I'm posting this as a sort of warning to others, to learn from my stupidity and avoid making the same mistake.
I'll start with this. Never try to write a book. People told me that and I didn't listen.
I thought I was different. I could handle it.
But soon I was hooked. And that proved to be a gateway drug to stronger stuff. Soon, I was spending more than I could afford on Courses. All kinds of people, who should know better, cater to this addiction. Night classes run by the local authority adult education, book agents - even publishers.
They give it cutesy names - like Thriller, Sci-Fi, BlockBuster - but it's horrible what it does to you.
I lost all dignity. But I was never going to give up until I hit rock bottom.
The real villains are the people who deal in this deadly trade, who cynically exploit your naivety even though they know they're wasting your life.
I can tell you more if you're interested. I don't want people to make the same mistakes I did.
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Book writing and courses. Oh god, what a fool I've been
OhThisbloodyComputer · 18/09/2017 16:42
Just to address the OPs points in order.
- Of course people buy books. In recent years more books have been published and bought than at any other time since such things were recorded.
- Naturally, publishing houses want bankers. It's a commercial industry. However, these are in addition to the multitude of other books they publish. Often their sales bank roll lots of poor selling books e.g. Lit fic.
- The odds of being published have always been against a new writer. There are simply too many people who want to write.
However, I can tell you that there has never been so many debut novelists getting a chance. The industry seeks new,new,,new. The writer's who struggle are the ones three books in who are mid list. They get dumped for the debuts.
- Of course agents and publishers are always on the hunt for the next big thing. It's their job. However, it isn't copy cat stuff they want. In fact they often don't know what they want until they see it.
The good news is though that they are constantly hunting.
- Many training courses are cash cows. They cash in on people wanting to 'learn' to write and writers needing to earn an extra income.
I was once asked to teach a module on an MA. I did it to mix things up as I spend far too much time alone. I was shocked at the poor quality of the course. But even more shocked at how little writing the students did. This is the main barrier to being published.
- See above.
However, I would add that writers need to take some responsibility and do their due diligence.
- Young people never bought books. It's not a market that ever properly existed. Which is why it is targeted now. And successfully so; some of the biggest sellers are YA books.
But these young adults go back to books as adults. Same with films, telly, theatre, you name it. People have been predicting the end of culture for thousands of years
.Now, all that being said, writing is tough. Most writers will never finish a project. Of those that do, most of them will not have written anything good enough to be published (it may have many merits but that's not the same as being a publishable novel). And of those who have written a publishable novel, it may not land on the right persons desk at the right time. Plus ca change.
I am unsure about your original post OP.
I am a writer and never started doing it to be 'a writer' and make money. I do it because I literally can't help it. If I don't write then I obsessively keep journals. I cannot stop writing.
I think you have gone about this all wrong, whilst some degree of 'training' may be required (all I did was a literature based undergraduate degree) nothing can shape you into a writer, unless you already posses an absolute obsession for it.
Thinking someone will train you up, you will suddenly write a masterpiece/commercial success and then become rich is a very obscure way of viewing the writing process.
Granted, I am still small scale and only have a few paid short publications - and I am just writing my first novel. But I don't do it for acknowledgement, glory or money. I do it because I have tried not to be a writer for years (almost became a social theorist/did a PhD 
) but no matter what I do I can't help but write. I think about it all the time!
Also, I know a number of people (2 friends) that have got quite lucrative publishing deals on their first novels. One of which was a 'young person'. I too am quite young (late 20s) and can assure you a lot of us can read, and do!
As an aside: lot's of young people are seeking books as a break from digital life. There is definitely a resurgence in buying the physical book, getting away from the computer and reading. This is happening with music too, young people all want record players and records now. There is always moral panic about young people, in every generation!
The first thing to do to get a book published, is to actually write it. Not procrastinate at classes, not worry about the 'book market' or who will read it. But just sit down and write!
Good luck to all aspiring writers out there who might read this and feel disheartened!
Just seen your latest post.
I think that you have to enjoy the process. This is such a precarious industry that if you don't enjoy the process, there's little point.
Whilst I try to encourage writers I am the first to give them permission to cease.
Writing is ludicrously time consuming and the industry is ludicrously competitive. I wouldn't blame anyone for jacking it in and taking up ultimate frisbee .
Those who appear to make the most headway come with a fully formed idea that they want to shape or a shape that they want to fill with ideas.
Likely they're the ones that are putting in the work, Carl.
Thank goodness for editors, to sort out all the optimimists 
Of course, it all depends on what you are writing. But you shouldn't let sales figures determine everything you do in life, sometimes you just love something too much to stop doing it!
Children's books are doing well, I think. You could always have a go at that instead
I nearly typed a long reply, but what with our finite time on earth
I was positive I had packed it in a couple of years ago. But I've just managed to score some homeworking - turns cartwheel - and with the saved commuting time/wasted lunch periods etc I am going to use that to start again.
I know a few novelists - there's an element of luck. I'm not going to pour 100s of hours into it, but now I have had time "given" back to me, I'm happy to put that into writing. A few years ago I would have said I'd never bother again...but every penny matters and if I can make a few through a hobby that's good.
I've never paid out for a course though. I am particularly puzzled that people pay for courses where they mostly just get student feedback. Fine if you have the money and find it motivating I guess but not for me.
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