Indie networking
You know, from the minute I wrote the last word of my first book, I made sure not to develop any expectations about ever making it famous. Sure, I had dreams, hopes and wishes, but I think as long as a person is able to separate those dreams, hopes, and wishes, from expectations, then any given writer who hasn’t made it famous, (yet?), should be able to remain somewhat well adjusted.
I don’t think that the best part of being a writer is becoming famous, or being paid large quantities of money for your writing. That just helps buy things and pay bills. Think about all the stuff that happens between deciding to be a writer and the becoming famous stuff, if that ever happens:
- Dedicating yourself to telling a story
- Learning how to express yourself
- Sharing a story
- Publicizing that story
- Meeting other storytellers
- Spending time with other storytellers, writers, readers and dreamers
There are of course many other things, but I wanted to stop at that last bullet. Spending time with other storytellers. Networking. Indie networking. You get to grow and help others grow in the art of empowering yourself completely to tell your story, the way you want with 100% control. That’s frickin’ awesome! Remember, if you ever make it famous, it’s because someone liked everything you did on your own, to invest in you in some way.
The gift of being able to learn and share with others who haven’t made it yet guarantees that, (for the most part), your advice and experiences, and those you network with, are not yet tainted by fame or success. Once someone gets a legacy publisher contract, or you sell film rights to your masterpiece, or whatever, there is/will be a sense of attaining “the goal,” or, reaching the summit. “All your hard work has paid off.”
And while that is obviously a great thing for a writer to experience, when that time times, gone will be the days of 100% raw, honest and vulnerable experience and desire.
In other words, if/when you or I ever become famous, we should enjoy the HECK out of that, but by all means, try to enjoy everything else that leads up to that point even more.
– Jeramy
Main website: http://www.jeramygoble.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JeramyGoble
Twitter: @JeramyGoble
Very good thing to point out, and to remember. Without the little moments — and the people that help us get to where we are going — our roads to fame or whatever else would be very dull and meaningless. I think it’s good to regularly sit back, and remind ourselves of that. The journey really is everything.
Thanks for the post! I enjoyed it!
Alexandra Lanc~