Becoming a published author was a long hard road for me. It wasn't that I couldn't tell a story, create memorable characters, or design new worlds. I've had these skills since I was old enough to pick up a pen, or pencil, or other writing utensil. I loved storytelling, it was an escape from reality and I've been told I'm pretty good at it. There are countless stories that are littering up the landfills written by me, crumpled papers that had characters and worlds that came alive (or died, depending on the story), lost to time and decay... why? Because my issues with becoming an author were far deeper. My insecurities ran through my psyche and caused me to doubt my ability to be a published author.
Instead, I chose the tried and true route, I became a corporate coach and developed myself and others as leaders. I did this for years, found it fulfilling, but something was missing. Then I met my husband, the love of my life, and my world changed again. One thing, I had learned as a child was that I was adaptable and when we discovered there was something wonderful between us, I took the leap and joined him. His job had us traveling for a while. It was the best decision I had ever made. Well one of them. I must admit, it was hard giving up my position in corporate America, but I knew I'd be okay.
It was during the next five years that I started building a life coaching and hypnotherapy practice, working with clients all over the country, via phone and skype, and helping them make lasting changes in their lives. It was during this time that I also decided to pick up a pen and revitalize my passion for writing.
It wasn't until one day, in 2013 when my husband said, "Honey, I love you, but writing is just a hobby for you and that is okay."
That was powerful for me. I have always loved a challenge. He wasn't challenging me, but I took it as a challenge. I had been writing all my life and while it is perfectly fine that it was a hobby, I was going to make it a real business. I was going to start publishing. At the time I was working on my first novel (Lone Wolf Rising) and taking classes to become a certified Transpersonal Hypnotherapist and Master NLP Practitioner.
I knew enough about myself, to identify that the problem, the road block, was inside me. My training helped me overcome these road blocks. I used NLP, self coaching, and self hypnosis to delve into what was keeping me from becoming an author. What I discovered surprised me. Insecurities back to when I was in grade school. Teachers that made fun of me because I was still writing in print when I should've known how to write in cursive (we moved around a lot as a child and different schools from different states had different curriculum). As a child, I couldn't understand this, or what shame I felt when teachers made fun of me for spelling words wrong or not understanding grammar as well as other students did. To add to this, I was sent back a grade because I didn't know how to write in cursive and it put me behind. It didn't matter that I was a great student, I had a thirst for knowledge, I'd be willing to learn outside of school through homework. It mattered that I just wasn't up to that state's level. A kid can't understand this, not really, no matter how enlightened they are or how intelligent they are, it is hard to understand these types of decisions. It really hindered my confidence in my ability to write and communicate.
I grew out of this and became a solid student. Great grades. I eventually learned to adapt. The challenge had been given and I overcame and found success. But a part of me, deep down, inside, was damaged. I had no idea how this impacted me until years later, when my wonderful husband said those words to me. Words that engaged me in a challenge and put me on a path of self discovery.
When I discovered my insecurities, worked through the hidden pain, and found work arounds (like hiring an editor) I was able to publish my first book three months later. Since then I have over 30 published works and that number grows every year. I have great fans who motivate me. I have hundreds of more stories to tell and I'm excited about each one. I have also decided to help other aspiring authors find their path. I have training courses on Skillshare and will be launching a website in September as well.
Growing doesn't stop when the problem is overcome. I can write great tales, but I want to write blockbuster stories that are riveting and keep readers hungry for more. I love to learn about my craft everyday and enjoy when I learn something new that I can add to my skill set.
One of my clients, a couple of months ago, challenged himself to read a book everyday for 30 days. It was one of the best things he could do for his growth and development and it inspired me to do the same thing. A book a day for 30 days. I am up for the challenge. I can, and will do this. Each book will be something to help me as an author. I'll post the titles and a link to my review of those books (as I complete them) to this post... but if you subscribe to this newsletter, you'll get the new links sent to your email when they are published. I'm hoping to share the lessons I learn from these books with you and take away great skills I can add to my own author's toolbox.
30 Books in 30 Days Challenge
- Tick Tock Plot
- Writing Fight Scenes: Professional Techniques for Fiction Authors
- Writing Vivid Dialogues: Professional Techniques for Fiction Authors
- Writing Deep Point of View
- 30 Day Author
- Emotion Amplifiers
- Emotion Thesaurus
Check if you enjoy reading paranormal please check out all my books here on Amazon.
Nice insight into the mind of you. Oh, and good thing they have you near a handicapped stall. 😀
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