...to want to write a book and to hope that I might get published?

[Hedgehead]

I want to write classic fiction. I have a plot, I read a lot and always have, I know my audience and I have studied blogs and books about how to write fiction. I have a plan - it's a project. I can see it might take years of further research, drafting, re-drafting, realising I'm crap, going back to the drawing board, perhaps a course here and there before my fiction even gets noticed.

But something inside me feels very cynical about it all and like it will not work out. For eg, many kids/young people I meet want to be singers/dancers/actors/footballers because the X-Factor and reality TV has become so widespread. I know that is not a realistic aspiration for them - but part of me feels I am a hypocrite for jumping on what probably is an unrealistic aspiration for me!

Considering the state of the publishing industry, the fact that getting an agent is mostly driven by your social media following, blogging etc, and I have no idea about that (I can see how it works for non-fiction - but how do you blog about fiction?)

I am cynical that all you have to do is "follow your passion" to "live your dream," whatever that is. I don't feel that the world actually works like that - and I feel I'm being disingenuous and a total cliché to even imagine it might be a possibility for me.

What are your views on the aspiration of writing a book in this day and age?

Hope this isn't harsh, but if you really wanted to do it, you would just do it. You would make time and space in your life for it.

No need for planning and strategising. If writing is your passion, just write. If something's holding you back, you need to all yourself whether you're actually in love with the idea of writing a book, not the reality.

ask yourself, not all yourself. Bloody auto correct.

Thanks rallytog1 I am doing it, I does happen. I'm not just sitting and analysing. I just get occasionally curtailed by these self-doubts.

Unfortunately, the reality is that work/kids/housework etc all do get in the way and very few people really do find the time to do things like follow their dreams.

I think the most important thing to think about is if you would enjoy writing the book; it would obviously take up a lot of your time and energy and if it does get published at the end you might not earn very much from it, however good it might be.

So I think write if you want to, and keep writing and trying to improve. You might not "make it" as a writer, but at least you'll be spending time doing something you love.

The answer is that you self publish! I have an acquaintance that has self published and has his book for sale on Amazon. There is a cost to publishing this way but it's not great.

So, go ahead and start writing. Nothing ventured then nothing gained!

sorry, meant self publish as an ebook.

Yanbu to want to write a book. You just need to be realistic about your chances. The odds are hugely stacked against you. As you seem to realise?

NaNoWriMo - have a Google, its brilliant.

Amazon have a brilliant self publish with the Kindle.

"What are your views on the aspiration of writing a book in this day and age?"

My view is that it is much easier to successfully publish a book and find an audience in this day and age. I personally know several people who have a very large following that publish fiction and poetry entirely via the Internet. Having an agent is no longer a requirement to have an audience. Now one can easily gain an audience and the agents will come to you.

Moreover, I feel that if you are a writer, you should write as often as possible. Regardless of topic or genre, just write.

As for aspirations, your question seems to be somewhat logically based. As such I will attempt to justify my reasoning whilst forgoing sentimental notions of "following one's passion".

I aspired to be a professional writer since a young age, but it turned out that was not the path intended for me. There was a period in which I felt myself to be a failure. I have since realized that my writing skills were extremely important throughout my college years and have given me a tremendous advantage in my true calling, which requires daily multiple written reports as well as published papers. Others in my field are often sanctioned for poor reporting, or struggle to meet their deadlines.

By continuing to write, and saving all of my work, despite the knowledge it would likely not pay the bills, I am able to improve my skills and see my advancement when reviewing earlier works. This is important because many, many writers do not publish a truly good piece until their later years. I do not hold out hope that I will ever become a famous author, but by continuing to write, should the opportunity present itself, I am confident I could rise to the occasion.

If you want to write it, write it. Find little bits of time and write it. Put down one word at a time until it's done.

Then, if you want to, edit it until it causes you physical pain, stop, edit some more, take a deep breath and start querying.

If it doesn't get published, so fucking what? You tried. You won't die wondering. If you want to write another book, you'll have learned a lot about writing the next one.

If you get it published, fantastic! If this is your dream, take it from me that there's no better feeling.

Or, if you don't want to, don't write it. That's fine too.

You honestly don't need the advice or validation of strangers to tell you whether it's worthwhile trying.

Apparently there's no money in it any more with the advent of ebooks.

There's never been huge financial gain for most authors but ebooks generally cost the same as a physical book.

