I seriously have the most awesome book club in the universe. This month was our annual book club retreat which took place at the Silver King resort in Park city. Imagine spending the entire night (ahem, okay only until 5 am or so) talking with your best buds about reading, writing and everything in between (and eating lots of snacks of the sugar and doughnut variety). Now add that our fearless book club leader managed to secure the author of our book as a guest for the evening and you have the most FRAWSOME book club ever!! (Yes we are attempting to kill each other with kitchen utensils. Last one standing got an ARC of Mr. Monster--yeah, I'm reading it right now.)
The book choice this month was I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells, a local Utah author. Now not only is this book amazing (no really, the protag is the most interesting and complex protagonist I've ever read) but the author is likewise amazing. The very fact that he took an entire evening to discuss not only his novel with us, but also talk writing and publishing with the few writers in our club says a lot about a person.Okay, enough gushing (I'm not a gusher by nature but every once in a while I get the urge). One of the things Dan said really stuck with me. I'll have to paraphrase since I wasn't taking notes.
"Anyone can make a living as an artist. If you put as much time and energy as a doctor does in building a career, you can be just as successful. Unfortunately there are not programs designed to guide an author step by step into the industry as there are in other fields but if you consider yourself a writer and work everyday toward making it a career, you can't lose."
Well, I've decided I'm an author. Of course I must be a mother first, but as a sanity-saving supplement to my life, I will be putting in the hours as if it were a career, not just a hobby. Good things are coming my way, I can feel it.
I live in Utah. Why aren't I a member of your awesome sauce book club? I want to join! And that quote by Dan Wells is brilliant.
ReplyDeleteKaren, You are more than welcome to join. It started out as a neighborhood book club but has since been joined by members all over the valley. Our next book is The House at Riverton by Kate Morton and will be on September 16th at 7 p.m. Let me know if you want to come and I'll get you the address in West Jordan. :o)
ReplyDeleteThree cheers for the gush-fest! I also love that quote by Dan and (god help me) will be tackling my writing career with gusto from here on out. Which all in all sucks for me since I already HAVE a full time job AND motherhood to grapple with only 24 hours in every day. Oh well, totally worth it to eventually "only" write, right?
ReplyDeleteoh, and... um... in the two cents category.... Can we PLEASE have a font color for links that doesn't make me want to cross my eyes and fall over dead? Pretty please?
ReplyDeleteHi Christa,
ReplyDeleteI feel it too. Good things ARE coming your way! I envy you your book clud. Sounds like so much fun!