Am I an Author? (with a capital A)

by | Jan 16, 2016 | blademaster chronicles, blogging, Indie Bookfest, Jana Oliver, kindle, self-publishing, Why I write, Writers Atelier, Writing, writing help

I have been a very bad blogger. There has not been a post since Oct 30, 2015…I deserved to be slapped with a wet noodle…
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Okay, enough lamenting, back to the business at hand. This blog started out as a way to highlight my writing and learn the blogging process. Somedays, I feel I’ve learned it all and other days, like today, I feel like I know absolutely nothing. I’m sure the truth is somewhere in the middle but who knows?

2015 was the year that I decided I was SERIOUS about my writing career. I went to my first conferences, met a lot of awesome people, writers, readers and bloggers alike. I did a couple of writing workshops/presentations at the local library and I even led the charge on an anthology that came out on December 15th called Thrill of the Hunt.
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You can check it out here: Thrill of the Hunt on Amazon
Working on the anthology was an amazing experience as an author. I had the privilege of working with authors I had met during Indie Bookfest 2015. Kelly Abell, one of the authors was invaluable. Not just with her story but also, her help with individual story covers and formatting.  Besides being a great sounding board.  And, to top it off, it started a new series for me-The Blade Master Chronicles

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What has all this done? Well, I’ve discovered that I actually can work with a timeline, the squirrels that haunt me exist daily and that sometimes I need to not look directly at things or people, or stories start to write themselves in my head and I’m done.

Case in point, long hallways fascinate me:

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This one at the new VA in Orlando has already provided multiple story lines and none of them end well…muahaha!

As for 2016?
4Well, I will be attending Indie Bookfest 2016 in October as a Featured Author. I plan on attending the FWA conference, also in October and will finally be entering different writing competitions that become available throughout 2016. What does all this mean?  I have to WRITE!

Now, if you know me, you would think that nothing scares me. Wrong.
Putting myself out there as a writer and author has been one of the most frightening and overwhelming things I have ever done. This idea of selling yourself or your story is difficult and uncomfortable. Are you pretentious, haughty, full of yourself? Are you confident, self-assured, glib?  Guess what? when it come to this, it doesn’t matter. The most confident person can become a blubbering mess when they have to pitch to an agent and vice versa. Someone who is reserved, quiet and rarely speaks out of turn can participate in a pitchfest and bring the house down. Go figure (shakes head in between banging it on desk)

We all have strengths and weaknesses, the trick is identifying them and capitalizing on the strengths and strengthening our weaknesses.  Failure is NOT an option.
Suggestion: Join a writer’s group or find a writing ally. I’ve tried to do both and one of the best things I’ve done is to utilize the services of a place like Writer’s Atelier

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The mission of Writer’s Atelier is to  encourage writers to have the confidence to believe in their writing while they also work to improve it.
Since I am getting better at commitments now related to my writing, I will say this. I will blog at least every other week.  Sometimes it may be writing related, sometimes reading, sometimes motivational. But definitely all times me, Laura E Perez, writing as L.E. Perez-Author.