Becoming an Author Part I

Think of an author. Who comes to mind? J.K Rowling? Stephen King? Aldous Huxley?

Even if you’re not thinking one of those three, you’re probably thinking of someone in the limelight, who’s already ‘made it’. You’re probably not thinking about your auntie Pam who’s got six half finished books on the go, or the neighbour down the road who’s got a brilliant idea but doesn’t know how to get started.

But the fact is that most authors are just regular people, people like (I’m assuming) you and me. People who love books, and love storytelling. People who feel like they have something worth saying.

For every J.K, there’s a hundred auntie Pams who’ve started the process of becoming an author and not got as far as they’d like in their journey. There are also plenty of amazing people who have actually managed to write a complete manuscript (hats off to them, most of us haven’t), and a smaller proportion who’ve taken the bold step to submit their story to a publisher or had it published on Amazon or similar. Huge hats off to them too, that is amazing work, and something I aspire to. And that’s what this blog is all about. Aspiring to become an author.

And this blog is for all those people I just listed above (probably not J.K, Stephen King, or Aldous Huxley – they’re probably a bit beyond this, but welcome to read nonetheless!). It’s for everyone out there who has that niggle in their minds and hearts that, maybe, just maybe, they have what it takes to become an author.

Because let’s face it, as inspiring as it is to hear from a millionaire author that ‘all it takes is a little bit of writing every day’, for most of us their perspectives are way detached from where we are. Sure, they’ve gone through the process. But they’re not going through the process of becoming an author. They’re there. Whether they still have wobbly days despite their success (and I’m sure they do), they can still be pretty confident that whatever they propose will be accepted by a publisher. And if it’s not, or if the book bombs, they’ve got a pretty secure safety net to fall back on.

Auntie Pam, me, and (again I’m assuming) you, don’t have that luxury. For many of us we are just starting out on our journey to become an author. And personally I like a companion or two when I travel – someone to share the highs and lows with, to sense-check travel plans and ideas.

So that’s what this blog is all about. It’s about me charting my journey and hoping that a few like-minded travellers will join me along the way. And if I don’t find any companions via this route, then at least I’ve got a log of the journey I took, and I can look back and pat myself on the back for taking steps to get where I want to go.

If you’re in the same boat, let’s sail together. Let’s learn from each other. This blog is going to be a frank account of my journey. There will be mistakes (in the text as much as in life), and I don’t plan to sugarcoat things. When stuff sucks, I intend to say so. And when things go well, I will tell stories about that too, because that’s life.

If you’re reading this, then please join in. Comment on my rambles. Tell me your own stories. Inspire me with the grit and determination I know you’ve got, because all aspiring authors do.

Oh, and tell me about your book! Share as much or as little as you want, but toot your own horn. It’s totally allowed, and encouraged.