We’re All Writers

Some people seem impressed when they discover I’ve published a book. To be clear, I’m extremely proud of Chasing Rainbows and Dogs that Won’t Hunt. I love the characters and the stories. The vignette format works well, and I strived to be historically accurate in my use of allusions.

I previewed the text with a host of different readers, and finally, after about three years, I self-published through Amazon. Anyone can publish a book on Amazon. Anyone. If you have written some words and find a stock cover image, you too can publish a book. Technology has radically changed the world in the past few decades. You no longer have to hire an agent and find a publisher and editor. It helps, a lot, but it isn’t necessary. In my case, I took my 119K worth of words, found a fantastic cover designer (thanks Jen Phelps!), and published.

Maybe you’ve never had anything published. Okay. Most people haven’t. But I bet you’re a story-teller. I bet you enjoy movies or books or music or TV shows. All of those various forms, they all tell stories. We love stories. It’s a part of human nature and has been throughout history, from cavemen painting images on stone walls to now. More than just loving stories, we need stories because those stories help us make sense of our stories.

Do you send emails or text messages? Write birthday cards or thank-you notes? Caption photos and videos? Comment on Facebook or Twitter? Face it, you’re writer. Being a writer isn’t a matter of how many words you churn out. So, you’re not Hemingway or Dickens or Dostoevsky. Me neither. You have no aspirations to publish? Great. Insecure about spelling or grammar? Read my first book and find the errors I missed before I published. To errr is human (yeah, I did that on purpose).

Embrace the title. At some level, you’re a writer.