Stepping Into the Story
Hi there, friend—thank you for wandering into this small corner of my story.
I hope you find something that brings you joy, comfort, or the escape you may seek here along the way.
I am so excited for the jam-packed year of writing ahead of me. I haven’t allowed myself time to write because I’ve always been busy with one thing or another. Maybe some of you can relate?
But this year I have a new drive, a new motivation, and a goal.
I’m guessing more than half of you probably rolled your eyes at that.
No, I’m not saying that, once the clock struck midnight on the day I launched this site, I shed my old self and woke up with a level of discipline I had never possessed. I’m only slightly more practical than that.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
From First Draft to Real Life
Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Maze. E. (Couldn’t resist a good cliché!)
I have been writing and dreaming of being a published author since I was in middle school, and I’ve had a story burning inside, wanting to be told, since at least high school.
So, I did what everyone encouraged me to do: I wrote it.
What no one warned me was not to read it! At least not right away.
As many can probably sympathize with, I went to my freshly finished book, prepared to be amazed by myself and my creation. And then I trashed it!
I disliked my entire book so much that I felt it needed a complete rewrite. And by “fix,” I mean rewrite from the ground up.
I loved these characters and this story, and I wanted to do as much as I could so that, when I released it into the world, it would be ready and others would love it, too.
By now, however, the easy days of high school were gone, and the days of roommate drama, double shifts, and rent/bills had struck.
In a blinding race to earn enough to afford my often unnecessarily excessive lifestyle, the time to write became short.
To be clear, when I say “unnecessarily excessive,” I’m talking “I’m craving Olive Garden, we got it!“ or “It’s too late to cook, we can keep the order total down this time.”
Before I realized it, the daily grind had let years slip away—years I could have been working towards my dreams.
Finding My Own Way to Publish
Armed with new ideas and knowledge, I decided to set off on my journey, whether everything was “just right“ or not.
I began researching how to tackle my project in a way that would be enjoyable and also practical for me.
I researched the different publishing options for new authors. I compiled comparisons from multiple sources on the pros and cons of each.
Ultimately, for me, while the route of self-publishing puts so much of the work in the author’s court, the control and flexibility are attractive for starting.
Here on the blog, I’ll be recording the trials, tribulations, and small wins that come with chasing this dream.
Learning Out Loud
Along my journey toward deciding to jump into working full-time on my dream, I learned various tips, tricks, and skills that gave me more confidence as a writer.
Some of the things I worked out on my own, and some I felt a little silly for not realizing were out there.
Case in point: Did you know there is software designed to help an author organize their book projects?
I don’t even want to know how many eye rolls are happening as someone immediately thinks, “Scrivener!”
Something I hadn’t known was a thing a few months ago has now become a crucial step in my workflow.
For those who may not know what that is, and even for those who do, I wanted to share some of the things I’m learning with anyone who may find help in following along on my first-year journey to becoming a published author.
Several individuals have been along my journey as a writer, each having varying degrees of influence.
To reignite my passion for studying writing, I have a dear friend to thank.
I had owned a book of writing prompts I had surprisingly liked and had been convinced I needed, but it was still blank.
My friend, not liking me making excuses for not writing, took the book, dog-eared multiple pages with completely different styles of prompts, and gave it back.
Before you ask, no, I didn’t finish all the prompts he selected for me, and I no longer own the book to do so.
A more recent influencer I want to mention here—since I’ll likely bring them up again in future posts when I reference what I’ve learned—is YouTuber Abbie Emmons from the channel Writer’s Life Wednesdays.
I have loved the things I have learned from this influencer’s channel, and I highly recommend checking her out if you are interested in the art of storytelling or working on your book.
Save the best for last, right?
My support group is the behind-the-scenes people in my life who neither need to be seen nor heard but are always there for me.
They support me as I take the steps on this journey, giving me handholds when I falter and pushing me to take the next step when I don’t believe in myself enough to do so.
Worry for my sanity and if I’ve had lunch for the day.
What to Expect Here
I was all set to set a super-aggressive blogging schedule for this upcoming year to dive into all the writing I want to do. Plus, from various things I looked up about having a successful website, it seemed like what would be best.
However, because of those who worry about my sanity and my desire to put out quality content, I’m going to set something that is a little more reasonable for me.
So, I’ll be posting two blog articles on the second and fourth Fridays of each month.
These posts will either be updates on my writing journey or dives into the tools and ideas that have given me the confidence to pursue publishing.
I will also be posting a short story every month. The story will be broken up into four parts and released each Saturday (the first through fourth Saturday) of the month.
This part is a bit of fun for me and a way to flex my creative muscles outside my active projects. It also helps me stay true to the start of what reignited my passion.
This is also a way for YOU to get a feel for my writing and support what I’m working on here.
I welcome comments on anything you liked/disliked, loved/hated, found confusing, or any errors I’ve made!
All feedback is appreciated and used as fuel to better future work.
As previously stated, while on this journey, I am practical enough to know that I won’t suddenly wake up with the discipline to master all my goals with ease. However, I am committed to keeping this schedule and look forward to your support along the way.
And who knows, if I can sprinkle in extras, no one would be mad, right?
Except those concerned for my sanity. But I’ve made it this far!
A Note Before You Go
Thank you, creative hearts, for taking the time to let me share my story. Your support along the road would mean the world.
I’m super excited about all the different stories, learning tools, and projects I have in store for you this year.
Subscribe to my email list so you don’t miss scheduled story updates, random ramblings, or extra snippets I have to share here.
Until next time!