Stuff That Worries Me

Writing 'Our Beautiful Cage' has been as fulfilling as it has challenging. So here are a few examples of what I found difficult (and how I overcome them):

1. Self-Doubt/Imposter Syndrome

This has the prime spot on my list because it feeds most of the rest. It’s been a rollercoaster. As I was writing, there would be times when I’d think “Wow, this is really good”, but they’d shortly be followed by “Nah, that’s crap”. I don’t have any creative writing or literature degree, so everything I’ve done has been self-taught (and I’ve learned a lot), and I often feel like my work isn’t up to standard. This is one of the reasons I’ve chosen not to approach a literary agent, I might do so in the future, but I’m not ready yet.

What Helped?

Mostly my friends and family. I’d share early versions of the story with people to get their feedback and would often be met with positive comments, which made me feel great and gave me the drive to continue.

I also follow authors on TikTok, read blogs, and watch interviews. Exposing myself to other people doing similar stuff helped me realise I’m not the only one feeling like this.

2. The Book's Theme

Though everyone in my book is subjugated, I created a world where women have it much worse. We know gender inequality exists, but I’ve chosen to amplify it in ‘Our Beautiful Cage’.

Why does this worry me? Because I’m a man, and I often ask myself: I don’t know what it’s like being a woman; what right do I have to write about it? Am I over-simplifying this? Could I offend someone?

It links to my self-doubt, and I’ve tried not to trivialise the topic, but I’ve written the novel in first-person perspective, so it was important for me to consider what my protagonist considers ‘the norm’ in comparison with us.

As an example, in chapter eight my protagonist narrates:

“The baroness teeters down the steps from her carriage like a toddler learning to walk. Her petite frame is devoured by a silk-layered gown decorated with metallic threads. The disproportionate skirt billows pretentiously outwards—allowing her to take up more room than we women have any right to—and the sleeves flutter in the breeze around her spindly arms.”

I needed it to be clear that this was Clara's point of view and not mine.

What Helped?

I did the obvious and asked women about their views, to which I gained some reassurance that I’m not at risk of offending lots of people and that I’ve been tactical in how I’ve broached the subject.

These are just two examples that play on my mind.