Category: Ramblings

I'm not sure if it's my age, my confidence within myself, or something else entirely, but I've noticed that I'm no longer afraid to have an opinion on public channels about certain topics.

Maybe this is tied to my decision to self-publish. Or maybe I've just gotten tired of trying to be politically correct all the time that I'm losing sight of me.

Whatever the reason, I see this as both a good and bad thing.

It's good, because I'm being me and no longer hiding portions of myself that bleed into everything that I do. There are ways that I phrase things that always creep into my writing, because my writing is just my thoughts on paper… even if I'm writing in the voice of another character.

It's bad, because I'm opening up myself to the lynch mob. I could so easily say something that could be taken out of context, at which point, the "politically correct" mob would have a field day at my expense.

But that too can also be seen as a good thing, because I know that the people who get me will be willing to help me defend myself if a lynch mob ever attacks.

I can't please everyone, and I've stopped trying. Instead, I write what I feel needs to be said in the way that I feel my characters need to say it. I know that some readers might find the way I say things as offensive, but to quote my daughter: "That's a them problem, not a me problem."

There are so many things that we need to think about when we start publishing, regardless if you are traditionally or self-publishing. And some things can seriously do your head in.

One area that has caused me some minor frustrations lately has been my PO Box.

Sit back, and I'll tell you the tale.

The debate about whether a person is an author or a writer seems to come up frequently. And it is often in the context of whether a person has the right to call themselves an author or a writer.

It seems like a silly argument to be having, but when the self-doubt monster is involved, those words carry significance.

In today’s post, I want to explore the subtle differences between what it means to be a writer vs an author. And I want to explore when a person makes the transition from one to the other.