Welcome to Charissa's Substack!
Welcome, and thanks for stopping by!
Here’s a little background on why I decided to start this Substack.
Fifteen years ago, I started writing again after a decade-long hiatus. To document the journey, I began my first blog on Blogger. It was called A Day in the Life of an Aspiring Writer. I soon learned from writers more seasoned than me that I was not aspiring. I was already a writer, I just had to claim the title.
That’s harder to do than you think! When people asked, I felt like I couldn’t say I was a writer because I was so new to the industry, and I wasn’t earning an income from my efforts. I wasn’t alone. Many people struggle to call themselves writers when they first begin.
So what did I do? I changed the title of my blog to A Day in the Life of an Aspiring Author. I really thought I was doing something there, haha.
Later, an older, more experienced writer told me: You realize that you’re not aspiring, yes? You’re already an author. You have penned stories. You may not be published yet, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t authored a work.
I honestly can’t recall what I did to my blog then. It’s been 15 years. All I know is that I realized how much I limit and discredit myself (something that’s still a battle, but one I fight), and a different mentality took root.
I gained a little bravery and stopped being scared to call myself a writer and author. I went to writer conventions, joined writing groups, took craft workshops, entered writing contests, and did many face-to-face pitch sessions with the most successful literary agents in the business. The training for my career as a publishing author began, and that first little blog helped get me where I am now.
So, I decided to call this Substack A Day in the Life of a Published Author as an homage to my past. I’ve come a very long way from the young woman who didn’t know where to begin.
This newsletter and substack will specifically focus on my journey as a published author. I will still talk about craft and offer insight for new writers, but the main focus will be what it’s like once a writer crosses the publication line and faces the industry and business side of things. I’ll talk about what I’m writing, what I want to write, self-publishing, traditional publishing, my process, the artistic/creative element, publishing news and updates, my health journey, travels, and more.
I’m excited to blog again! A writer’s brain is rarely empty, and blogging always helped me move through tough things, kind of like therapy. I’m not the notebook journaling type, but having the connection to readers via a blog always made me feel connected to a community that gets me, and that in itself is therapeutic for the soul.
I love my readers and am so thankful for the Rebel Reader community we’ve built. It’s still growing, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Thanks for coming along for the ride. I’m so glad you’re here.
~ Charissa
If you have questions or post topic suggestions, please leave them here. I will do my best to include them!
Thanks again, and please tell a few friends if you feel like it.