Making the choice

Writing for yourself is sometimes the hardest thing to do. As an author and at times even more so as a first time author, it is easy to write for the latest anthology, latest magazine ect. But what happens when you're so consumed about writing for someone else you end up loosing that part of the story that was you?

I've been writing for several years and just a few years back made a choice to want to be published. During this time, I learned a lot about what is accepted, what is not, how to follow guidelines and much more. This process was exciting and yet exhausting at the same time. I ended up writing a lot for places, some being accepted and some getting rejected. In the meantime, I had lost something, the passion for writing, the reason why I started.

It took me awhile to get that passion back. I was frustrated, had writer's block at times and didn't know the reason why. I even went into a somewhat depression phase. Then I discovered my reason for writing, my passion for writing again. It was as if a weight was lifted off me.

So what has this to do with?

It all boils down to writing for yourself. I'm not saying writing for a particular magazine, submitting your work for the next big anthology you shouldn't do, just don't get lost in having everyone making the choice for you on what to write. Writing should come from you, your heart, and your passion. If your work fits somewhere, submit it. If not you know you have given yourself into the writing. When you are published, you are always sharing a piece of yourself. Always make sure you have some pieces left.