The Next Level

So perhaps I have made it to the next level as a writer. At the 2011 Writer’s Digest Conference, a couple of the speakers talked about how the attendees, by virtue of the knowledge and experience they gained by attending, had taken a step to the next level. It got me thinking….so what exactly does it mean in the field of writing to be at the next level?

Is it the pervasive feeling I am in way over my head? That the business of writing is nothing like I imagined it to be? That perhaps I should forget the whole thing and focus on all the things I already have accomplished?

Then it hit me. I needed to do what I have done for the majority of my professional life. I needed a plan.

Yes, I said it. I needed to give up the fantasy that I would sit at my computer, type out the cacophony of thoughts and ideas percolating in my mind, and someone in the publishing industry would recognize their brilliance and pay handsomely for them. The reality, writing is a business and so, success would require the same approach as any business would. This blog and website represent one of the first steps of my plan to explore the writing industry.

Perhaps the next level is a recognition it is time to embark on a journey that will take me places I never expected to go. At the conference, a constant theme was the need to develop a “platform”. I made a commitment to invest in my writing career by developing a website which can be used as my platform. I am thrilled at the fact that as I write this it represents completion of one of the first major goals of my plan.

Even though I feel as if I am on this journey alone, I know there are many others on a similar one. As I was developing the idea of the website, it came to me to integrate the other areas of my life into my writing. Since part of my “full-time job” involves teaching, I decided a major theme of this site will be to chronicle all that I have learned about the writing industry as I go through it. My hope is that other beginning writers can benefit from the experiences and knowledge that ultimately will be the content of this site. I am excited to hear from others so please feel free to help by letting me know what you like, dislike, would like to see, and even contribute actual content.

So…perhaps I really have reached the next level. Not only have I developed a basic business plan to launch my writing career but I am beginning to meet some of the concrete goals I have set for myself. The funny thing is, typing this statement is not as painful as I thought it would be! It doesn’t mean I have given up the fantasy of my creative genius being recognized and sought, it means I am a step closer.

Next up: Other aspects of “The Plan…”