How often do you do something you’ve never done before? I feel as I have gotten older, the chances I take are fewer and usually much more calculated than when I was younger. For example, I’d never fly off to Argentina to work on a moment’s notice as I did in my early twenties – who would feed the dog? I’d miss our son’s soccer season and the laundry won’t wash itself. I have too many obligations now to jet off anywhere these days, but that was one of the biggest adventures of my life. I’m glad I seized that opportunity when it came to me.
Taking chances brings great excitement but it can also be incredibly frightening. Putting yourself out there, not knowing if you will succeed or fail is frightening stuff. There can be a lot of trial and error that happens – you’re doing something completely new and there’s only so much Google can tell you before you just have to take a deep breath and take that first step
I feel like my journey as an author has been one trial and error after another. From writing a book for the first time, trying to find an agent, marketing my book when it was finally published and trying to grow a readership. There is not one aspect that was comfortable or familiar. But there was a feeling of adventure amid all the stress and anxiety. If I could figure things out and find my way, I’d end up achieving my dream. That was the thought that kept me going for years.
Luckily I found a large writing community online that was able to answer my questions and help give support me when I was overwhelmed. My family and friends were wonderfully supportive and never doubted that I would succeed – a blessing for this insecure writer, indeed. But finding people who previously walked the path I was blindly stumbling down was an unexpected piece of luck. They were able to commiserate with my failures, calm my fears and share wisdom they had gained throughout their own writing journey.
I was surprised to learn that people in my writing community feel there is room for everyone’s success. If one writer in our group succeeds, they turn around and offer a helping hand to those people who are still trying to come up. That attitude of good will and camaraderie was a breath of fresh air. It took the competition out of writing which was a game changer for me. When one’s success isn’t depending on the failure of someone else, it’s amazing the things you can achieve and learn. It’s wonderfully comforting to feel a part of a team when so much of my writing career is a solo effort.
I find myself these days in a hybrid position – I’m still coming up in my career with so far to go. Book marketing is a mysterious beast and I am struggling to unlock the secret to building a readership and increasing sales. But I am a long way from where I started.
It’s my turn to help out my fellow dreamers by answering questions, offering advice and calming fears, just like other writers helped me. I think it’s a good reminder of how we’re all connected in this world. Each of us is working towards our own individual dream, overcoming our own personal issues. We each have to find our own community that lifts us and supports us when we need it most. When we look at life with the mindset that if one succeeds we all succeed, I think the world looks a whole lot brighter. It’s a simplistic and idealistic attitude, I know, and there are so many ways it cannot apply to every aspect of life. But I think a little selflessness and community-mindedness are two things we all could benefit from these days.
Happy Tuesday💕