As an Independent Author, I have come to find a piece of very important information about how to maintain this status. Let me share!
I am an Indie Author because I love to write; it is my greatest passion. When I write a story, I find myself lost in the world I am creating. One of the best parts about being an Independent Author is never having to worry about the stress of demands on your writing. Some people work well with deadlines, and I do not disagree that they are useful, but as a self published author, you can set your own pace without putting yourself under extreme distress. And if you happen to go over on your time limit, there is no one but yourself to answer to.
As an author of two novels now, I find my greatest writing moments come out of no where. I start writing when the mood, or Muse, strikes, and I stop whenever the Muse has left. I like having a quota of how many words I should write in one sitting, and a round about deadline of when I would like the novel to be finished, but I never feel the pressure like I normally do at my full time job when a project has a fast turnaround time. In my mind, there is a huge difference between these two scenarios.
On one hand you have work, which its very definition is “1. the physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something.”. You are doing something for an end result. Thus, making work a “have to”. A “have to” is a necessary action like cleaning, or laundry, and even, going to a full time job. These are not necessarily things you want to do, but in order to make it through life, they are what you “have to” do.
On the other hand you have a passion. Let’s define this as well: “6. the object of an intense desire, ardent affection, or enthusiasm; 7. an outburst expressing intense emotion”. Most writers are enthusiastic about their novels; we love what we do! We “want to” write because we desire the world we have formed in our heads and have grown a great amount of affection for the characters we have created which then comes out in an intense expression in the form of an outburst on paper!
To sum it up, as an Indie Author, you are part of a group of talented writers who “want to” write. We all love creating these worlds and sharing them with our readers. But as an Independent Author, just remember, you are the creator. There is no one else you have to answer to, so it is just fine to go at your own pace, and if you have to take a break, there is nothing wrong with that.
Taking a break keeps your “want to’s” as passions, and your “have to’s” at work. Let your writing flow!
