In all honesty—and without sounding like a Pollyanna—I haven’t encountered any emotional challenges in my writing, or in my life, for that matter.
I suppose I owe much of that to a lifetime of meditation, over some fifty years now, which has kept me on an even keel through any life stresses that might have been thrown at me.
In my earlier years, financial stress was really the only thing that got me down mentally; but relatively speaking, I was still more fortunate than most, so never felt that complaining about it did much good, and it felt somehow disingenuous to wallow in it.
But now my writing career has significantly resolved that area of my life, so I’m finding greater balance in how I approach obstacles placed in my path.
Physical Challenges of Being a Writer
Sitting [is my biggest physical challenge of writing].
I have suffered from chronic back pain all my life, and while sitting is my most comfortable position, doing it for 9-10 hours every day can take its toll on the spine, joints, and circulation.
At the end of the day, I do notice edema in my feet and ankles, but elevating them and applying CBD cream usually helps handle the problem.
I do have a pro treadmill I use most days of the week which helps to get in that essential movement most people need, especially as we get older (I’m 74 as I write this).
I have a large TV in front of it, with an app that simulates walking through nearly every country on the planet, so I also get an educational touring experience while “walking around the world.”
I Realized My Writing Dreams Later In Life
My earliest writing—in my twenties and thirties—was largely for local weekly community newspapers and regional magazines in Southern California, mainly topics I chose that were of interest to me, though mostly based around the sport of sailing, which was one of the businesses I started in my youth (being an entrepreneur all my life).
I’ve always wanted to be a full-time writer, but business kept getting in the way of my realizing that dream until much later in life. But looking back, I probably wouldn’t be as fortunate as I am if I didn’t know what I know now.
It’s as if my entire life has prepared me to be the writer I am today, and I doubt doing it any earlier would have made me as productive and flourishing as I now am.
Keys to Bookselling Success
I have a strong marketing background, so this part of the business [book marketing] comes naturally to me.
But Nick Stephenson’s brilliant course, Your First 10,000 Readers, really set me up for bookselling success in all the right ways.
I started writing professionally three years ago and am currently enjoying mid-six-figure success largely due to Nick’s strategies (apart from telling engaging stories readers are drawn to).
Currently my primary efforts go into heavy advertising on both Amazon and Facebook (around $15K monthly for both), with outstanding returns on the investment.
Writers, Take Frequent Breaks!
I write full time and have for some three years, and as I’m single without parental responsibilities, my life isn’t as busy or obligated as might be true for others.
I write or do marketing tasks every day from morning to evening, with frequent breaks so I’m not sitting longer than thirty minutes at a time.
Apart from that my social life is fairly limited to lots of Zoom meetings with distant friends, since I live on a lake in the boonies of the Pacific Northwest…
How Having an Entrepreneurial Spirit Helps with Book Publishing
Right out of the Army in 1972 I knew that traditional jobs were not going to cut it for me. I’m too independent and have always felt I was capable of building on new ideas and forging my own ways in life as an entrepreneur.
I was an early pioneer in technology (computer software and hardware, thanks to my Army training) so most every endeavor I’ve started was largely based on or around technology.
Being an entrepreneur means taking on the challenge of creating and managing a new business venture, which involves identifying opportunities, taking risks, managing resources, and being a leader.
I’ve always felt comfortable in those roles, drawn toward innovation and adaptability, and being mostly resilient in the face of challenges and setbacks—and there were many of those.
Being able to create new worlds in fiction isn’t that far removed from entrepreneurialism, actually, so I fell into that role quite agreeably.
Advice to a Young Writer: Don’t Take Shortcuts
Open your eyes and ears to the world and take in as much as you possibly can—all the time. Watch people closely…learn their habits and patterns, their idiosyncrasies and what makes them tick. Travel! Learn a new language or two. And read, read, read. Ideally in the genre you’re most drawn to write in, though don’t limit yourself to just that.
Watch movies not for entertainment, but as object lessons in how to tell a story. Look for camera angles and how scenes are lit. All this will come in more than handy when you sit down and do the work, armed with the proper tools to manifest the best scenes you can muster in your stories.
Learn to do many things and do them well. Don’t take shortcuts.
Other Tips for Writers
Follow your passion: Pursue your creative interests with enthusiasm and dedication. Your passion for your craft will drive you to learn and improve, and it will also help you overcome any obstacles you may face along the way.
