Ever since I could remember, I’ve been a writer. It’s been in my blood since the first day I picked up a pen and discovered I could create whatever I wanted out of nothing but the ink, a random piece of paper, and whatever my imagination could possibly think to throw at me. If it came through my head, I wrote it down, filling up notebooks that I stapled together when there was no more room in the last one. Up until I started writing on a computer, I’d have a constant blue or black ink smudge down the side of my right hand and a pretty impressive dent on my third finger from holding a pen for hours and hours on end.  

I’ll admit, it isn’t an easy field to get into if you want to be an author professionally. Publishing companies are really picky with who they accept even into the first stage of consideration, and I’ve been on the receiving end of rejection ten times more than not. Unfortunately it’s just part of the process, and it takes some time to start seeing rejection as a way to improve rather than it being a setback. I finished my first proper length novel when I was about fifteen, and I can vividly remember sitting in my third period science class, ignoring the teacher while I typed out the last few words of the epilogue and wrote my very first ‘the end’. It felt like the biggest achievement in the world, and my excitement only grew when a few months later, I got an email from a publishing company saying that my book had been accepted into the process of publication. Unfortunately that fell through due to some fine print, and even though I’ll always be disappointed that it didn’t happen, I am glad that my fifteen year old self didn’t actually end up with a published novel. In the nicest way to my former self, it was cringey and a little unrealistic, but it was my first novel and I’ll always appreciate it. 

After years of pouring my writing into any notebook I could get my hands on, I finally moved on to using a computer. My first digital platform was google docs, which was a whole lot easier to edit on than a notebook had been. The beginnings of countless fantasy novels filled my google drive, most of which were abandoned after a few chapters in favor of a better idea that I just couldn’t wait to get started. My writing speed was definitely a lot quicker when I was using a keyboard instead of a pen, giving me more time for all the ideas swimming around in my brain. 

Writing on my computer was a lot of fun, but after a while I found it wasn’t quite enough for me. I wanted my writing to achieve more, and so – like a lot of teenagers probably did – I started looking into publishing my works online. Of course, there was the option to submit to journals and things alike that would seem more professional, but at the time my work didn’t fit the criteria and was more free-flowing. I did whatever the hell I wanted, and that was the way I liked it. So after some research, I concluded that wattpad was going to be my next feat. 

And yes, I know what you’re going to say, but hear me out first. Ever since I started publishing on wattpad, I’ve gained a community of avid readers, over 1.3 thousand followers, and currently just above 4 million reads in total. So yeah, I think that’s pretty decent for an aspiring author wanting to get her name out there. 

I get a lot of mixed reactions when I tell people I write on wattpad. I’ve learnt to tune it out since most people think it’s a silly website for teenagers, but I’ve actually made lifelong friends through it. Just a little while ago, I flew to another country to meet up with a friend that I met through publishing online, and I’m lucky enough to call her a soul sister for life. That’s what stuff like this can give you, so I think the stereotype around platforms like wattpad being a waste of time needs to go right in the trash. It doesn’t just add to your writing skills, but it adds to your life, and I’d never change anything about the way I started out.  

It took me a little while to start believing in myself and my writing skills, but the statistics don’t lie. Publishing online means you’re open to a lot of feedback and communication with the people who read your work, and I’ve built myself a community of friends and loyal readers who will always tell me the truth and constantly push me to be the best author I’m able to be. There’s faith in doing things like this. 

Publishing online is amazing, but through my first year and a bit of university, it was starting to become less than what I needed to push my writing further. Low and behold, I went along to a book club meeting where our columns editor Ruby stood up to plug an opportunity for anyone who wanted to write for a student magazine, and within a week I was being invited to a Nexus meeting. In all honesty I was terrified beyond belief, but when I got there I was met with a group of chaotic, creative, and incredible people that I immediately knew were going to be a lot of fun to work with. (They’re not blackmailing me to say this, I swear) 

The opportunities that Nexus has given me have been beyond my expectations. All of a sudden I was writing news segments, sports columns, reviews, interviews, and pretty much anything in the world. I will admit that I did struggle, but that’s the point of pushing yourself and I couldn’t encourage anyone more to put yourself out there and try something you hadn’t considered. Through Nexus, I’ve further opened myself up to the possibilities of writing and publishing. And as an extra bonus, sometimes Toby hands out almost expired oreo coke. 

Working with Nexus has also made me consider going into journalism as a writing job as well as trying to get published. I can only imagine that writing for a student magazine and writing for a largely distributed newspaper or journal is very different, and again I know publishing proper novels like I want to will be another huge step into a new world as well. 

Like I said before, going into life as someone wanting to be a published author isn’t easy. My dream has been concrete for as long as I can remember; I want to have my name on the cover of a book in stores around the world, one that I poured my heart and soul into and can say is mine. Much easier said than done, but I’m not going to get anywhere if I don’t fight for it. Any writing can push you further towards your goal.  

My hope is that after lots more work and improvement, it’ll all pay off and I will get that email in my inbox again telling me that I have a chance. One day, I’ll be your favourite author’s favourite author.