Just Be Yourself

Okay, that has got to be one of the most cliched statements on earth. But, like most cliched statements, it's a huge tip of advice that especially applies to young aspiring authors.

There are so many really amazing books out there. Whoever is thinking of joining the published world will always be asking themselves when they're reading: 'What made this book popular? What made it successful?'

In some ways, asking yourself that can be very good. It's always helpful to evaluate successful people in your field of interest, but it's easy to take those questions a bit too far. Okay, make that a lot too far.

If you read a book where the author uses a certain writing style and you start copying that particular style, you are taking it too far. Believing that your book will only be good if it's written with a certain style is doing yourself--and your book--a great injustice. That's like believing that you'll only be worth something if you dress in the latest fashion.

Don't let yourself try and slip out of your comfortable writing style because a famous author wrote a certain way. If you really take a look at the literary world you will see so much variety, from A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket to Redwall by Brian Jacques. A certain style will never guarantee success--or failure.

Have your own unique characters, your own unique plot, writing style, et cetera. Repeat after me: just be yourself.

Yours without wax,

Izori