How to write: embrace your story

My father was a country GP. When his patients asked him how they could lose weight he’d say: “Simple – keep your mouth shut.”

We all know that losing weight is much more complicated than that, but my Dad’s message was right: you can’t get fat if you don’t open your mouth.

I’m not advocating dieting at all. It’s dangerous. But I use the example of my father’s oversimplification to lead into the topic of this post. 

How do you get published? Simple – tell a great story.  Is true that if your story is utterly compelling, it’s likely to get published. It may take a while to get it to the attention of a publisher, but if it’s really good enough, it could be the next Harry Potter or Shades of Grey and you could be fronting up at the desk of a luxury car dealer to buy yourself the latest Ferrari.

But we all know it’s not that easy. Very few of us, if any of us, are lucky enough to come up with a story so brilliant that if causes a bidding war between rival publishing houses.

But we’re all capable of coming up with a story that will prick a publisher’s interest and have a publishing house editor hungrily turning the pages and advising that you be sent a contract to sign.

I do mean all. Each of us is unique. There has never before been someone like you or me in the history of the world and there never will be again.  Each of us has stories to draw on from our own lives. Stories about our family, our friends, our pets, our work, our school and university experiences, our circumstances. I’m not suggesting that each of you writes about your own life, though.

What I do believe is that your one-in-billions world view is a marketable commodity. Only you look at the world in the way you do. Only you have had your experiences. Only you speaks – and writes – in your voice.

In my life, I’ve read thousands of novels and short stories and met hundreds of creative writing students. Each novelist, story writer and student is completely different from the last and this difference is what sets you apart as a writer.

Proud to be different!