Cintia asked Deb Caletti:

I'm an aspiring writer, but I'm dealing with two things: I get discouraged every single day because 96% of manuscripts are rejected, and I haven't had an idea for years, literally. There's too many people wanting to be writers, and knowing there's so much competition just kills me a little every day. When I get motivated, immediatly something appears about the industry that kills it. Any tips on how to deal with this?

Deb Caletti These are actually ongoing issues, even for published writers. The business is hard, and coming up with ideas and executing them well enough to stay competitive is a struggle. Every person has to find their own way to stay focused on what's most meaningful in the work itself (and, I'm convinced, this is your surest route to being/staying published anyway). I can only speak for myself, but before I was published, I WANTED THIS BAD. Making sense of the world through words was who I was. As a lifelong lover of books, I knew this was the life that I was most meant for. This need was larger than obstacles and rejection. And... I STILL want this bad, and making sense of the world through words is STILL who I am, and the need to do this crazy thing is STILL larger than obstacles and rejection. I don't know if this is a "tip" exactly, but I know it was this deep need and these self-truths that drove me to write five books (one after the other), before I was published, and that keeps me writing books now. Actual tip-tips? Focus on the page. Understand that this is part of the business you're hoping to be part of. Know that it can take years to develop your craft (same as ALL crafts). Read writing that inspires you. In regard to this dream: Be like a dog with a knotted sock - hold on with all your might and don't let go.

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