Is it even about the financial gain though?

No, most people write because they want to write. Some see financial reward for it, most don't.

If you want to write then you'll write. Whether or not you get anything published may be cause for occasional anguish but it won't stop you putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys).

And, fwiw, if you're in the UK, I really do not believe that your chances of getting an agent depend on your social media profile. All an agent or editor wants to see (assuming you have any kind of blog or twitter profile etc) is that you are pleasant and professional and - crucially! - do not spout on about how the publishing industry is a closed shop or so-and-so-agent is a blind fool who wouldn't recognise genius if it jumped up and bit them on the backside. (Not suggesting you would do that, btw; just making the point!)

Honestly, if you want to write, write. It's the most fun ever! Besides, how else can you try out all those other lives????

Go for it, OP. You never know until you try, life's too short to not live it and several other clichés I really believe in.

Oh and Outrageous I couldn't have put it better, not that I write. I followed my dreams.

There's a famous quote about the 'pram in the hall being the enemy of art'. [[http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2010/aug/01/art-children-pram-hallway In this article Frank Cottrell Boyce (a brilliant children's writer) argues against that and explains how being a husband and father spurred him on in his dream of becoming a writer.

Sorry, link fail! Here it is.

A friend of my parents wrote his first book at the age of 62 after years of a niggling feeling that he wanted to.do something just for himself rather than for family or work. He got published through a small independant book shop which also stock it for him and he contributes to writers websites and magazines. He enters competitions as well.
He's not massively sucessful but he enjoys what he does and fits it around work and Grandchildren.
I.say do it

Do it. Don't worry about any of that other stuff until you've got your first draft finished. Don't think about whether it will sell or get you an agent. Just get the first draft down on paper, then take a step back and decide where you want to go from there.

It's difficult, but it's not impossible. I'm in the middle of the process right now. I got an agent (without blogging or social media) for the first book, which had some near misses, but wasn't picked up. One editor who said she came close to making an offer has asked to see book two and that has just gone off to her. I'm now working on book 3. I've had short fiction and non-fiction published, and have even made a reasonable bit of money from these over the last couple of years.

Give it a go. You've got nothing to lose.

Like everyone says, just do it. Yes, publishing is not having a great time at the moment but there are still lots of debut novels being published every year, either traditionally or self-published (though making self-publishing work is really hard if you don't have an existing platform).

You don't want to be looking back when you're 80 saying 'Oh, I so wish I'd got round to actually writing that novel.'

It's an industry I have some experience of and getting an agent doesn't come down to social media, but the quality of your work and commercial viability if your subject matter (specific to audience). Do as much research as you can, and write, write, write.
Somebody or other once said that a writer doesn't write because he wants to, he writes because he HAS to :-) so let the wiring come first

What are your views on the aspiration of writing a book in this day and age?

If you really wanted to write, you'd be writing. 500 words a day, a book in a year. That's what writers do.

Stella Duffy gives you the 500 words a day strategy -- worth reading.

How to write a book in a year

I'm a writer. I have no online profile whatsoever, got an agent through mentioning the book I was working on to an agent I met at a novelist friend's launch party. Like most novelists I know, I do not make a living wage from my books. (In my case, most of my income is from university teaching.)

The difference between music X-Factor type of dreams and writing is that if you want to front a rock band, you need money for instruments, rehearsal spaces, recording studios, transport etc - if you dream of being a writer, all you need to do is write. Literally, all you need is a notebook and pen and the stubbornness, love of your work, and work ethic to keep writing every day for as long as it takes to finish the novel. So it's not the same thing at all as some kind of 'instant fame' talent show.

Go for it, but if you haven't even started the novel, I wouldn't waste my time worrying about agents and the publishing scene yet. I think you're coming at this the wrong way round, and are too concerned about the end of the process, as if that's all that will validate your work. Write the book first, but if the idea that it will never be published stops you, then don't write it. You need to want to write it enough for the writing itself to be the end goal, not publication. You say you realise it may take years of research, edits etc in order for your fiction 'to be noticed'. It's harsher than that - it may never be noticed at all. Ask yourself if you still want to write this story, about this set of characters.

There are no guarantees at all, and certainly 'following your dream' being enough is nonsense, but you won't know unless you write the book, edit it until it's fully as good as it can be, let some trusted readers read it and re-edit to their advice, and then send it out to agents.