How has writing affected your life?
My social life has been non-existent since the time I started writing my novel, which soon became an obsession.
I have written 84,000 words and cut a similar amount.
One more chapter to insert then I'm done.
I have done many redrafts, thorough edits, cut thousands of words, added thousands of words, re-structured, corrected grammar and punctuation, and ironed out errors and weaknesses. It has been a long, exhausting struggle - mind-bendingly hard with many head-scratching moments. My brain feels like a worn out piece of chewing gum but I'm confident I will stagger across the finishing line, late 2019. I will be published.
How has writing affected your life?
I've gone from being a housewife with few qualifications to a graduate with a first class degree and a whole new career. Writing is hard, but dedication to it brings some amazing rewards, even if it's not necessarily the ones you expect. Publication is the goal, but the journey to it has been one hell of a ride. I got to rewrite my world :)
Hi Adrian good question. Writing has affected my life in many ways. I started writing ten years ago when my mum died, it was so cathartic, it helped me feel peace. I carried on and now I feel it has helped me to focus more and I have also gained a certain amount of discipline from the craft. If I'm stressed I can escape the reality of life and jump into another place. I love writing it's more than just a hobby, for me it's a massive part of my life.
It was only when I was writing my first (hopefully not the last) book that I experienced all the above. The perceived joy of finishing and publishing my own work was the main motivator. That was 3 years ago.
Now, I write because it is one of my most-valued hobbies. It's definitely a way to take my mind off the daily grind and wander in 'uncharted territories', a kind of relaxation if you will. I've accepted my limitations as a writer and my near-impossible dream to be a bestseller, let alone become famous and rich as a result.
But that's only me...and my unreserved wish to anyone wanting to become a polished and successful writer.