Start with the basics, Reading
I will admit that I am not the fastest reader. I read copious amounts of books with the hope that this will improve over time, but I am in my 30s now; maybe that ship to speed reading floated out to sea many tides ago. Saying that, I really do enjoy a good book. I love the thought of immersing myself into an interesting tale, or learning about something new that peaks my interest. That is why I wanted to be a writer, I wanted people to escape into the worlds that I had created. My definition of success is creating something that makes a difference in some ones life. Be that a smile on a cloudy day, or a tear on a sunny one. I also want to make a living from it.
I have attached a picture of some of the books that I have purchased lately. I am proud of myself for investing in my writing and forking out the funds to buy the books. Now I just need the time to get through them. Most of them are for reference purposes like the Mythology book down the bottom and the Cryptozoology A to Z one in the middle. It was like Christmas had come early for me.
What have I been up to?
I have been really busy with my Elaran book lately. I have a live cold pitch at a conference I will be attending in Rockingham, I want to be sure that everything is in order. I have finished an editing course online and I am applying what I have learnt to the manuscript. I know that it will take me some time, it is currently sitting at 72000 words. I have also been looking into different ways to pitch a novel and what Agents are looking for. How to build an author platform. I also did a course on how to format your ebook. Pros and Cons between self publishing and traditional publishing. It seems to take me a long time to check my emails, but I can't help but subscribe to interesting writers and contacts in the industry. I haven't managed to set a routine as yet, but life keeps moving forward.
I have only recently left full time employment to work full time with my writing and I have people come up to me asking when I will be free. I tell them that I am busy working from home but I can organise a time to see them if they let me know when they are free. They ask what I am doing. I tell them that I am writing a novel, then they sort of look at me a little sideways (sort of like a puppy dog staring at you with its head cocked to the side). Maybe they thought stories wrote themselves.
I have three kids in school. They are really enjoying me being home in the afternoons when they get home. My heart swells to see them so happy. I make sure that the work that I have to do in the afternoons is something that I can do in the house. During the school hours I like to stay in the office. I volunteer my time to help with the kids at school events and at the local ambulance sub-center. Making sure that I make up the time when I get home.
I can't say that I knew what to expect when I decided to go full time. I had an open mind. The most important thing is I want to ensure that the readers have the opportunity read what I have spent so much time writing. I want them to see the world that I have created as it is so real to me. I don't really want to give out any spoilers but I must say that as I writer, I have found the company of my characters quite entertaining. I get to read my story over and over again at the moment. Tweaking things here and there. I am happier with the story when I make these changes and before you know it I will be ready to share it with you, admittedly, mostly my friends and family that have subscribed to my page. It is early days, one step at a time. I will likely jump for joy when some one that I don't know signs up to the page.
I have been rewarding myself with reading 'The Phoenix Code by Bryn Donovan' when I have a spare moment. Also I have been catching up on podcasts, 'Lore' and 'Myths and Legends' while I plod around the house on my breaks. On Audible I am listening to Besieged by Kevin Hearne when I am travelling. I do live 4 hours from the city and an hour away from the closest IGA, so I tend to travel a lot. I even used my voice recorder to jot down some notes while I was driving the other day, that was interesting.
I read that Patrick Rothfuss who wrote The name of the wind had 157 re-writes on that book. So I don't feel so bad, that I am still working on this draft of my manuscript. Once it is out it is too late.
There is so much to learn and I am so thankful for the internet. There are so many resources available, if you look hard enough. Unfortunately there are also a few misdirection's as well. Like with everything, it is a numbers game.
I hope that you are passionate about whatever you have chosen for your day today.
Until then, I shall write again.