I love being an author. I love the fact that I can work from anywhere in the world. I love the challenge of bringing a book to life, of creating something from nothing other than my thoughts. As I mentioned in Unexpected benefits to being an author, I love getting a more organized mind, the diverse creativity that writing brings out in me, the constant learning, and most especially, the camaraderie. Being an author makes me happy.
Since there are many reasons for loving my profession, pinpointing one thing in particular is almost impossible. Can a parent choose only one reason for loving a child? Impossible! Therefore, I am listing in no particular order what I love the most about being an author.
I ♥ sharing my experiences
As a nonfiction writer, I travel and then recreate that experience as I write about it. I love taking my readers along with me to see the world as I do.
In my first book, I felt compelled to share interesting conversations I had with female pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. It is these conversations that distinguishes my book from others and which received the most fan mail comments.
“Love is the answer to everything. It’s the only reason to do anything. If you don’t write stories you love, you’ll never make it. If you don’t write stories that other people love, you’ll never make it.” ~Ray Bradbury
Wanting to share my experiences as an author and, hopefully, help other writers is why I started this blog.
I ♥ feedback and interaction with readers
There is nothing more gratifying than receiving emails from a reader telling me how my book affected them. Imagine how delighted I was when a reader told me at a recent book event that she came specifically to speak with me.
Each book review, good or bad. tells me how well I am reaching my readers and if I am meeting their needs. To me, reviews are indicators of how I affect the reader, not barometers of success.
I ♥ other writers
Without encouragement and support from other writers, I doubt I would have published a book or be as successful as I am. Their motivating books, blogs, and one-on-one messages provide not only support and inspiration but the knowledge I needed to tackle self-publishing and all that it entails.
Reading other writers’ books raises my game. I marvel at the world they create, the plot twists, the details, and the dialog. I often stop mid sentence to reread the juxtaposition of words. Oh, how I love analogies, unusual phrases, and other examples of word mastery!
“A good writer possesses not only his own spirit but also the spirit of his friends.”
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
I ♥ honing my craft
Anyone can learn the mechanics of writing; only the talented—and lucky—become acclaimed authors.
For me, the hardest part of writing is finding my voice and having something original to say. The only way I can improve is by writing. I believe the more I write, the easier it becomes and the better I’ll get. In the mean while, I enjoy learning the craft and exercising my voice.
I ♥ how writing unscrambles my thoughts
At speaking events, I have had many opportunities to speak extemporaneously, but sometimes it is difficult to say out loud what I feel. Either the words are inadequate or I have not yet processed my feelings into thought. When I write, I can take the time to find the exact words to express what I’m trying to say. I am more concise and coherent.
Please tell us in the comments what you love the most about being an author.
