I've long been published in many places, even before I began writing novels four years ago. So I could have had the label of "published author" for years, but it had always been either part of my career (professional & research pieces in relevant journals) or a part-time thing (short stories in literary journals). So I didn't consider myself an AUTHOR until my first book came out Sept.2022. It took a conscious effort to not say I was a "writer", and practice saying I'm an AUTHOR.
It's what we do to ourselves, right? We lack the confidence & conviction to claim who we are.
What's odd is a memory that just popped into my head.
I was always a self-driven over-achiever in school. If we were assigned to write a 10-page paper, I would produce a 30-page fully researched footnoted dissertation. My Honors English teacher actually submitted one of my papers that was published in some sort of publication (so he informed me AFTER the fact). One day two years after high school, I passed a guy on the street whom I didn't recognize. He spun around, asking with a tone of insistent urgency, "Leslie! I hope you're still writing?!" It was my Honors English teacher.
I never really embraced it myself. Until now. Yet there are still some days of self-doubt.
I've long been published in many places, even before I began writing novels four years ago. So I could have had the label of "published author" for years, but it had always been either part of my career (professional & research pieces in relevant journals) or a part-time thing (short stories in literary journals). So I didn't consider myself an AUTHOR until my first book came out Sept.2022. It took a conscious effort to not say I was a "writer", and practice saying I'm an AUTHOR.
It's what we do to ourselves, right? We lack the confidence & conviction to claim who we are.
Right. We lack the confidence & conviction to claim who we are, but I would also add constraints of the pub world.
What's odd is a memory that just popped into my head.
I was always a self-driven over-achiever in school. If we were assigned to write a 10-page paper, I would produce a 30-page fully researched footnoted dissertation. My Honors English teacher actually submitted one of my papers that was published in some sort of publication (so he informed me AFTER the fact). One day two years after high school, I passed a guy on the street whom I didn't recognize. He spun around, asking with a tone of insistent urgency, "Leslie! I hope you're still writing?!" It was my Honors English teacher.
I never really embraced it myself. Until now. Yet there are still some days of self-doubt.
What a poignant moment! It always amazes me how the past informs the future. I’m so glad you embraced the PUBLISHED author you always were.
I'm pretty sure I would have raised my hand.
🙌 Own it!