A Post About Me Being Me And What it's Like to Become an Author
I haven't written in this blog in almost a year. Why? Because I've been working my lil' tooshie off to become a published author. (or not so lil' tooshie anymore—due to countless hours of sitting and writing. sigh.)
When I set out to become an author, people came out of the woodwork to tell me how hard it is. I ignored them. (They were right, but I still ignored them.)
My first published work will be a devotional that I co-authored with Brian Simmons (author/translator of The Passion Translation Bible). I had no intention of writing a devotional. It was one of those God things—it literally fell in my lap.
What was it like? It was a dream come true! It was also incredibly hard and beautifully satisfying.
I literally spent the entire summer locked away alone, pouring my heart into the book. If you want to get a glimpse of what's been tucked away inside of me, buy the book! But don't say I didn't warn you. ;) (Prayers on Fire, comes out spring of 2017)
All of this started with a goal of publishing my fiction book, Heretic.
About that novel—after re-writing it twice and editing it countless times, I'm searching for an agent again. That means having to make myself sound like I'm on the walk to fame. You see, in order for an agent and/or a publisher to take interest, they don't just want to see your writing. They want to know if you're a "somebody".
Well, since I'm only famous to myself and my family, I decided to find people who are famous! Seriously. I knocked on doors, AKA emailed famous authors, until someone opened. Turned out that one of them was willing to look at my book and not only gave me writing tips, but also an endorsement! I won't mention her name, but she's a big deal. I was blown away!
Getting that endorsement has already opened doors. Her name caught the attention of two agents who previously didn't see me. Also, another author is now willing to look at my book for possible endorsement.
I'm not a "somebody" yet, but I know a "somebody". Does that count? Apparently it does!
There's a song by Kristene DiMarco called, He's in the waiting. Very appropriate. Very beautiful. Makes me cry—every time. While I wait to become famous—or not—I simply keep writing. Another fiction book and even another devotional. I do what I do, because it's a part of who I am and that will never change.
I love writing. I've fallen in love with the beauty of words.
I'll leave you with this— (and let me know what YOUR dreams are in the comment section!)
I've learned a lot on this journey of becoming an author and it can be applied to any area of life.
Set a goal and don't stop until you get there. Work hard. Really hard.
Let go of things that waste your time.
Don't let anyone deter you.
Knock on doors. A lot of them. Keep knocking until someone opens.
Learn from mistakes. Don't let them discourage you. At least you are learning.
Fine-tune your craft. Study.
Embrace it all—the pain, the joy, the discouragement, and the dreams. It will teach you a lot about yourself and where God is in the process.
Enjoy what you're doing! Do what you do because it makes your heart soar.