What do you write?
I write romantic suspense under my name, and erotica under a pen name. I'm also plotting a thriller/horror novel that will be written under another pen name. Gotta have variety.
How long have you been writing?
On and off since high school...seriously for about 2 years or so.
What got you started?
Giving up, actually. I was going through a particularly rough spot with regards to my writing and serious self-confidence issues, and I decided to walk away from writing altogether since I couldn't seem to get my act together and polish anything up to submit. I couldn't stay away though, and decided to just start a web serial on my blog and write purely for fun, with no pressure to publish. Ironically, taking the pressure off opened the gates, so to speak, and I've been writing regularly ever since.
A few important lessons you have learned along the way:
Writing rules are just guidelines. It's good to know what they are, but there's room to wiggle.
A story always benefits from another set of eyes for editing/proofreading.
Different publishing methods all lead to the same result – readers get the story. Options are best left open when it comes to getting your work out to people.
Too much pressure to write for a specific market can kill a story. Better to let it be what it needs to be, and worry about how to get it out after it's done.
What priority writing is in your life at the moment?
Very high – right up there with the day job and the hubby, though Halloween is sort of getting in the way at the moment.
Is it a hobby, career, potential career?
A second job at the moment, and definitely a potential career. With any luck, it will turn into a bonefide career in five years or so.
Can you see yourself writing for the rest of your life, regardless of financial / popular success?
Yep – absolutely. Since I'm self-publishing, my work will always go out no matter how much/little money I make on it, or how successful I am. There are people out there who read/like my work, and that's who I'll keep writing for, no matter how small the audience is.
Anything else you may want to add:
I'm incredibly grateful to be part of the online writing community. The people I've met and connected with have really made a huge difference in not only my motivation, but the quality of my writing and my overall confidence in it. It's an amazing group, and one I hope I can give back even a fraction of what I've gotten out of it.
Thanks for having me, Dolly – this was a really fun interview!
Jamie DeBree
Author of Tempest (romantic suspense)
Available in ebook and paperback from Amazon& other online retailers.
http://jamiedebree.com
Thank you, Jamie for sharing your journey. I must admit, I was surprised as you come across as so put-together, goal orientated that I would never have thought of you with self-confidence issue - but of course it happens to all of us. The inspiring thing is how you turned it around. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat interview Dolly and Jamie!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for having me, Dolly. Indeed we all suffer from confidence issues at some point - how we handle it makes all the difference in the world. Can't let "little" things like that hold us back. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by, Carol!
Great interview! Love learning more about you, Jamie ;o)
ReplyDeleteThanks Dolly!
Great interview. The best of luck to you, Jamie. I'd like to have a career at it, too.
ReplyDelete