One of the lists I belong to posed an interesting question, that I answered below, and thought I would share with you.
How has being a writer changed or affected your life or you?
Definitely changed my life. Mainly changing my career path. I used to be a college counselor, which I loved. I wrote my first novel, Love's Captive, at night. Once I finished it, I looked back & realized how exhausting a process it was. My husband was really proud of my effort and loved the book. He believes in me. He is the one who suggested I try to be a full-time author, so we planned out the next year, getting our finances in order so I could stop working full-time.
Actually, I continued to work part-time at different jobs, because it drove me crazy to stay at home all the time!! But it definitely gave me more time to write. Since I first got published in 2000, I have had 8 books and 2 short stories published. That is not a lot compared to some authors, but I KNOW that if I was still working full-time, there is no way I would have accomplished that much.
It also changed the way people look at me and respond to me. Being a counselor was very respectable, but people get very excited when they find out you are a published author. Simon is very proud to tell co-workers that his wife is an author.
My new dentist was working in my mouth last week and asking me questions about my writing. Kinda funny.:) My builder asks what I'm working on, as did the company we're renting a house from when I called to report a leaky faucet. I think the public is fascinated, in general, by the fact that you are an author. People that I have contact with think its cool. I know if I was not an author, I would think it was cool to personally know a published author.
There is a very strong sense of respect and interest from most people. It is a very nice feeling. I definitely feel that people put me on a different level than when I was "simply a counselor". I guess some of it has to do with - there are lots of folks who are counselors, but you don't always run across authors that you know personally.
Several years ago, we had dinner with two doctors and their spouses. We didn't know them, Simon was talking to them about recruitment. Anyway, the female doctor sitting next to me got really excited when Simon told her I was published. She asked me a lot of questions, and told me how smart I was. I was really taken aback a bit, because man, she had to be super smart to be an internist!!
I pointed out that I did not have the ability to write research papers like she did. She came back with, that only took research and logic, whereas my kind of writing took creativity. I accepted her sweet accolades. It was just surprising someone coming from a reality based, scientific background would be so "taken" with a creative person.
I have found since that others of the same background do not feel that way, which was what I had expected in the first place. But it was a refreshing experience and something I will never forget.
I attended my first RT this May. That was a eye-opening experience. As a writer, you do your work alone. Of course you have publishers and editors, fans and proofers. But you are by yourself when you write and come up with your ideas. I get fan letters, I have a file full of them. They are the best pick-me-ups in the world.
But when you actually meet fans for the first time face-to-face in an environment like RT, it is mind-blowing. They get excited when they find out who you are - if they have read your books. I got quite a few "I love your books", excited handshakes and faces.
Being an author has cut down my income quite a bit, because unlike the public seems to think, we don't make a lot of money unless - you are a prolific author, bestseller, been in the biz a long time and built up a good fan base, with a NY company and one of the authors that has good sell through and more than one edition of a book.
But, it can't be beat as far as "feel good" for my ego.:) Nor for setting my own schedule. And Simon and I keep hoping that one day I hit it big! I know that I'll never make the bucks by producing enough volume. Shrug, if neither happens, it is still a great career. It all comes down to, what are your expectations and can you live with less than, if it doesn't happen.
Definitely don't quit your day job unless you can afford it, or until you hit it big enough you can do so.:)
Myra Nour
www.myranour.com
How has being a writer changed or affected your life or you?
Definitely changed my life. Mainly changing my career path. I used to be a college counselor, which I loved. I wrote my first novel, Love's Captive, at night. Once I finished it, I looked back & realized how exhausting a process it was. My husband was really proud of my effort and loved the book. He believes in me. He is the one who suggested I try to be a full-time author, so we planned out the next year, getting our finances in order so I could stop working full-time.
Actually, I continued to work part-time at different jobs, because it drove me crazy to stay at home all the time!! But it definitely gave me more time to write. Since I first got published in 2000, I have had 8 books and 2 short stories published. That is not a lot compared to some authors, but I KNOW that if I was still working full-time, there is no way I would have accomplished that much.
It also changed the way people look at me and respond to me. Being a counselor was very respectable, but people get very excited when they find out you are a published author. Simon is very proud to tell co-workers that his wife is an author.
My new dentist was working in my mouth last week and asking me questions about my writing. Kinda funny.:) My builder asks what I'm working on, as did the company we're renting a house from when I called to report a leaky faucet. I think the public is fascinated, in general, by the fact that you are an author. People that I have contact with think its cool. I know if I was not an author, I would think it was cool to personally know a published author.
There is a very strong sense of respect and interest from most people. It is a very nice feeling. I definitely feel that people put me on a different level than when I was "simply a counselor". I guess some of it has to do with - there are lots of folks who are counselors, but you don't always run across authors that you know personally.
Several years ago, we had dinner with two doctors and their spouses. We didn't know them, Simon was talking to them about recruitment. Anyway, the female doctor sitting next to me got really excited when Simon told her I was published. She asked me a lot of questions, and told me how smart I was. I was really taken aback a bit, because man, she had to be super smart to be an internist!!
I pointed out that I did not have the ability to write research papers like she did. She came back with, that only took research and logic, whereas my kind of writing took creativity. I accepted her sweet accolades. It was just surprising someone coming from a reality based, scientific background would be so "taken" with a creative person.
I have found since that others of the same background do not feel that way, which was what I had expected in the first place. But it was a refreshing experience and something I will never forget.
I attended my first RT this May. That was a eye-opening experience. As a writer, you do your work alone. Of course you have publishers and editors, fans and proofers. But you are by yourself when you write and come up with your ideas. I get fan letters, I have a file full of them. They are the best pick-me-ups in the world.
But when you actually meet fans for the first time face-to-face in an environment like RT, it is mind-blowing. They get excited when they find out who you are - if they have read your books. I got quite a few "I love your books", excited handshakes and faces.
Being an author has cut down my income quite a bit, because unlike the public seems to think, we don't make a lot of money unless - you are a prolific author, bestseller, been in the biz a long time and built up a good fan base, with a NY company and one of the authors that has good sell through and more than one edition of a book.
But, it can't be beat as far as "feel good" for my ego.:) Nor for setting my own schedule. And Simon and I keep hoping that one day I hit it big! I know that I'll never make the bucks by producing enough volume. Shrug, if neither happens, it is still a great career. It all comes down to, what are your expectations and can you live with less than, if it doesn't happen.
Definitely don't quit your day job unless you can afford it, or until you hit it big enough you can do so.:)
Myra Nour
www.myranour.com
posted by Myra Nour | 9:14 AM
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