Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Indie Life

Last week was my first week as an "official" author, with a book actually out there. And this week I'm going to use the Indie Life tagline as my theme.

"Because being Indie doesn't have to mean going it alone."

Many years ago I was a solitary writer. I was going to become an author "someday," but determined that I could and would achieve this goal alone.

I was invited to join a writers group and I turned them down. I was a solitary writer, and I didn't need a writers group. A few years later I was invited again (to the same group, if I remember correctly) and this time I joined just for the thrill of meeting other writers. And my education began. Apparently, while I was a solitary writer I was not a solitary editor. I started to be able to see past the euphoria of just putting words on paper.

I also learned how to edit, how to critique, how to give feedback. And I started blogging.

I was a solitary blogger. I didn't need readers, I was just in it for the writing. Duh. And again I say, Duh.

In the last few years I have learned that no writer is a solitary writer. No one can do this alone, and the amazing writing community (online and off) can help anyone's writing. Without the support of a writing community, Without A Voice would never have been published. Without my writing group, my critique partners and beta readers, the many bloggers and writing professionals who gleefully shovel their knowledge out into the cloud, I wouldn't be there yet. Not even close.

I'll go one step further--no writer becomes an author without readers. That being the case, I'm going to make one small change to the Indie Life tagline:

"Because being a writer doesn't have to mean going it alone." Thank goodness.


Note: for those of you who haven't heard, Dave Farland /Dave Wolverton's son Ben was in a serious accident. They're doing a book-bomb today to raise money for his care, since his family has no insurance. More info at http://helpwolverton.com



* * * * *

Without A Voice

Don’t put yourself on the grid. No credit cards, new name, new city. Few friends, no family. Connections of any kind are a risk.

Five years ago Mae left Justin in Orlando. Never again will she cower, wondering who he'll hurt next. She's done letting him punish her.

Now she has real friends, people she cares about, a life worth living. After years of relative peace she's gotten complacent, relaxed her guard. Somehow, he's found her.

There’s nowhere you can go.

Once she could have run and been certain Justin would leave those she loved alone. But he's changed. Justin is the whisper in the dark, a shadow on the street, the phantom no one sees.

You are mine. I will never stop.


For Kindle: Without A Voice
For Nook: Without A Voice
For other formats: Without A Voice


Lauren's webpage: The HalfWorld
Lauren on Facebook
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Lauren on GoodReads
Lauren on Wattpad

8 comments:

  1. Chocolate hugs for your accomplishment!

    Shelly

    Tweeted and shared.

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  2. Hugs! *tacklehugs*

    There's a lot of talk about how solitary writing is, but I haven't found that to be the case at all. It's always better to have someone who can share in your crazy and get your writing jokes. :)

    And I entirely agree with you that you can't be an author without readers. To me, a big part of the point of writing is to get the stories out of my head so I can give them to someone else.

    Good luck with your book! I hope you get boatloads of readers.

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    1. I don't think anyone wants to share my crazy, but I sure want to share it with them!

      Isn't it funny, that a story can hammer at us for years, then once it's written down another one takes its place?

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  3. Writing is a strange type of communication in that the person communicating can be by herself yet reach others far away in space and time. That said, writing is better when you have someone to share the experience!

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    1. With online and offline friends, it becomes much easier. It took me a while to learn that, though.

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  4. I have had the same experience. Since I became involved online with other writers I have learned just how little I knew when I had thought I knew so much about writing and publishing. Congratulations on your accomplishment

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    1. I think that's always the way it goes. No matter what the "accomplishment," very few people are capable of reaching their goals without help.

      Pay it forward.

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