Listen up Authors!
Before I dive into what the BIG MISTAKE Authors should avoid is. I want to share the backstory of how I made this big mistake in the first place. Many events happened before it happened so here is the backstory.
In 2019 I wrote my first book: Grandma’s Magic Blanket.
Which was suppose to be a one hit Bucket list goal. When I fell in love with writing, the process of sharing my book and being an Author I made a huge decision. To shift gears and chase my dream job: being a full time best selling Author!
2020 I published Grandma’s Magic blanket and had my very first book signing event in my home town. 2 weeks later the United States of America went into Covid shutdown. My book came to a abrupt halt.
2021 I was laid off, my friend circle almost diminished, depression set in, leaving me lost in a dark deep hole. Thankfully, and I thank God for them everyday, my family was always there for me. With their encouragement for my author career, I embarked on some serious soul searching.
My mission, who am I and why do I feel called to write? Is this the right choice for me? And how do I make this happen?
The soul searching began, I read multiple different author books, self help books, spiritual books. I spent countless hours listening, watching and learning from other authors, coaches and entrepreneurs that I wanted to imitate in my life. I wrote for hours, days, and months. Within a few months I had completed my first draft of my new YA book, Lily’s Guide to Releasing Antique Spirits.
April of 2021 I hired an editor and started the long hard road of editing for the very first time. Editing was slow at first, once a week usually. Very soon after starting, we both realized, my editor and me, how much love and work my draft needed. We began editing two to three times a week for about 3 to 4 hours every time. Sometimes longer hours and more days. My editor was very generous with her time and she proved how important editing was in order to turn a good story into an incredible book! Editing this one book took us over 7 months. #exhaustingwork
Because I was hell bent on making this book happen ASAP I put everything on hold that I could and dedicated my life to my book.
2022 Early Spring, I got my old job back. With Covid still at large, I worked from home full time, after work I spent many hours at my computer editing my book. The next 7 to 8 months my life was on hold so I could get this book edited. I stopped hanging out with the few friends I had. I only went outside for a few minutes every day at night to take a drive, and say my rosary. Then I’d come back home, eat and either pass out from pure exhaustion or get back to my computer for more editing. I did this for nearly 8 months!!! I HAD NO LIFE OUTSIDE OF MY TWO COMPUTERS: WORK AND WRITING.
P.S. during this time I was running on coffee, fizz(a clean energy drink alternative), tea and pure 100% determination.
Do you see the problem yet?
Here’s another clue. I was almost avoiding any and all human contact at this point besides my older sisters, parents and best friend, Christie. I skipped any vacation because I was hell bent on finishing this book, no matter the cost. I dreaded being around people and if I didn’t work on my book, I was a huge failure. (Or so I thought)
For the past 2 to 3 months, I’ve been feeling awful! Sluggish, slow, eternal brain fog, feeling the urge to write until I sit down to write, then #dead. The constant exhaustion was killing my drive for everything. Out of pure avoidance of my book, I started saying yes to doing random things with my friends and family again. The urge to write was driving me nuts, even more infuriating was the fact that I would go out, have a good time and still be thinking about the writing I haven’t been doing but wanted to. Why was it so hard for me to write now??
Fast forward to last Sunday July 24, 2022. My sister, parents, and I have just come back from a short and impromptu mini vacation in Branson. Two days, we left Thursday evening, came back home Saturday evening. It was crazy busy, we did not stop moving around in Branson the entire two days. Well, that is until we passed out in the hotel room at night. It was such a fast weekend of fun.
This weekend I went to visit a gorgeous mansion in Independence Mo with a dear friend. The trip was a huge step out of my comfort zone. I drove to a city I’ve never driven to before. Going through Kansas City traffic. Which, you may not know this, dear reader, but I have major anxiety when it comes to driving, it just terrifies me. However, I have been pushing past the anxiety with these fun adventures, and it has been paying off big time! I’m still nervous and would love someone else to drive anytime, I make a great gps and DJ passenger, but I feel it’s time to face the demons even if it’s just one trip at a time. I’m getting sick of missing out on fun just because I’m anxious about driving.
Here’s the important thing to note down, It took months of doing small social things to get me to here today. I feel motivated, I feel alive, aware, awake and better yet, I am writing. This morning I woke up tired and did the same thing I do every Sunday. Wake up around 5am, go to 6am Mass, come home and decide: To nap or not to nap.
Today I choose to take a drive to my favorite Sunday treat Café, Paramour Coffee, in Wamego. I bought myself an Iced mocha with a squirt of Raspberry flavor. Instead of going home right away, I stopped in the park to read a few chapters from a new Intriguing book I bought recently. Everything that happened this weekend should have made me more exhausted, usually it does. Not today! I came home, cleaned up my cat’s not so lovely pile of puke (Thanks Emma), then sat down to write. And let me tell you something, dear reader, It feels AMAZING!
Do you know where I made my BIG MISTAKE?
The mistake I want you fellow authors to avoid!
Avoid this BIG MISTAKE Authors!
Do Not stop living your life just
because you’re writing or editing or anything!
I was convinced that I had to edit my book and literally only focus on that in order to get it done. I was obsessed with a story I had been telling myself for a long time. You can’t have fun and create a meaningful career that you love at the same time. No fun until you are a successful author.
How crazy is that?? It took me almost 3 years to learn that not only can you have fun and work on a serious career, but you need to have fun in order to make your career happen! Life isn’t and should not be all serious and no fun. The craziest part is that I already knew that, but over time I fell into that slippery tunnel that sucked the joy out of everything and changed how I saw things. I knew better and yet there I was, falling into the hole of life sucking routine for success without enjoying the world around me. I was tunnel . Only seeing the work and long hours of exhausting writing ahead.
This trip to Branson made me aware of what I had been telling myself I couldn’t have. No fun until the work is done.
Now, I am changing that story to “Use the fun experiences that life offers you to fuel your work, your writing and your cup.”
That is my advise to all my fellow authors out there reading this.
“Use the fun experiences that life offers you to fuel your work, your writing and your cup.”
Life is too short to be miserable by choice, so don’t choose it. Have fun, explore, get out there and fill that cup up with great memories, fun and life!
DO NOT UNDER ANY CURCUMSTANCE STOP LIVING YOUR LIFE AND EXPLORING JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE WRITING OR SHOOTING FOR MANY AUTHOR GOALS!
Instead infuse your life, goals and adventures together. Work hard, play hard, and write often!
Thank you for reading until the end. As a new blogger any and all support is appreciated and welcome.
Write on~
Cecilia
