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Chapter 5: Release It!
- Whatever it takes, be sure to publish your story. It will make you feel good, promise.
A. But first, read, read, read, read, read, read your story (or chapter) over and over so that you can edit and revise it if necessary. There might still be issues or questions which you forgot to resolve; or some character's actions or decisions which you forgot to justify.
B. Once you have edited and revised it and there are no more plot holes, you may now publish your story.
C. Publishing your story is essential for you as a writer. If it's online, your readers will provide you feedback. Don't be discouraged if their comments are rude or insulting. You cannot please everybody. Just be sure that you will learn from their feedback. If it is for paper publication, your editor will help you to improve your story because they will also give you feedback. Either way, make sure to have your stories published because this will help you to grow as a writer.
My first stories were published in our school paper during my college days. Every year, our school would hold a story writing contest and I would join it, not for the sake of winning, but so that my story could be published for free ^_^ Bragging aside however, for those two years that I had joined, I managed to win the top awards.
Today, I have friends who encourage me to have my works published in paperbacks but for now I am OK with publishing them online, free for everyone to read. After all, that was my only goal --- for people to be able to read my stories. And that's what is happening now.
If you've been wanting to be a fiction writer too, but don't know where to start, I hope these tips were able to give you a little push. So grab a pen and paper, or a laptop, or launch your cellphone's notepad app, and start writing your story. You might just be the next big thing.
