Being an Indie Writer

When I was in high school, before reality and cynicism really settled in, my dream was to become a writer. And then that dream got tainted by doubt and believing that I couldn’t amount to anything because how could I ever be as good as the greats?

It turns out I don’t have to be as good as the greats. I just have to be good enough for me. And as long as I like what I’m writing, well that’s enough right now.

Though, as a side note, don’t read and study works of fiction by phenomenal authors while writing the first draft of a book you’re looking to publish. It doesn’t help anyone’s self-esteem.

But thanks to Creative Communications, I had the opportunity to write and publish a written work that will actually be sold in real stores and hopefully bought by real people.

So, I guess I’m an indie author now?

I’ve come into my own, I believe, by not wondering how I can be like the greats, but how can I write a compelling story that hasn’t been told before. And, at least in this case, I’ve done that by focusing on aromantic characters in fiction (which isn’t terribly common). And maybe, if I decide to continue writing for fun, focus on implementing more queer characters into my stories.

Will I ever make writing into a full-time career? I highly doubt it, but it would be pretty cool. Doing this novella sparked a passion for writing I thought I’d lost. And that’s pretty exciting. If I do continue this route, I think I’ll focus first on short stories and trying to get published in magazines. And one day, if I ever feel confident enough, maybe I’ll get published by an actual publisher.

Wouldn’t that be neat?