Hearing Your Stories

Publishing Charlotte Collins has been an interesting adventure, and it has had lots of unexpected aspects. I’ve already described how much I’m enjoying marketing my book, and I must admit that I’m even enjoying blogging, which I didn’t anticipate either. I know that sounds odd given that I write and edit for a living, but I worried that a blog would be one thing too many in that category and I’d start to resent it. So far, that is not the case, and I’m even thinking of upgrading my blog to a different platform to improve your reading experience.

But my favorite thing so far has been hearing your stories. I love getting email about the books you want to write. I have always believed that there’s a story in everyone, but not everyone writes it down. All people don’t want to write, I know. It’s a difficult, time-consuming task. But if you are one of those people whose story is begging to be transferred to the page, you can do it!

One of the goals of my blog is to encourage new writers and to give them practical tips from my writing experience, and if all goes well, I can offer tips on publishing and marketing too. Of course, I’m still learning the ropes. I hope this won’t turn into a self-publishing cautionary tale. But I digress. If you are interested in writing a book, check out my Writing Fear Free tab, where I’ll be compiling my tips and advice for going through the writing process without letting fear stop you in your tracks.

I am a big believer in pursuing your dreams. I don’t care what that dream is: writing a novel, riding a horse in the Olympics, being a parent, becoming a nurse, or sculpting the Thinker out of Play-doh. I say follow it. But be aware that following a dream is not the same as sitting back and expecting your dreams to happen to you.

“To dream” is an active verb. You have to do something to make it happen. You have to do the work and take the risks. After doing all the work and taking the risks, the rewards (I hope) will be greater than you ever expected.