The Emerging Author Chronicles: Reinventing Yourself

Who has ever reinvented their career? Or in the process now? I'd love to hear about it.

Myself, I'm an emerging author smack dab in the middle of inventing my career as a writer. Circumstances and the timing being right, I personally declared to begin to write and complete what is to become my debut book, Of School and Women, in part a declaration to reinventing yourself.

From high school teacher, to property manager, to paralegal, and finally health conditions that became the catalyst to a paradigm shift that affected my whole life, my personal revolution manifested itself in a moment that begged the question, What now? I journaled, I cleaned, I found chapters I had written long ago at another time of grief and loss. Then in the quiet of the night, for the love of reading and writing something that was not legalese, and not for a paycheck, I realized I should draft a story.

I employed the following strategies: writing every day, signing up for a writing boot-camp course at a local community college, from where I took the advice of the instructor, who was a retired publishing agent. I wrote five drafts, bought two Writer's Guidebooks, contacted and hired a freelance editor from one of them, took his advice, and completed draft number six. The querying began. The waiting continues. I watch YouTube videos on author marketing and publishing. The self-publishing idea sounds better by the day, but the most significant shift is that my brain dances with possibility and good vibes. My debut book has taken on a life of its own now, and my family loves the entrepreneurial spirit at our house.

Because I changed my perspective from working at earning, to working my passion, and my focus from what I can't do to what I can do, my attitude is anew and bright. I can honestly say that art heals because it is born from beginning again. Actions fueled my creative epiphany the moment I bid a heartfelt farewell to my past careers.

I'm convinced that like a child, reinventing yourself or starting over is life itself in constant motion. Letting go of the things that worked in the past that don't work anymore was my spark to personal reinvention. In the words of Thornton Wilder's characters in the 1942 play, The Skin of Our teeth, "The most important thing is the desire to begin again and to start building," said Antrobus. "That's all we do - always beginning again," said Sabina. "If you have any ideas in improving this old world, I'm with You. I really am." Stay tuned for The Emerging Author Chronicles: Part III. ☮