I never intended to become a writer. It started as a fluke.
I’d always loved reading, had a big imagination and talent for crafting stories but hadn’t inspired to do it professionally until I turned nineteen and got my first computer.
From that moment another world opened up to me.
My very first story started from a vision of this boy on the beach. I just couldn’t get this out of my head.
Everyday I added to that scene and before long I had my first finished novel.
After seeing that nothing else had ever made me feel so good as writing I decided to try to become a published author.
I had my share of setbacks before feeling the rewards of my accomplishments. If any writer says their journey to publication was easy they’re lying.
I started out naïve like the next newbie. I thought all it mattered was to have talent and want to bring that to the world.
When I got into the publishing side of things, I saw that the writing was the easier of what it takes to construct a book that would sell.
I studied editing techniques and even took a class.
I bolted myself in my chair and read all kinds of guides about how to become the best writer and about the publishing industry.
A lot of writers do not realize that the writing process is at least sixty percent learning no matter how far you come in the industry.
Nothing thrills me like writing mysteries and crime fiction.
Since I was a child it was my favorite genre to read as well as favorite types of movies.
Alfred Hitchcock is my idol and it’s because of him that I decided to become a full-fledged mystery writer.
I also write interracial romances within my crime books because this is a personal preference of mine outside of books and I’ve always loved reading these types of romances as well.
My writing process is simple.
I just write. I don’t do any rituals.
I don’t light candles, listen to music or do a voodoo dance before typing.
I just sit my butt in my chair and write.
The funny thing about me is that I am “writing” even when I’m not.
Seems like my mind never stops focusing on my characters. I could be doing anything and a scene from my story pops into my head or I get an idea at the weirdest times.
Writing never feels like a chore to me. I feel like if it gets that way I should stop writing.
Writing is a joy and I wouldn’t do anything else even if I had the chance.
I’ll never stop writing no matter how frustrated or angry I get with certain aspects of the publishing world.
And believe me there’s a lot about the industry that’s made me angry.
I admit that sometimes it gets hard to even crank out a few sentences.
What writer doesn’t ever feel pressured or tired?
But most days my ideas overtake me and it becomes easy to transform myself into the lives of my characters.
Whoever said writers eat, drink and sleep their characters was right.
I’ve learned so much in the last twelve years of my writing journey. I can’t explain the impact writing has had on my life.
It’s forced me to analyze how I looked at myself and my true goals in the industry.
When I started out I had all these big time dreams. I still do but I’ve become happy with the success I’ve gotten so far and I’m very satisfied.
I’m a storyteller and not a status seeker. Advances, print runs, big time reviews don’t matter to me.
The happiness I get from writing and having people read my work is what’s important.
Writing has taught me not to make plans. It’s cool to have goals but the plans you hope to reach aren’t always sensible in this business.
There are a lot of things that go on you can’t control so you should be fair to yourself and work on what you can control.
You can’t control getting published or getting an agent. You can’t control becoming a best selling author or gaining readership.
What you can control is being the best writer you can be and if you do that, you’re on the right track.
New writers set themselves up for heartbreak when they are not realistic or aren’t writing for the right reasons.
The joy I get when folks read my work is unexplainable. I want my work to go down in history and entertain for generations to come.
My happiness and satisfaction comes from having the opportunity to do what I love and to share that with people all over the world.
Goodness no being a writer isn’t the perfect career choice. The publishing industry isn’t the friendliest place or the most endearing.
Writers get no respect. Hardly shown any love. It’s an uphill battle just to stay sane from day to day in this business.
Despite knowing the industry for all its faults and bad points, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
My site:
http://www.stacy-deanne.net
http://www.twitter.com/stacydeanne
(I’m also on Facebook so add me!)
You can find my books in stores or online at Amazon.com and other online retailers.
Be on the look out for my fourth book, Giving Up the Ghost coming 2011 from Peace in the Storm Publishing.
Read more about it at my site.
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Stacy-Deanne is the author of Melody, and Everlasting.
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