK Rowling – you might think this is quite ambitious, but you might reconsider knowing that my wildest dreams also include building my own eco-house, owning a team of sledding tamaskans and saving the elephant from extinction.

Seriously, though, I was worried people would tell me it was rubbish, or that the story sounded naff. Because that’s the question that comes after, isn’t it? What’s it about? Still working on that hook…

Then came along a girl in a small office in Brussels, and for some reason I disclosed to her the top secret information that I wrote. And it turned out she did too. She introduced me to the world of writers’ forums and Nanowrimo. And since then, my friends, what a journey it has been! I have been to a writers’ conference and given excerpts to be critiqued (read criticised) by professionals. I’ve given the whole book to friends to read. I’ve even posted a (now old) version of my first chapter on a writing forum for * gasp * feedback.

And you know what? I’ve lived to tell the tale. I realised that all these years I had kept my writing private so it wouldn’t be a big deal, but talking about it is what made it not a big deal. And it’s not so special after all: over 400, 000 people took part in the Nanowrimo writing marathon this year.

But it’s still scary. It’s a bit like being on the X-factor: you put yourself out there and up for criticism. No, it’s worse than that: it’s like being naked on stage for the X-factor. That’s how vulnerable it feels.

That being said, this is what this space is for: sharing the ups and down, getting feedback or pep-up talks, bounce ideas around, and most importantly share this world I created so long ago.

And this is where you come in: please comment, critique, advise and support me. I’m done with secrecy and shame.

And because it’s starting to sound more and more like an AA session, here is how it starts:

My name is Soizic and I write. This is my blog.