Making the Unfamiliar, Familiar

from Sharon Ledwith
I’m sure you’ve heard that getting out of your comfort zonecan be a painful, often scary experience, but the end results usually end intransformation and growth. Right? Well, I recently watched a YouTube video doneby Canadian entrepreneur EvanCarmichael about trying to share an image of yourself on your social mediaaccounts for 30 days straight, and then seeing what happens after the month hasended. The thought of doing that made me squirm inside. You see, I’m anintrovert at heart, and like to keep my personal life…well, personal. Sharingan image of myself—with all my winkles and flaws—a day for an entire monthseemed downright weird and just a little egostical. Besides, what kind of imagewould I post, and what would I talk about? Then, I approached my publisher,Justine with this idea, and she suggested that I share an image of a day in thelife of an author, and call it #authorlife. My eyes widened, and I resonatedwith her suggestion immediately.
So, choosing the month of September 2019 for my #authorlifeexperiment, I decided to take a shot and put myself out there for 30 dayssharing what it’s like to live in my ‘author’ shoes. And yes, it was scary, andyes it was painful, but I managed to complete this task, not missing a day, butone—September 10th, the day after we put our 12-year-old Labradordown. I dedicated that #authorlife spot to my yellow fellow, who wentpeacefully in my arms the day before. I was a mess and grieving for weeks afterthat, but plodded on, taking selfies and sharing what I was up to each day. Itwas awkward and hard, but I managed to make the unfamiliar, familiar, and Ifound it got easier to find things to share and talk about.

I'll miss you, Lorri CarpenterUsing my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, I sharedbook marketing ideas, books I’m reading, a dedication to my dear author friend,Lorri Carpenter who passed away the same week as my dog, my morning exerciseregime, took you grocery shopping, for a walk, paying bills, researching for mywork-in-progress, flashed shameless plugs, and the list went on. After all,life if full of mundane routines too. And a writer’s life is no exception. I’msure Stephen King still takes out the trash or puts away the dishes. Makes ushuman, and more relatable.

One of the most cherished #authorlife images was taken onLabor Day with my dog just before I took him for his walk. It was the lastphoto I have of him before he passed on a week later. You can’t get momentslike that back. Ever. So I would like to think that this little experiment wasa success. Personally and professionally. I managed to get way out of my comfortzone, build up my social media platforms, engaged with people who seemed quiteinterested in my journey, had fun, got creative, and shared a piece of myselfthat I would have never shared before. Did this result in more book sales? Notsure, but I really don’t care. This was about growing as a person, getting moreself-confident, and seeing how much I changed throughout the month. Especiallywhen I wasn’t wearing any makeup! LOL! How brave was that? Wink.

One of the most commented-on posts!Would I do it again? Not for 30 days straight, but I’ve decidedto keep posting my #authorlife images at least once or twice a week. It’s aninvestment in my self-worth, and hopefully will help other writers by givingthem ideas or letting them know that they’re not alone in this crazy publishingbusiness. Plus, you put yourself out there, and connect with people on adifferent level where you’re not pandering to them, but giving them a smile orhelping hand instead. And that’s what I call success in any vocation. I want tothank all those who traveled this #authorlife journey with me, and commented on,liked, or shared what I’d been doing that day. Your kindness and support are soappreciated.

Is this month-long social media experiment something that you wouldtackle? Please let me know in the comments, I’d love to read your thoughts. Cheers,and thank you for spending time with me by reading my blog! 

Here’s a glimpse of the premises of both my youngadult series.

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures

Chosenby an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keephistory safe from the evil Belial—five classmates are sent into the past torestore balance, and bring order back into the world, one mission at a time.

Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are theonly hope for our past.

Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mysteries

Imagine a teenagerpossessing a psychic ability and struggling to cope with its freakish power.There’s no hope for a normal life, and no one who understands. Now, imaginebeing uprooted and forced to live in a small tourist town where nothing muchever happens. It’s bores-ville from the get-go. Until mysterious things startto happen.

Welcome to Fairy Falls.Expect the unexpected.

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:

The LastTimekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book #3

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The LastTimekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book #2 BuyLinks:

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The LastTimekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book #1 Buy Links:

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Legendof the Timekeepers, prequel BuyLinks:

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Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls TeenPsychic Mystery Series:

Lostand Found, Book One BuyLinks:

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SharonLedwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventureseries, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mysteryseries, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading,researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, andsingle malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern touristregion of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and a moody calico cat.

Learn moreabout Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZONAUTHORpage for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.

BONUS: Download the free PDF short story TheTerrible, Mighty Crystal HERE