I’m an Author, I Think?
Hi! My name is Pat Faber
And I’m an Author with Training Wheels
This is a Blog about the trials and tribulations, pros and cons, highs and lows of writing. But most of all, it’s about the missteps and pitfalls of my trying to become a published author. Therefore the title “Author with Training Wheels”.
I write — therefore I’m a writer. Well yes! I’ve written since I was a little kid; a journal, poems for Christmas presents when I didn’t have any cash, short-stories to entertain my kid sister. Even a neighborhood newsletter/gossip sheet when I was 10. So that makes me a writer. Right.
I self-published a novel, ‘The Maya Prophecy’, therefore, I’m an author. Right? But what if I gave away more copies than I sold? Does that make me an author, only a poor one?
“ Becoming a successful writer basically boils down to being willing to keep writing until you’ve learned to write well enough for other people to want to read your work.” Shaunta Grimes
I retired ten years ago after a forty-year career as a nurse/nurse practitioner. The last 15 years of working I spent teaching nursing at a SUNY university. I loved what I did. When ill health forced early retirement, I was devastated. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I had always worked and had no idea what to do with all this ‘free’ time I suddenly had.
I needed a purpose. Something to occupy my time, yes. But even more, something to occupy my mind. After a period of adjustment and a lot of soul searching, I decided this was the time to fulfill a promise I’d made to myself a long time ago. It was time to get down to writing that novel I always said I would write. And so that’s what I did.
The problem: I didn’t have any idea of how to go about it. I’d always been an avid reader. I knew what I thought was good writing; what I liked. I had many, many ideas of what would make a great story, a great novel. So how hard could it be?
A lot harder than I could ever have imagined.
My first novel took me seven years to research, write, edit, and finally publish. There were a lot of starts and stops, side trips, detours, and potholes along the way.
Lots of lessons learned. And, even more, I’m still learning. Whatever! I go on writing. So, I guess that makes me a writer.
But I’m not yet ready to give up the training wheels.
Author Jeanette Winterson in Brain Pickings, lists ten tips for writing. Ryan J. Pelton says #3 “Love what you do” and #10 “Enjoy this work” are the most important.
I have to agree.
Are you a writer? Great! If you’re not sure — YOU ARE! There’s a novel inside each of us, I’m sure. I won’t tell you it’s easy. It isn’t. It takes time, energy, will-power, and determination. A ‘Darn it, I can do this” attitude’. But if I can do it, you can.
This is my advice! If you want to be a writer, you need to believe that you can be one. And then you just need to get down to the business of writing.
Come back for more of my story. And let me know yours.
Pat Faber
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/pfaber2012
