The Atlantic Wire did a feature on why unpublished novelists keep writing. The main reasons;
1. Mastering the craft. Ray Bradbury said the first million words don't count.
2. Telling your story with the hope that someday someone will want to listen.
3. Committing an act of artistic courage, writing what matters to you whether or not anybody listens.
To these I would add:
4. The power of writing to clarify your own thoughts, values, and experiences.
5. The sheer joy of writing.
Don't fear the questions "Have you been published?" or "Have you written anything I would have heard of?"
The correct answer is, "Not yet!"
(For tips on writing and getting published, see my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon and other online and offline booksellers.)
