All posts by NewEngland_Muse

I'm a traditionally and self published author. I write in the genre of children and YA at the moment but working my way up to adults. I'm a sports loving, photo taking gal who loves to sing/dance to my own enjoyment. I love to laugh even at myself. I am also owned by 8 birds and 2 hamsters, and yes they know it. :)
A blog about the topics of writing, Sharon C. Williams

When did you begin to feel you were an author?

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I have had this discussion with members of my writing group. Some were more advanced with the mindset of if one writes, then one is a writer.

For me, it was when my first book was published. When I received my first royalty check, it just reinforced what I had told myself.

For many people in our circle, either of those reasons is the bar they set whether that person is family or friend. When one hears that repeatedly it is hard to break that mantra they have for you.

It takes a lot of work to write a book of any size. The easiest part is writing the darn thing. The work you put into a novel is minimal compared to the colossal amount of work left to do on the manuscript.

One still needs to do a vicious cycle of editing, revising, editing again, revising again, publishing and marketing your book.

Considering all that it takes if you write, you are an author. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. Only when those people write books of their own will they truly understand and get where the rest of us are coming from to doing this. Maybe if they wrote a book they would not be so dismissive of others.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writers helping writers

Imposter Syndrome: Has this crossed your mind as a writer?

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Do we all know what this means?

According to the internet, it means this: Impostor syndrome refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be

So, as a writer, do you or have you ever experience imposter syndrome?

It is a term I have seen a lot over the last few years talked about when it comes to my profession. After seeing this for the umpteenth time, I pondered if I have had this feeling wash over me.

Before I was first published, I had symptoms of this as I tried to get to this level- have a book out into the world.

I have had people in my circle, through their words and action, who thought this was me- an imposter. Things would leak out to where I suspected I was not able to do what I had set before me.

It is hard to overcome regardless of what your job is. Trying to do something and make a good go out of it is hard enough. To have thoughts creep into your mind as well as through others weighs a person down. Ir can make the task at hand much harder to accomplish and make someone stop.

Thankfully, the writers in my group gave me the boost I needed to continue onward regardless of when I felt I was an imposter.

If you ever have these enter your mind take a good hard look at  where you were and compare it to where you are now. I suspect that you have grown in ways you might not have noticed.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writing Advice

Dream big when it comes to your writing

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Amazon has gotten so big, especially with books, one can feel and get lost in the shuffle.

With all the famous authors out there who are making their publisher, themselves, and Amazon rich, it is easy to feel like you are falling through the crack as an author who is not on that tier level.

But still, we try like little fish trying to get into a bigger pond. It comes down to what is your personal goal for yourself as an author.

If you don’t have any, get some. Now.

I know an author who writes for her pleasure. That is fine. It is if that is your goal. If not, then write up where you want to be, where you want your book to be in whatever time frame you want.

We will have different goals. I have accomplished all except for two. But the two are pipe dreams. One should have pipe dreams, in whatever your passion, job, or life contains.

I like to make it into a higher tier of authors and to have my books made into a movie. Whether by a low-budget company, a mini series, or play, that would be fine.

I am not picky. No, not a lick.

It is fun to fantasize about what actor would play the various characters in my book. Also, not to be outdone, to be on a higher tier as an author, one where one has big book signings and a higher presence in the book world.

There is fun in that. Dream big is a phrase I use a lot. But it is one I practice.