Hey Look Ma, I Made It!

If you’re anything like me, when you read the title it was in Brendon Urie’s voice.

There comes a time in every author’s life when they feel like they’ve ‘made it’. It’s different for every writer, but there will be some defining moment in which you truly, completely know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are an author. Won’t there?

For me, I thought it happened at my book launch for The Devil’s Maverick. Looking out at everyone, all of them interested in what I created, it was an amazing moment for me. But I don’t think it was the moment.

Now that the hype has died down and I am going through post-publication syndrome (see earlier post), I’m beginning to wonder when it will happen. Will I just wake up one morning, look in the mirror and say, “Yep. You’re an author.”? Will I be driving to work one day and have it suddenly hit and have a breakdown on my commute? I don’t know.

Maybe I won’t have that moment I hear so many authors talking about. Maybe I’ll need to find it for myself, validate my work in my own eyes. Writing is a journey, no matter the content, and there are many milestones to hit. And that won’t carry over to everyone because everyone’s experiences are different.

If I want you to take away anything from this post, it’s to celebrate the highs and persevere through the lows and know that, no matter if your published or a hobbyist, when you write you are a writer. As long as words are making it onto a page, you are a writer and no one but yourself can take that away from you.