I was recently awarded a Creative Support Small Grant from Arts Tasmania to help pay for my current mentorship with author Angela Slatter. This mentorship has been invaluable for the development of my novel, and I was thrilled to receive this money which will help me continue to edit it.
Yesterday I was interviewed for The Mercury, a lovely surprise! I was also excited to receive these funds because I know that the application process is competitive and there is no guarantee of success. I think it’s really important, as Winston Churchill said, to remember that ‘success is not final and failure is not fatal.’ There will and have been times when I have not won or achieved anything, when no-one has seemed interested in my stories, and the possibility of writing for a living seemed all too slim. But I know that no matter what happens, I will always write, because I can’t help myself. If I didn’t write, a part of me would die. And so I will keep going, and hopefully get better and meet more wonderful writers along the way.
I encourage anyone interested in becoming a writer to surround themselves with other authors. There are so many incredibly supportive communities out there, and in my experience, writers are warm and generous people. Go to book launches and introduce yourself to the author, see if they have time for a chat (but obviously respect their boundaries if this is something they don’t have time for). If you loved a book, email the author and tell them. Find out where your local writers centre or library is and see if they have a newsletter with events, opportunities and meet ups. You never know who you might meet, and what lasting friendships might develop.
Everyone’s voice matters, everyone’s voice is unique. If you want to be a writer, you must trust yourself and your story, and you must love it. Because writing stories is first and foremost for you. Do it for the love of it, and don’t listen to anyone who tries to divert you from the path you know is right. Unless they’re your mentor…. in which case they probably know best.
Arianne James 