Write On: BEING A NEW AUTHOR

WRITE ONIt's been a crazy few weeks since I announced that my novel - my BOOK - is due to be released next year. Having fantasized about it pretty relentlessly for a while now, I still managed to get side-swiped by a few unexpected things, so I thought I'd tell you about them.

Telling the people who didn't know that I write

This is my own fault, admittedly, but it's strange to see someone look at you completely differently when you casually mention that you write in your spare time, and have a book coming out in a few months. People at work, casual friends - lots of people I know had no idea about my secret writing life. They must just have thought I was (am) really antisocial. I'm not saying this isn't also true, but at least my hermitude now has some kind of validation.

Websurge!

I'm amazed how many people who I haven't previously connected with or chatted with often have congratulated me, visited my blog to read my announcement post, followed me on twitter, and added my book on Goodreads. (You can do that here, if you'd like to.) It's WONDERFUL, and pretty damned heartwarming! Thank you all for the congratulations and general awesomeness <3

Cheeky chancers

I admire a cheeky chancer as much as the next person, but I'm not being mean when I say I could not afford to give a 'free' signed first edition of my book to every bugger who has asked for one. I find the best response goes something like this:



Making my family proud

This has been the BEST part so far. My family isn't one of those tearful hugs, "I love you, John Boy" types of families. But they have all told me how proud they are that this dream I've worked towards is actually going to come true.

Excuse me, I think I have something in my eye... *sniffle*