How a simple advice turned self-doubt into a trilogy

All beginnings are difficult, especially when they are filled with self-doubt that had time to grow over several years.

So what has helped me to crawl out of the mud? What has prompted me to finally say “Enough self-doubt, enough stalling. I’m going to write the story and I’m starting now.”?

A simple, but valuable advice from a dear friend. Let’s look back at the transformation a few words accomplished in my life.

Eight years ago I've completed the “Artist’s Way” from Julia Cameron, a book I recommend to anyone craving artistic expression, and I've realized I’ve neglected my passion for writing for far too long. I’ve loved writing as a teenager, I’ve written fantasy short stories with sprinkles of magic and spiritual themes since I could properly read and write. I’ve dreamt about being an author, but growing up tends to do strange things to teenage dreams and I’ve decided somewhere on the way that only people with special talent and loads of luck have a chance to become published. I’ve started to be overly critical about my writing, not realizing no author ever writes something perfectly on their first try. Back then I knew nothing about revising and editing. Or about the different techniques used in writing.

The self-doubt grew.

I’ve made one more hopeful step when I chose English as one of my study programs at the university, only to end up disillusioned, as it had nothing to do with creative writing, concentrating instead on translation.

I gave up. For almost fifteen years.

And then, while I was reading the Artist’s Way and discussing my frustration with my best friend, she said “If you want to write, if you have a story you wish to tell, then do write it. It doesn’t matter you haven’t studied creative writing. The techniques can be learned, I’m sure there are books on writing craft.”

It hit me like an arrow of revelation. Why haven’t I thought of it sooner? If there is no school for creative writing around me, I can teach myself.

I’ve started devouring books on writing craft, watching videos, even taking online courses.

And I’ve finally started writing again—and haven’t stopped since.

The Mirror Trilogy

I have carried glimpses of Aileen’s story with me for some time already and those eight years ago I’ve bought Scrivener, a notebook and a large pinboard, and I’ve started to shape the fragments into a narrative worth reading.

Here I am, eight years later with a story that grew much larger than what it initially was. A novella grew into a full novel, too long to be published as a standalone. One of the side characters got his own point of view.  Suddenly I had a duology on my hands. And after I’ve finished the last page of the second book, I knew there was still more to the story. It couldn’t end yet. It deserved a third book.

So what am I working on now?

The first two books are with my Beta-readers and I’m incorporating their feedback as it keeps coming. I’ll be hiring a professional editor after this step is done. 

Simultaneously I’m working on the third book. I’m on my third draft, revising and polishing the story and the character arcs, looking for plot holes and loose ends.

Yes, enough stalling, enough self-doubt, enough dreams that stay only dreams. It’s time to take the next steps in my writing journey and start transforming the hobby into a carrier.