The Author Life A to Z
If you’re here, you’re probably an author and wondering what all this A to Z stuff is about. Well, I’ll tell you. We’re going back to basics. That’s right, friends, the alphabet.
Now, now, don’t roll your eyes. When we were little kids, learning the alphabet was the first step on our journeys to becoming the authors we are today. It’s fascinating how we can make magic with only twenty-six letters, don’t you think?
I’m going to break down what it takes to be an author by assigning a characteristic to each letter. Are you ready to relearn your ABCs author style? I hope so.
The Author Life A to Z
A. Authenticity – It’s important to write stories authentic to us.
B. Belief – We must believe in ourselves first before anyone else does.
C. Courage – Since our stories are pieces of our hearts, it takes courage to share our work with others.
D. Dreams – Our author dreams play a role in motivating us to travel down the rocky publishing road because we wish for them to become reality someday.
E. Empathy – Being empathetic allows us to craft our characters because we can better put ourselves in their shoes and understand their thoughts and feelings.
F. Friends – Author friends are the best, since we can share manuscripts with each other, chat about the industry, and most importantly, have others to lean on who understand what we’re going through.
G. Gratitude – Expressing gratitude is a great way to show how we’re thankful for every win, no matter how small, and for those who played a role in helping us along our journeys.
H. Hope – Even when our publishing journeys are rough, holding on to hope allows us to keep going.
I. Invention – We’re always being inventive, tapping into our imaginations and drawing on creativity to craft our stories.
J. Joy – When we achieve wins, we should be joyful and celebrate, while also remaining humble.
K. Kindness – Spreading kindness in the writing community is always the way to go.
L. Luck – Luck definitely plays a role in publishing success, but we need to show up and put in the work in order to have our lucky moments.
M. Motivation – We have to feel motivated to work on our projects because if we don’t care about our stories, readers won’t, either.
N. Networking – Publishing is built on relationships, so networking allows us to make meaningful connections with authors and industry professionals.
O. Optimism – Remaining optimistic helps us maintain a positive mindset while we’re chasing our publishing dreams.
P. Patience – Having patience is key to surviving in the publishing industry.
Q. Quality – We need to dedicate time to developing our craft in order to produce quality work.
R. Resilience – Pursuing a career in publishing comes with lots of challenges, so we need to be resilient.
S. Sleep – Sleep is essential to ensure we have the rest necessary to pursue a creative passion.
T. Trust – We need to trust ourselves, our critique partners and beta readers, the publishing professionals we’re working with, and of course, the publishing process as a whole.
U. Unique – Though we want our stories to have commercial appeal and align with reader expectations and genre conventions, our stories should have unique flares to help them stand out.
V. Vigilance – The publishing industry isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, so being vigilant allows us to protect ourselves, our work, and our reputations.
W. Wild – It’s good to let loose and be wild sometimes, from participating in writing sprints to coming up with new ideas.
X. Extra – We should go the extra mile to give back to the writing community, help others, and thank those who have supported us on our journeys.
Y. Yes – Publishing is a place where we only need one yes for doors to open.
Z. Zeal – Lastly, we must be zealous, having a strong commitment and passion for our work.
So, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed taking a trip down alphabet lane and discovering the key characteristics of the author’s lifestyle. Now, get out there and change the world with your stories!