Ever Since I Was a Kid, I Wanted to Be a Gangster

Oh no, wait. That’s Henry Hill from Goodfellas.

What I meant to say is ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a writer. Probably like many of you, I’ve been writing all my life. From the moment I learned to read, I wanted to tell my own stories and have never stopped being in awe of the way words create pictures in the minds of other people.

It’s one thing wanting to be a writer, but how do you actually get there? It took me a long time to realise that to be a writer, there’s only one thing you need to do: WRITE. Sure, it seems obvious now, but despite writing dozens of short stories, several unfinished novels and even some screenplays, I was in my thirties before I truly dared to consider myself a writer and to try to strive to make a career from it. My journey may be similar to many of yours and, in a way, that’s why I wanted to write my latest non-fiction book – Real Writers Never Quit. A big part of the book is about my own writing journey, but it’s also full of quotes from some of the hundreds of writers I’ve interviewed over more than a decade hosting The Write Place Podcast.

In writing the book I had to try to make sense of how I got to where I am today. I’ve written and published three books – two crime novels as W.A. Kelly and the latest non-fiction book – and written and directed several short films. I also produced a feature-length documentary, which had a limited cinema release. I highlight these things not to brag, but to tell you that most of those achievements didn’t happen until relatively recently. When I was thirty years old, I was still working as a trainee bank manager! I’m now a hair’s width away (ironic, seeing as I’m bald) from turning 50 and finally finding some success. If I can, anyone can.

I’d like to tell you it get’s easier, but it doesn’t. The double-whammy of self-doubt and imposter syndrome can be crippling – and that’s before we even consider all the rejection writers and creatives must swallow every single day of our lives. Get used to hearing the word no. Chances are, if you’ve been writing for any time at all, you’ve probably had quite a few rejections already. Good. That means you’re writing stuff, doing the work and getting it out there. Many people like the idea of being a writer, then balk at the reality. The cliché is that every no is another step closer to yes. Hmm, maybe. Maybe not. But if you stop, it will never be a yes.

Aside from all that, the days of the writing and media landscape being dominated by gatekeepers are finally starting to fade. I know the mainstream is still controlled by the behemoth media companies and the ‘big five’ publishers, but YouTube content and Indie publishing, has made a huge dent in the idea that you have to use traditional methods to find an audience. I made the decision to independently publish my first novel and I haven’t looked back. I’ve learned loads of new skills, met tons of cool people and it’s invigorated my whole creative approach. Before that, myself and a colleague self-produced the feature-length documentary. It cost us a lot of money and time and we had to be more patient, but that made the success of the final film so much sweeter.

If you’re writing scripts with the aim of getting picked up by a big production company, agent or selling it to a studio, great. There’s nothing stopping you continuing to do that, but in the meantime why don’t you write a script you could self-produce on a budget? Go really lo-fi, shoot it on a phone or see if you can persuade other enthusiastic people to give you a hand – something the Script Revolution platform and community is perfect for. Write it with the budget in mind and just go and make it. Release it on YouTube or sell it on Vimeo. I guarantee you will learn more doing that, than spending another ten years attending seminars or submitting spec scripts that might never get made.

During the pandemic, I wrote a short drama designed to be shot over Zoom. I used the opportunity to practice directing actors. The limitations of technology and the format presented new challenges, but when I got the opportunity to work on my next project, I’d developed a new skill and grown in confidence. All because I didn’t sit around waiting for something to happen or – more importantly – waiting for the next gatekeeper to tell me no.

There’s never been a better time to do it than now.

When I began the podcast, back in 2014, I honestly thought I would find some hidden secret to how writers became successful. Was it the way they wrote? Their background? Their education? Maybe they were just different to me. They were real writers, with published books and optioned scripts and shelves stacked with prestigious awards. I was nothing but a wannabe. Someone trying to be a writer. Over the years and episodes, what should have been obvious from the start, slowly began to come into focus. The only difference between any one of these successful writers and aspiring hopefuls like me was that they had kept going. They hadn’t given up. They kept kicking at the door until it burst open and then they simply… walked through it. Once I’d had this revelation, it became my mission to spread the word to other writers and gave me the drive to write this book. As well as the inspirational quotes, I wanted to give practical advice and exercises to tackle self-doubt and rejection, but also how to deal with criticism and find momentum when the mojo fades away. It has all that, but if you only take away one thing from the book, or this post, it’s this:

If you write, you’re a writer. And Real Writers Never Quit.