Sometimes the Dream Chooses You
Sometimes there is no choice, sometimes the dream chooses you. I am often asked why I chose to write my first book. Did I always dream of becoming an author? Have I always written stories? Or was it a bucket list item? My answer is I didn’t choose it, it chose me.
I am a nurse by profession and work as a nurse practitioner in a busy children’s hospital. Happy in my life and my work writing a book was never an ambition of mine. In fact, it never once crossed my mind. After I completed my doctorate in 2011 I spent the next four years running marathons. I spent many miles listening to audiobooks, finding them much more entertaining than music, which (to me) became too repetitive to hold my interest.
As the miles and the stories passed the concept of a story began to take shape in my mind. A new story. My story. Initially I tried to ignore it. It was a silly notion. What did I know about writing a book? The answer: Nothing! But with each mile I ran the more developed the story became. Scenes played out before my eyes like a motion picture. The more I resisted the more insistent the characters became that I tell their story. Literally, chasing me down until I gave in. Like Scarlet O’Hara, I was forced into a situation that I could have never seen coming. And like Scarlet O’Hara I summoned up the courage to face it.
You Must Write
Finally, I picked up my pen and began. The story came fast and furious, sometimes faster than I could write it down. All those imagined scenes and characters flooding my imagination and igniting a passion I did not know I possessed. It was the most exhilarating experience of my life!
Fiction writers are creative, passionate people with stories flowing through their minds at all times of the day and night. There is no peace until the story is written. At least that was my experience. I had no idea how to go about it but if I have learned anything it’s that YOU MUST WRITE! Every story is unique and every fiction writer has a story to tell, a new perspective to offer. Share your story with the world and you will find readers who love it too.
Now What?
My story was completed but now what? I didn’t know, so I spent hours trolling the internet, researching traditional publishing versus independent publishing, taking classes and watching video’s. I chose indie publishing because maintaining the rights to my story and my characters was important to me. From the beginning, I knew this would be a series and I didn’t want a publisher to own the rights to my work.
Little did I know that writing the book and publishing it would be the easy part. Now my book was out in the world, but no one knew about it but me. How do you market a book? How do you make a profit? How do you become a best-selling author?
A Best-Selling Author
That’s when I found Alinka Rutkowska’s Author Remake program—and signed up. The program teaches you how to produce a quality product, to maximize marketing opportunities, and how to grow your email subscriber list, ultimately growing a successful business. I became a best-selling author on April 18, 2017 (only 3 ½ months after publishing my first book) thanks to the Author Remake program and Alinka. The Author Remake is a step by step easy to follow program and Alinka holds your hand every step of the way. Without Alinka and Author Remake I would not have become a best-selling author.
Have you have ever dreamed of writing a book or have a set of characters elected you to tell their story? My advice: Be like Scarlett O’Hara, stand up straight and face your fears. Tomorrow is here! Write the story that is haunting you. I promise you will have no regrets!
[Alinka here: if you’d like to join us at Author Remake send me a message at alinka@authorremake.com and put “Author Remake” in the subject line]
This is a guest post by Lori Thompson.
Lori has been a nurse for the last 25 years. She holds three degrees in nursing: a bachelor’s degree, a Master of Science and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. She continues to work as a pediatric nurse practitioner and lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband John, and two children Shelby and Hunter. She enjoys time with her two miniature English bulldogs, Fergie and Peaches, and her Blue Heeler, Harley.
Lori is an avid marathon runner and audiobook addict. As a fan of the time travel genre, Lori’s love of history combined with her medical background inspired her debut novel.
Check out Lori’s book here.
Such an interesting start to writing. As a Clinical Specialist in Psychiatric Nursing, I know how nurses process information. They want to feel it at all levels. You are an inspiration.
Thank you Eris,
I loved writing this book and your right, nurses do have to feel it on all levels. I had to marinade in this story for a while before I picked up the pen.
I loved reading your story, Lori, because I’m a nurse, too. I recently started a blog, and I understand what you mean about writing “the story that is haunting you”.
My advice to young nurses is to keep a journal to record their nursing adventures, so they can someday publish their story for others to enjoy, too.
Diane,
What a great idea. I wish I had kept a journal of all the interesting cases and situations I found my self in over the years. I’ll have to check out your blog.
Congrats on your success, Lori. Now go out there and do it again. 🙂
Thanks Jeremy! I am working on the second book right now. I plan to release it in late summer/early fall.
Wow! This is so similar to my story it’s eerie. I hold the same degrees in nursing, and turned to writing fantasy in 2012 when my youngest son was diagnosed with cancer in 2011. I also have been a nurse for over 20 years. I too feel like writing chose me years ago, but I chose nursing (and that is another story) I learned that sometimes the best things can come out of life’s trials. You are such an inspiration and in many ways confirmation for me that I made the right choice! I wish you all the best and hopefully will join you on that road to success one day!