Life is a funny old game, isn’t
it? One day, you sit down and imagine what it would be like to write a book. Or,
if you’re honest, several days you’ve imagined writing a book. You wonder
whether you’d be any good at it and talk yourself out of a desire you’ve long
since kept hidden. It’s a pipe dream, isn’t it, to think of yourself as a
writer? No way could you be one. But there have been stories going around in
your head for years, and you’ve wondered whether you had the courage to actually
sit down and write them. By doing that, though, you’re taking “that step”. The
one that means you’re going to give it a shot at being an author. It’s a little
frightening. A lot daunting. And so you put it off, placing it on that trusty
back burner, that ever-glowing ring of heat that keeps things warm and alive,
simmering but never boiling. And anyway, there are plenty of excuses not to
move forward. The day job, the bringing up of children, the business of living.
Then there comes a time when you can’t ignore your instincts any longer. Why
not write? No one has to know. You can scribble in a notebook when everyone
else has gone to bed, or tap away on your computer on those rare occasions you’ve
got some spare time.
I did that. It felt silly at
first—you know, thinking of myself as a writer, almost like I was playing a
game, being something that only other people were. I plugged on with my story, though,
shoving away insecurities, and once I’d finished I decided that it was time to
stop doubting my words and just submit it. Since the day I did that, I’ve been
treated as a writer, an honest-to-goodness author—and it felt strange at first
(but at the same time awesome). I still sit and smile that I have a new title,
that I can say to people when they ask me what I do, that I’m an author.
Will I ever get over that amazing
feeling?
I don’t know, but more amazing is
that my debut hit the best seller list on my publisher’s site, on All Romance
eBooks, and has got some pretty lovely ranking numbers on Amazon.
Another amazing feeling—not just
that something I have written has done so well so quickly, but that people have
bought my book. I can’t get over the fact that people clicked to buy, that they
parted with their money, and they gave me a chance.
Humbling. Thank you so very much.
I’m so grateful to those readers—and
happy that I decided to write my Highgate Shifters. I could have ignored that
little voice telling me to write about men living on a wolf compound. I could
have shut out all those characters that have been inside my head for such a
long time. I could have gone to my grave never having told a soul about them.
But I didn’t.
I think this post is my way of
saying that you should follow your dreams. If that voice nags on for years, if
it won’t go away no matter how busy you are, then perhaps it’s trying to tell
you to do what you’ve always dreamed of doing. Be it writing, climbing a
mountain, changing careers, starting a family—there are so many examples—then it
can only be right. Right?
Listen to that voice—and walk
proudly towards a new venture. You can do it. You really can.
Much love,
Sydney
xoxox
