Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Believing in Myself as a Writer By S. E. Smith
Believing in Myself
as a Writer
By S. E. Smith
This
blog takes a look at the journey I have taken over the past two years as I
navigated the winding road as an Indie author. It has taken a while before I
could actually begin to believe in myself as a writer. The lessons learned can
apply to anyone and any situation. I hope they help you as well.
I
have found the art of writing to be many things. First and foremost, it is a
part of who I am. It is a passion, a belief and a very real piece of what makes
up the whole person. Over the past two years I have continuously reflected on a
number of things pertaining to my writing. As always there is the self-doubt,
the feelings of inadequacy and the nervousness of what others think of my
stories. Before I let all of these feelings take hold and overwhelm me, I
replace them with more positive thoughts. That is a major key to success; be
positive and don’t be afraid to believe in yourself.
My
stories may not be perfect but then, neither am I. That is what makes me
interesting and special. Once I accepted this, life made more sense. I recently
read a blog that helped me understand that it is okay to not be the perfect
writer. Kristine Kathryn Rusch's blog, The
Business Rusch: Perfection at http://kriswrites.com/2012/06/27/the-business-rusch-perfection/,
does a much better job of explaining why it is okay not to be the perfect
writer. Her description of Bill Shakespeare as an example was just what I
needed when I was feeling low. This was the perfect example of how something
written by another can have such a positive influence on others. I like to
think that my writing has done that.
I
have accepted that I will always be nervous before a book release. It is a part
of who I am. When I write, I am giving a piece of myself to the world to tear
apart, place under a microscope and then post a review of what they think of
the findings. I have to laugh as I wonder if Bill Shakespeare was thinking all
these grand psychological thoughts when he was writing his stories or if he
just sat down and wrote what the characters were telling him to write. Did
Ernest Hemingway or Mark Twain think of how their stories would one day be torn
apart for college students and their professors to analyze or did they just
want to share a journey to another world? Regardless,
I’m sure they were nervous at one or more times in their life.
What
I remind myself is did I enjoy the story? If I did, then it came out right. I
am my own worst critic and my characters number one fan. As long as I remember I
will never be able to please everyone all the time, I will survive. The
important thing is to listen to the characters and let them guide me. As long
as I do that, they will continue to take me to amazing new worlds.
This
blog shares with you the personal journey I have made over the last two years.
It has been one of learning, growing, believing in my stories and myself but
most of all one of hope and strength. I have learned I am someone who has a
dream and I’m willing to fight for it. I have a courage I never knew I was
capable of and a determination to reach for the stars and soar to new worlds.
It is an amazing journey of self-discovery and I invite everyone to not be
afraid to take their own journey.
S. E. Smith is a USA Today and #1 International Best Selling Author. She has
always been a romantic and a dreamer. An avid writer, she has spent years
writing, although it has usually been technical papers for college. Now, she
spends her evenings and weekends writing and her nights dreaming up new
stories. An affirmed “geek,” she spends her days working on computers and other
peripherals. She enjoys camping and traveling when she is not out on a date
with her favorite romantic guy. Fans can reach her at SESmithFL@gmail.com or visit her web site at: http://sesmithfl.com. Join me for additional information about the books at http://pinterest.com/sesmithfl/s-e-smith/, http://twitter.com/sesmithfl, http://facebook.com/se.smith.5 and at my new book discussion forum at http://www.sesmithromance.com
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6 comments:
i look forward to many more stories by you to enjoy :) you have become my top favourite author :)
My very favorite author!!! I have been known to stalk Amazon a day before a book releases in hope of an early one-click!!
Read it - loved it! Whens the next one out?
Thank you! You have made coming back to work (I don't consider writing as work) so much better with your awesome posts!
Welcome aboard SE. I can't wait to read your stories.
Thanks Linda. I'm happy to be with such a wonderful group!
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