For years my hand has hovered, hesitant, over the "occupation" box on paperwork, and I always hold back in my responses to "What do you do?"
Because I've been writing a novel. But if you say, "I'm writing a novel," you know the other person is picturing those poor saps on "American Idol" who think they can sing but sound like the merpeople in "Harry Potter."
I gave myself permission years ago to call myself a WRITER, because writing is where I find my peace, my passion, and my joy. If I never got paid a penny, I would still write (not gonna lie, though...a paycheck would be sweet). Calling myself a WRITER seems more about what I AM.
But can I call myself an AUTHOR? Because it feels like that requires a golden ticket from the judges. Some kind of validation from the industry that you have more than passion, you have talent.
Have I earned the title? I feel like I have, because I've taken the spark of an idea from start to finish. I have a story with a plot and subplots and setting and tension and conflict and characters speaking and doing things (sometimes of their own free will, which is kind of freaky and a total rush). Despite years of work, until I have that golden ticket from a publisher, it's hard to present myself to the world as an AUTHOR.
There's a magnet on my fridge that says "Sometimes you have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down." (-Kobi Yamada)
Those "American Idol" contestants took the leap. They risked embarrassing themselves on national TV to follow their dreams, which took way more courage than me telling friends, "I'm writing a novel."
So get ready, world, because I'm taking the leap. This website, this blog, this permission to call myself AUTHOR is me, building my wings.
Because I've been writing a novel. But if you say, "I'm writing a novel," you know the other person is picturing those poor saps on "American Idol" who think they can sing but sound like the merpeople in "Harry Potter."
I gave myself permission years ago to call myself a WRITER, because writing is where I find my peace, my passion, and my joy. If I never got paid a penny, I would still write (not gonna lie, though...a paycheck would be sweet). Calling myself a WRITER seems more about what I AM.
But can I call myself an AUTHOR? Because it feels like that requires a golden ticket from the judges. Some kind of validation from the industry that you have more than passion, you have talent.
Have I earned the title? I feel like I have, because I've taken the spark of an idea from start to finish. I have a story with a plot and subplots and setting and tension and conflict and characters speaking and doing things (sometimes of their own free will, which is kind of freaky and a total rush). Despite years of work, until I have that golden ticket from a publisher, it's hard to present myself to the world as an AUTHOR.
There's a magnet on my fridge that says "Sometimes you have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down." (-Kobi Yamada)
Those "American Idol" contestants took the leap. They risked embarrassing themselves on national TV to follow their dreams, which took way more courage than me telling friends, "I'm writing a novel."
So get ready, world, because I'm taking the leap. This website, this blog, this permission to call myself AUTHOR is me, building my wings.
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