Dear readers,
Friends and acquaintances often share with me their deepest, darkest wish: That is, to write a book. Inevitably, the next words out of their mouth: The fear that they won't be able to pull it off. So I've decided to share with you a little about my writing ambitions over the years.
I'd wanted to pen a novel for well over thirty years. At first it was a passing thing. Every time I put my nose in a book (which was all the time!), I would think how nice it would be to become an author. The feeling would soon pass. Fast forward twenty years when I realized this was no silly dream; I
truly wanted to write a novel, so I began looking into the publishing industry and even started writing. (The only one who ever read my first book was my daughter.)
I enjoyed it so much, but believed there was no way anyone would want to pay for something I'd written, so I would bench the idea for another year or so. My real fear was that people I knew would laugh at my silly wish to become an author. Then something incredible happened...
My cousin (whom I'd not even known enjoyed writing!) published her first novel. It blew me away! She had actually accomplished my lifelong dream, and no one laughed. Amazing!
That's when I found the courage I'd never before had to put myself out there, don my big girl pants and start writing. Let me tell you, once I'd committed to a storyline and got right down to writing, it was as though the floodgates opened and years of pent up thoughts and ideas came spilling out. And it felt good. It was liberating, exciting and just a wee bit frightening as well. After all, once the book is written, the next question becomes: Will anyone buy it?
As they say, the proof is in the pudding. My books are selling (of course, I'm no Lisa Jackson! LOL), but they are selling and are now available worldwide. As I write this, I am in the middle of writing my fifth novel, a stand-alone titled "A Kindness Returned."
So to all closet authors out there, my best advice to you is to write, write, write! Don't listen to those ugly little voices in your head telling you that you can't do it. Shut out those negative thoughts, sit your behind down and write.
You may not publish your first novel, or if you do, sales might be slow at first. But don't give up; I didn't!
Lise
Friends and acquaintances often share with me their deepest, darkest wish: That is, to write a book. Inevitably, the next words out of their mouth: The fear that they won't be able to pull it off. So I've decided to share with you a little about my writing ambitions over the years.
I'd wanted to pen a novel for well over thirty years. At first it was a passing thing. Every time I put my nose in a book (which was all the time!), I would think how nice it would be to become an author. The feeling would soon pass. Fast forward twenty years when I realized this was no silly dream; I
truly wanted to write a novel, so I began looking into the publishing industry and even started writing. (The only one who ever read my first book was my daughter.)
I enjoyed it so much, but believed there was no way anyone would want to pay for something I'd written, so I would bench the idea for another year or so. My real fear was that people I knew would laugh at my silly wish to become an author. Then something incredible happened...
My cousin (whom I'd not even known enjoyed writing!) published her first novel. It blew me away! She had actually accomplished my lifelong dream, and no one laughed. Amazing!
That's when I found the courage I'd never before had to put myself out there, don my big girl pants and start writing. Let me tell you, once I'd committed to a storyline and got right down to writing, it was as though the floodgates opened and years of pent up thoughts and ideas came spilling out. And it felt good. It was liberating, exciting and just a wee bit frightening as well. After all, once the book is written, the next question becomes: Will anyone buy it?
As they say, the proof is in the pudding. My books are selling (of course, I'm no Lisa Jackson! LOL), but they are selling and are now available worldwide. As I write this, I am in the middle of writing my fifth novel, a stand-alone titled "A Kindness Returned."
So to all closet authors out there, my best advice to you is to write, write, write! Don't listen to those ugly little voices in your head telling you that you can't do it. Shut out those negative thoughts, sit your behind down and write.
You may not publish your first novel, or if you do, sales might be slow at first. But don't give up; I didn't!
Lise
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