Practice regularly: Developing your skills as a writer requires consistent practice. Dedicate time every day or week to work on your craft and be patient as you progress. Remember that growth and improvement take time and effort.
Educate yourself: Seek out resources to learn more about your craft, such as books, online courses, workshops, or mentorship programs. Expand your knowledge and understanding of different techniques, styles, and the history of your art form.
Find your unique voice or style: Experiment with different styles, techniques, and subject matter to discover your own unique creative voice. Embrace your individuality and let it shine through your work.
Embrace rejection and failure: Rejection and failure are inevitable parts of the creative process. Learn to accept them as opportunities for growth and self-improvement. Use these experiences to refine your work and develop resilience.
Set goals and stay motivated: Establish short-term and long-term goals for your creative career. This will help you stay focused and motivated, even when you encounter challenges or setbacks.
Be persistent: Success in writing takes time and perseverance. Keep honing your skills, building your network, and sharing your work. Stay dedicated to your craft, and don’t let discouragement deter you from pursuing your dreams.
Remember, the journey to becoming a successful writer or artist is unique for everyone. Stay true to yourself, be open to learning and growth, and embrace the ups and downs of the creative process.
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Gary McAvoy is author of numerous books including his bestselling thriller series “The Magdalene Chronicles,” and his ongoing series, “Vatican Secret Archive Thrillers.” His nonfiction work, “And Every Word Is True,” has been hailed as a sequel to Truman Capote’s landmark book “In Cold Blood.” Gary is also a professional collector of ancient manuscripts and historical documents, much of which informs his writing projects.
Apart from being an armchair historian and author of thriller and suspense novels, Gary has been a lifelong collector of original handwritten historical manuscripts—parchments and papyri from medieval times, papal documents from the Middle Ages, ancient illuminated manuscripts from hundreds of years ago, Gregorian chanting parchments…anything memorializing the human need to communicate and tell stories or document historical events.
Gary’s home is like a museum, with framed historic written memorabilia on every wall, precious reminders of moments in time when someone thought what they were doing needed to be documented, usually in some form of achingly beautiful calligraphy when art was more important than expediency.
Find more about Gary and his work on his website and Goodreads page, and connect with him on Facebook and YouTube.
The Magdalene Deception
A forbidden secret… The Church’s fate in the balance… Will a pair of amateur sleuths expose a truth that could upend the Christian world?
The Resurrection is a cornerstone of Christian faith. But when a clue surfaces that hints at an alternate account, the ramifications stand to change Christianity forever.
Jesuit priest Michael Dominic’s assignment to the Vatican’s legendary Secret Archives results in his discovery of a hidden papyrus: the unpublished writings of Mary Magdalene — a lost record buried in Rome’s deepest recesses. The forgotten relic’s heretical revelation threatens the Vatican’s very legitimacy, and pits Michael against ruthless and powerful enemies.
Desperate, he reaches out to Hana Sinclair, an investigative reporter with a record of tackling contentious subjects. Together they defy the Church elite, and embark on a search through the shadows of history to unearth the truth. As the pressure builds to silence the pair, will the Vatican resort to the unthinkable in order to safeguard its wealth and power?
Available on Amazon.
The Jerusalem Scrolls
Two young Israeli boys discover an ancient red clay jar in a hidden cave tucked away in the Judean Desert near Qumran. Inside the jar are several scrolls written by the Essenes two thousand years earlier, before the Great Jewish Revolt, including one legendary scroll engraved on silver that speaks of what may be the great Lost Treasures of Solomon buried around Jerusalem—consistent with the predictions of the fabled Copper Scroll discovered in 1947 near the Dead Sea. But one of the overlooked parchments turns out to be far more pivotal to Christianity than anything ever before discovered—a startling manuscript written by St. Paul himself that could rewrite religious history.
Father Michael Dominic and his friends are called to Jerusalem to inspect the silver scroll, but others are trying to get to the precious manuscripts first—members of a little known sect called the Mithraists, the chief rival to Christianity up to the fourth century…a wealthy Texas televangelist…an Egyptian antiquities broker…Israeli Mossad agents…and a cast of rogues each out for themselves.
Follow the adventures of Father Dominic and his loyal team from Rome to the Holy Land—through the colorful bazaars of Cairo to the ancient holy sites of Jerusalem and Jordan—in this engaging, historical international thriller.
Available on Amazon.