Recently, I’ve posted a few TikTok videos (@jonmcbrine) marked as “Ask An Aspiring Author Anything” - an open call for questions from writers, readers, and anyone curious about the creative processes involved in starting out as a novelist. As I state in one of the videos, even though I have released a couple of shorts as well as a full-length young adult fiction book, I still very much consider myself aspiring. Not that my professional status was ever going to be debated. In fact, the first “A5” videos I posted were really me asking myself questions of myself. This is, of course, due to no one sending me any questions, not that I mind. However, I have since received a few genuine queries which I sincerely appreciate. Now the challenge is answering these inquiries as authentically as possible. So, to summarize one such question for me: how do you stay motivated?
I posted a recent blog discussing this at length, so I’ll briefly reiterate that it mostly depends on what goals you are setting for yourself—as well as leveling your expectations. Loving the process will greatly assist in producing whatever your artform is, whether it be a hobby or a job. That being said, frustration and stress are going to show up sooner or later. It can be fun, but it is still work; effort, time, resources are poured into your craft. Without the satisfaction of a quick reward for your troubles, it is easy to feel burnout coming on. At the end of the day, you essentially make a decision to continue or hang it up. But, throughout the course of this figurative day, it is okay to take breaks and see things from a different perspective.
I have many side projects on top of my sprawling manuscript goals. Organization is key, though, again, you must allow for variables and ultimately the right to change your mind about anything. It is likely that, if indeed you are working on a personal project, that no one is asking you to do any of this. Your real life schedule is probably already hectic enough, so if you don’t get around to the thing you said you’d make progress on, then you must realize that is okay. If a period of inactivity passes, then it’s revaluation time. That is an admittedly frustrating bit of vague advice, but it is true due to the unique nature of each individual’s situation, it is up to the creator to choose what works best for them. Acknowledging that fine-tuning your process will take time is also maddening, but also liberating as you get closer to understanding your own personalized workflow.
One of my targets for the year is to expand “A5” into a YouTube channel. This proposed series of videos would be me taking more time to talk about whatever anyone may ask, or a solo expounding of my own theories. I’m excited about the notion but I’ll admit, with a lot of more prolific YouTubers calling it quits, that dreaded sense of pointlessness is creeping in. Once again, I determine why I do this, and the main reason doesn’t have to be anything more than me simply wanting to try it.
Perhaps one question a potential reader/viewer would have is about what kinds of subjects would I be tackling. I am very interested in speaking about the grind of someone just starting out. I love memoirs of famous people I either admire or am curious about, but I’ve noticed that a lot of their humble beginnings tend to get glossed over. This is understandable to an extent because the typical reader (or audiobook listener as is the case with me a lot of the time), if you’re a fan of this celebrity, you probably want the juicy details of their prime era of fame. I, too, want to know about behind the scenes gossip and anecdotal adventures involving other people of note. I also want to get an insight on what these folks did to become world-renowned musicians, writers, artists, comedians, actors, performers, etc. How did a well-known author handle rejection after rejection of their early drafts? How did a comic deal with bombing at an open mic night? And most importantly, what did they do to learn and grow?
I’m by no means promising any notoriety on my part. No future fame and fortune is a lock. I merely want to provide a detailed look at what someone like me is doing to make it as an author. I started late and am constantly learning. If nothing else, perhaps this could serve as a kind of support to anyone else struggling to evolve in their art.
I am ready to discuss writer’s block, imposter syndrome, and all the lows that come with starting from scratch as an author. I am also looking forward to talking about the many highs that come with seeing a project come to life in the form of a real book. From marketing woes to the gleeful joy of receiving a crazy-cool idea from thin air, I hope to hear from anyone interested in these topics from the world of an aspiring author.
If you would like, you can submit questions on Substack or any of my social media pages which can easily be accessed on my site.
Stay in the loop for more details by following Jonfcition Blog on Substack and be sure to check out jonmcbrine.com for more info about this and all my books.
Unsecret Identity: Eric Icarus - Book One is available now from the Amazon Kindle store.