I have been writing seriously since I was sixteen. Back then, I was convinced that I was going to become a published author and live the good life like JK Rowling (you know, before…). But then, I was bit by the acting and performing bug . I put my writing aside for the rest of high school to pursue acting and singing, wanting to make it in Hollywood one day. My first year of college, I gripped onto the idea of becoming an actress so tightly that it was eventually choked out. Soon after, my attention turned back to writing.
Life had sunken its claws of fear and dread for the future into me, though. Despite all my hopes and desires, I focused on ways to make a living. The entire world had managed to convince me that writing was not the way, so this steered me toward teaching. I could teach about writing, so at least that was something.
For the past five years, I have been a writing and English teacher. While this was fulfilling and meaningful to me, it always felt like something was missing. Despite how much I talked about writing and encouraged my students to become writers (several have gone on to write books or become journalists), I was not engaging in writing in my own life. I wasn’t walking all the talk I was doing in my classroom.
Feeling down about my job, I talked about options with my family. Then, I came to the conclusion to sit down and write a book that had been tumbling around in my head for more than a year. As soon as I allowed myself the freedom to start writing, I was able to finish a 130,000+ word manuscript in sixty days. Since then, the desire to make a career out of my writing has grown from a flickering ember to a roaring fire. I have decided to make it happen, once and for all.
My path will be different from what people expect writers to follow. I will be self-publishing my novel in September, almost exactly a year after first putting words down on the page for it. With the small amount of support and money I have for my projects, it will not be as great as it could be. But, don’t get me wrong, it will still be fantastic. With several more book ideas in mind and the newfound belief I have in my writing abilities, I plan to publish a book a year. Each book sell will help me fund improvements in my writing and grow my career.
Along with self-publishing, I will be be posting on this blog weekly (Friday mornings) and launching a YouTube channel in May about writing and literary analysis. On these platforms and my social media accounts, I will also be tracking my progress and explaining what I learn along the way in real time.
It will be a lot of work, but as it grows, it will become more substantial and efficient. One day, I know I will be able to make a living as a writer.
C. Sloan Lewis | Your Virtual Writing Coach 
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