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Goodreads asked Thomas Paschal:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Thomas Paschal To anyone who wants to write, wants to create a book, wants to be published; what we do is not easy. What we do is not glamorous. This is not the fast track to fame and fortune, unless you are lucky enough to have lots of connections in the industry.

There will be rejection letters. There will be quite a few, "Well, this isn't what we are looking for." There will be times when you'll question why you should even bother.

And that's ok! It happens. Creating stories and characters and settings and plots are not easy. We pour our minds and hearts into a stack of pages and present it to the world. Then hope against hope that someone, anyone, will love it as much as we do.

Not everyone's going to. The most famous novels in history have their fair share of people that just didn't like it. But there are enough that do. And that's who you write for.

It doesn't matter if a million people don't like your story. If a thousand publishers don't want to hire you. You didn't become a writer for those people. If you only have 12 people that want to read your stories. If you only find one publisher who wants to promote you, then you try your absolute hardest for them. Give those 12 people the best story you can possibly give them.

Not every writer becomes a Tolkein or King or Shakespeare. But if your words can bring joy to one, single person somewhere out there, then that is worth every ounce of effort you can give. Cause that one person NEEDS your words more than the million who won't read it anyway.

My advice is simple; Never, ever, give up!

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