Weighing Options
As I mentioned in my last post I have to decide on what I want out of this challenge. Do I want to pursue, at the minimum, on becoming a part-time author? Or do I simply want to publish this particular book? The answer to this question determines if I pursue the traditional publishing route or if I just self publish.
Thinking out loud, or rather writing as I think, the answer to that question is actually found in another question – do I have more books I want to write? If yes then I should pursue the traditional publishing route, if no then I should just focus on the process of self publishing. My answer is yes, I do have other books ideas that I would like to eventually get published. With that being the case it seems pursuing the traditional publishing route is the way I should go.
Why Now?
You may ask, and I am asking myself, why now? If I have had these book ideas why have I never pursued being an author? That’s a fair question. When I was in school and college writing was difficult for me. I struggled with writing papers and essays. It has taken me years to hone what little writing skills I may have. Moreover, I have had other interests and career choices that took priority. These have led me to not really think about pursuing writing professionally.
However, having been writing these blogs for the past few years has me thinking about writing full time. I have realized that what I was writing in college was more technical and that there are other different styles of writing. Fiction requires creativity and a good imagination, at which I am a decent cook. In addition, if I am able to achieve what I envision it will require more to write more, possibly getting published here and there.
Life Redirected
Above all, life is rarely linear, it is mostly a bunch of curves, bends and even broken lines. What I valued ten, fifteen, even twenty years ago has changed. What I wanted out of life then, what career I wanted, what life I envisioned for myself when I was younger is not completely the same life that I want now. Life and its creator has a tendency to redirect us to things we never considered. For me, I never considered writing in this capacity, sharing some of my personal goals, triumphs, struggles and failures. Yet here I am, doing just that.
Weighing Our Options
We are all not so different, we all have options we have to weigh. I may talk about my options and my decision making process but I am just an example of what we all go through. You may find yourself in a similar situation where what you never considered as a serious option is now something that you highly value. You may have studied for years to be a doctor, lawyer or architect. You may have went to trade school and learned diesel mechanics or you may have spent years at a fast food establishment achieving the store manager position. You may have worked hard all those years and then life happened – you lost your child to a drunk driver or you were diagnosed with MS. It could be something happy such as a marriage or an impromptu meeting that got you promoted to another career.
Because life invariability happens priorities change and we end up weighing our options. Because of life you end up transitioning to something you never considered. You may become a spokesperson against drunk driving or you may join an association the helps others with MS. You may move to another state or even country to start your new married life or you may start a entirely new career thanks to an advantageous meeting.
Life throws at us some interesting circumstances sometimes. That is not always a bad thing. When I was younger I wanted to be an architect but after having spent some time in the field I realize that is not what I want to do. Then a few years ago I was diagnosed with MS and that really redirected me away from architecture to the idea of Get to It! Fast forward and here I am weighing my options on pursuing being an author. It’s those curves and broken lines that has led me, and you, here, considering and weighing our options. Our high school classmates were right when they signed our yearbooks – what a long, strange trip it’s been.
Attempt it. Chance it. Try it. Get to It![/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section]