I thought I needed moral support if I was to go on this writer’s journey, so I excitedly went to family and friends. To my disappointment and surprise, I wasn’t a Fredrick Forsyth or Sidney Sheldon in their eyes, so I wasn’t deserving of their support.
Where’s the love, right?
I knew what I wanted to do, but looking over the literary landscape and seeing the talent, I told myself why bother. I’d never be as good as they are. And still, I was trying to follow the traditional and not forging my own path. I was one of these writers who believed getting a publishing deal was the be all and end all of a successful writer’s life. At the time in the UK, the gatekeepers made sure black representation was minuscule, especially in Horror, Sci-Fi,
Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction genres. I think the turning point for me was seeing writers with similar backgrounds as myself, becoming successful from writing. I no longer had any excuses.
I had enough of thinking I wasn’t good enough.
I had enough of believing I had nothing to offer.
I had enough of thinking small.
For the first time, I decided to express who I was and my experiences through my writing without filters.
Great, now who would cheer me on? Who would be my biggest fans?
Crickets.Â
That’s what I heard. I had no one in my corner because no one knew who I was.
Then it dawned on me. You’ve got to be your own biggest fan, especially when you’re starting out.
There’s no other way.
The one thing I had to contend with was I had to be honest with myself. I had to be sure writing was to be my passion with no excuses. I had to create a style of writing in a genre I could make my own. Something I was good at that the world really needed even if they didn’t know it? That’s where my work had to come from for me to be able to believe in it. That’s when I could be my own biggest fan.
And that’s what I did.
I created the Urban Fantastic genre to meet all the requirements I set out for myself then I started to tell the world about it.
Realise that you can’t please everybody, but you can damn well please the most important person, and that’s YOU! You’ve got to feel good about what you’re doing. If it doesn’t energise you even when you least want to do it, then you need to re-evaluate your position.
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Let me tell you something, there are enough people in this world who will make you feel bad, that will talk down to you and make you feel worthless if you give them permission.
There is absolutely NO reason for you to do it to yourself.
If I could give anyone trying to be successful a piece of advice, it is to be your own biggest fan.
Enough people are lining up, who are willing and able to critique your every move, you don’t need to join them. Toot your own horn family and let know one tell you any different.
