I have had the honor of meeting many wonderful people who have wanted to become authors. I wholeheartedly believe that everyone has a story to tell, but finding the time, the motivation, and the belief in yourself can be the biggest battles in becoming an author. For those who do follow their dreams, it still doesn't mean success--or merited publication. If you dream of becoming a successful author, I have put together a simple list of things you must strive for in order to make it in this competitive, critical, and sometimes brutal world of writing.10. Write every day.9. Write the story that is in your heart, not the story you think you should tell.*8. That being said, you must follow the rules for your genre (Which means you must know in which genre you write--And Yes, it is good to be labeled, but make sure you control what you are known for.)7. Once you know the rules, feel free to break them.
6. Edit, Edit, Edit... Let the book sit for a few months. Come back and edit again. If you are ever bored when you are writing, your readers will be bored when reading. Stop. Tear the section from your book and start over. Once you do this, you will have the strength of knowing this is the best book you can write at this point in your writing adventure.5. Never stop learning. The publishing landscape alters like brittle frost on a cold spring morning. One day something that was tried and true will fail and something you thought was crazy may be the industry standard.4. Always be kind to other authors (and people in general). This is a tough one, I know. There are times when you will face down the reader/editor/agent/author who will feel it is necessary to tell you exactly why/how you smell like dirty socks. Force your body to smile. Thank them for their time in letting you know their thoughts. Then take what you can from their comments and forget the rest. Under this rule, I also want to add if you help another writer do so in with a spirit of support and not competition. Your words will come back to haunt you if you let selfish motivations control your mouth (or typing fingers).3. Thank the people who work with you. It takes an army to be successful. You need to appreciate the time people take out of their lives to mention you, publish your books, promote you, and read your words. It only takes a second to make a good impression and graciously appreciate what others do for you. *Insert the Golden Rule Here* :)2. Remember that you are an entertainer at the most basic of level. Make your reader feel. Make them want more. This doesn't mean they have to love your characters, but they should feel the overwhelming need to keep reading. You achieve this by digging deeper. Delve into your emotions, search your soul, and learn how others may react differently then you. Even more simply, be empathetic to other personalities and use what you learn to strengthen your writing.1. Write for yourself. Write the story that keeps you up at night. If you write for yourself, regardless of what may come, you will be a success, you have succeeded in meeting your goals. In being an author, just like in life, there will always be someone who will be doing better than you. Don't try to keep up with the Joneses or the Koontzes. You will never be happy if you try to compete. You must find happiness within yourself and your work. If you can do this, you were meant to be an author.
Books, For Readers, Guest Blogger, Special Operations
WHEN DEATH COMES FOR YOU
Sergeant Brooke Forester wants to live a life that means something, and one in which she isn’t perpetually shrouded by her father’s sins.
YOU MUST FIGHT
But in the blink-and-you-miss town of Sula, Montana, gossip constantly sweeps through the community… And, while Brooke has been the public’s target for years, soon no gossip is juicier than that about the sexy, new FBI agent Sawyer Reynolds who has come to investigate a series of strange and gruesome murders.
OR DIE
Just when Brooke thinks she escapes her past, her past returns—
and brings a cold, calculating psychopath right along with it.
And this time, the killer won’t stop until they take every last shred of her identity and eventually, her life.
For Readers
Excerpt from Hidden Truth (STEALTH Series, Book 1):
She clicked open the tabs of the gun case, exposing the M24 sniper rifle. It was a thing of beauty. Even without firing a single round from this particular gun, Trish Martin could recall the precise feel of pulling the trigger, smelling the spent powder and watching as her enemies fell to their knees.
There was no greater feeling in the world than a justified kill. The men standing around her, those dealing in death, would be easy to strip from this earth…
