Urban Lit ULM Magazine | Page 5

Confessions of a Creative Writer Confessions of a Creative Writer by Madeline Hershenov I think the hardest thing about writing is actual writing. There are so many different authors and books out there that you have to have a niche. He should you, the reader, choose me? I am an avid in addition to being an author. You need a story-the one you can’t put down. The story you cannot stop talking about and crave more. I try to write from what I know-writing is like therapy for me. I felt so connected to my characters that I felt as if I was experiencing things along with them and a lot of the things I write about literally have experienced. I think THAT’s the sign of writing from the heart. Feeling your character’s emotions and bringing the, onto the page. I have learned so many different book terms. Those include: DNF (do not finish) & book boyfriend. It’s easy for me to to be inspired but to actually sit down and write? Don’t get me started on my procrastinating! Oh, and don’t think your work is done once you finish writing. The final product? It can be anxiety provoking to press that ‘publish’ button. The most gratifying feeling is when you actually finish your novel. (Don’t get me started on how many half- finished storiesI have done in the past). The hard part? SALES. My dream is to become like the big indies such as Laura Wilder and Colleen Hoover. Publishing a novel has been such a journey for me. I didn’t know ANYTHING when I started... there is so much to learn! My first bad review made me cry. I’ll be hon- est. I learned that it’s important to have honest reviews even if they aren’t what you would like to hear, they actually make you a better writer. Also the more reviews, the better! I love when people give me feedback on my stories. When I am in the zone, I can write and write. Remember: don’t make a writer angry because you WILL appear in their book in some form.