Alter Ego Part Three

Alter Ego

Part Three

            I don’t know if this happens to a lot of writers, but sometimes I pick a blog topic that sounds great only to realize there may not be much subject matter to it.

            For a few days, I was feeling that way about this month’s blog topic. I kind of had an oh crap moment when I realized I had three more of these to write. Panic, panic, panic.

            Fortunately, I have a few people in my life willing to talk it out with me when I need to. Now, I have a way to go from here. So, here it goes…

            I’m going to continue last week’s blog basically. I’m going to shatter the mask I wear. Hopefully, you will still like me when I’m done.

            When I started my writing journey, I didn’t really know where I was going. The first children’s book I published was an adaptation of a Bible story. My novel, “Emma’s Journey”, is Christian Fiction Romance. While I, myself, read Christian fiction, I did not want to be branded solely as a Christian author. I am not ashamed of what I have written. I simply did not want to be limited to what I write.

            I believe in exploring what interests you. I believe in being who you are whenever possible. I believe in writing more than one type of genre.

            There is a line of books I have been toying with writing for years. I have started and stopped a story many times. I have made myself ashamed of what I wanted to write.

            In the beginning of my writing career, I watched as people responded to me being a Christian writer. I watched books be put back down on the table because they read the back cover and oops, this author is a Christian writer. I listened as people would tell me how they just knew I would never go the route I actually wanted to go.

            So, I made a decision, I had my publisher rewrite the back cover and take the word Christian out. Now, before you shun me for doing so, I’m not ashamed of my decision. I have a goal in the writing world and I will adapt where necessary, but that does not make me any less of a Christian.

            I have recently also made another decision…I’m going ahead and writing the line of books I’ve always been tempted to write. I’m not going to ignore that voice anymore. To do so, would be to ignore who I am. There was only one person whose opinion I cared about when making that decision. After talking to her this weekend, I’m moving forward with full confidence in what I’m writing.

            I realize as I type this, I may offend a few people. That’s okay. I understand you may not want to read those books. Good thing I’ll be writing them under a different name! All I ask is that you don’t judge me for my decision. An artist in any form, has to be able to express what’s inside of them. If you can understand what I’m saying, then I invite you to take off your mask and follow me!