A is for Author

I've been a little light on posts lately, not so much because of the 10,000 word delete-a-thon with the MS edits, but more because I was waiting for an "awesome" blog topic to drop into my head. Then it came to me - blogging is like writing (Okay, blogging IS writing. Shut up or I'll kill you off in a novel in ways you can't even imagine.).

Anywho -

Blogging is like writing. Sometimes, it just takes BIC (butt-in-chair) time to get posts done, even when there's no parting clouds or heavenly choirs involved. To that end, I'm going with the ABC's - each letter will be a different aspect of the writing process or journey. So my dear blog-buddies, skip on over to Josin's Junction (not as close to Sesame Street as you'd imagine, though there is a resident grouch and purple vampires are always welcome... unless someone turns Barney, then we put the priest on speed dial.) Let's start with "The Letter A".

A is for Author -- what we all aspire to be. You are a writer the second you put words in a chain to form a story, but to be an author requires input from an outside source. Either someone buys the rights to your story and publishes it, or someone buys your Kindle novel to enjoy, or someone clicks on your FictionPress account and puts you on alert for future chapters. To be an author, you must have readers.

A is for Agent -- what most of us aspire to have some day. These lovely people know the ins and outs of the business. They know the editors and they know the market. They know how many vanilla-flavored were-dolphin (It's a real South American folktale, do not give me weird looks, or I'll write you in as the bait in a piranha attack.) novels are due to hit shelves. At times, they seem beyond reach, but we keep trying to land one. (The agent, not the were-dolphin).

A is for Anger, Apathy, Admiration, Agony, and Aspiration -- things you will feel at some point during the writing process. Sometimes, you'll feel them all at once, think you're losing your mind, but quickly realize that as an writer you're allowed to have multiple personalities and voices in your head. (Check your union card; it's on the back.)

Next time on Josin's Junction: B is for Beta-reader, Bad reviews, and Backstory...