It’s interesting to think that this little series covering what makes me tick as an author has stretched from mid-February through to the end of April. I know there were a few missed weeks (bad author, no treat), but overall the experience has been very enjoyable and eye opening.
It’s a very curious sensation to actually sit down and categorize the things that you value in your life and career. I think that anybody in any profession could benefit from just making some of the simple lists and articles I assembled, taking stock of what motivates them, what helps them creatively, and even what pitfalls they recognize and can avoid. We’re complicated beings hurtling through this life at a breakneck pace, and technology is only increasing that speed. Being able to sit back and recognize your own inner workings is absolutely invaluable.
Some of the articles posted came naturally to me, as I think they would to most people. Picking your top five movies, books, or games may seem a bit challenging because the area to cover is so broad, but when you realize it’s just a list that you’re free to change, you suddenly feel free to delve deep and explore, as well as share your insights with others so that they can come to better know you and glean a little bit about your work, whether that’s writing or something else. It puts the author into the work, two pieces that are usually held apart, and makes for a more holistic experience.
Other articles, naturally, provided more of a challenge. Reflecting back, the article on defining my values was probably the most challenging to write, as putting your entire life philosophy into a simple, 1,000 word framework is, well, not so simple. It’s made worse by the fact that blueprinting your values is not something done very often, if at all. It’s a challenge I would put forward to anyone, even if it’s just a cursory list of floating ideas. Saying you stand for truth, respect, and honor is still far and ahead of just saying you don’t know if you even stand for anything. It puts some punch behind your words, lends them authority, and offers some intent and direction.
Speaking of intent and direction, writing these articles has reminded me of the importance of how to present a topic, something that was drilled to me in grade school and college and then promptly forgotten when I decided to write novels. Maybe not forgotten, but certainly not emphasized as much as it should have been. As a result, I feel that my writing has improved in both content, presentation, and efficiency. Being able to structure your thoughts, even loosely, will speed up your writing so you spend less time picking your brain and more time putting down well developed points.
Seeing as this is the outro, I do want to say I’ve greatly enjoyed this series, and hope that my readers have as well. The information put out on websites, at the end of ebooks, and inside book jackets is usually so sparse. As a reader, I very often want to know much more about the creator of my favorite series or novel, and I hope that I gave a little bit of that insight here. If there’s something I missed that you desperately wanted me to cover, please drop a line in the comments or fire off an email using the contact button at the top of the page. I’d also recommend hitting the Twitter button as well, as I’m quite active in that community, posting articles on many interests, as well as pertinent news stories that I feel we should all be aware of. Tweets run the gamut from travel scenery, to cars, to articles on nanotechnology and cybersecurity, with a little bit of war and politics thrown in just to make people nervous. War, of course, being politics by other means.
Lastly, even though I missed last week, I am still now posting new blog entries on both Monday and Wednesday so that I can bring you all more original content and hopefully delve deeper into topics of relevance to my novels, exciting topics in science and technology such as the evolution of prostheses to cybernetics. I’ll also continue to compose articles on the method and madness of writing, sharing my insights and experiences to help other aspiring authors, as well as to exchange ideas with authors that are already published.
So a relatively short goodbye, but back again on Wednesday for something fresh. If you haven’t had a chance to read through the entire ‘Meet the Author’ series, I would say now would be a good time, with the takeaway being that you get to learn more about me and also think about your own flavor of life. As for this Wednesday, I hope you’re looking forward to reading my new entry as much as I look forward to writing it. Until then, thanks again for your interest and support.
A.C. Harrison
Like what you see here? Spread the word and support indie authors! Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Find me on Smashwords and Kindlemojo.
It’s a very curious sensation to actually sit down and categorize the things that you value in your life and career. I think that anybody in any profession could benefit from just making some of the simple lists and articles I assembled, taking stock of what motivates them, what helps them creatively, and even what pitfalls they recognize and can avoid. We’re complicated beings hurtling through this life at a breakneck pace, and technology is only increasing that speed. Being able to sit back and recognize your own inner workings is absolutely invaluable.
Some of the articles posted came naturally to me, as I think they would to most people. Picking your top five movies, books, or games may seem a bit challenging because the area to cover is so broad, but when you realize it’s just a list that you’re free to change, you suddenly feel free to delve deep and explore, as well as share your insights with others so that they can come to better know you and glean a little bit about your work, whether that’s writing or something else. It puts the author into the work, two pieces that are usually held apart, and makes for a more holistic experience.
Other articles, naturally, provided more of a challenge. Reflecting back, the article on defining my values was probably the most challenging to write, as putting your entire life philosophy into a simple, 1,000 word framework is, well, not so simple. It’s made worse by the fact that blueprinting your values is not something done very often, if at all. It’s a challenge I would put forward to anyone, even if it’s just a cursory list of floating ideas. Saying you stand for truth, respect, and honor is still far and ahead of just saying you don’t know if you even stand for anything. It puts some punch behind your words, lends them authority, and offers some intent and direction.
Speaking of intent and direction, writing these articles has reminded me of the importance of how to present a topic, something that was drilled to me in grade school and college and then promptly forgotten when I decided to write novels. Maybe not forgotten, but certainly not emphasized as much as it should have been. As a result, I feel that my writing has improved in both content, presentation, and efficiency. Being able to structure your thoughts, even loosely, will speed up your writing so you spend less time picking your brain and more time putting down well developed points.
Seeing as this is the outro, I do want to say I’ve greatly enjoyed this series, and hope that my readers have as well. The information put out on websites, at the end of ebooks, and inside book jackets is usually so sparse. As a reader, I very often want to know much more about the creator of my favorite series or novel, and I hope that I gave a little bit of that insight here. If there’s something I missed that you desperately wanted me to cover, please drop a line in the comments or fire off an email using the contact button at the top of the page. I’d also recommend hitting the Twitter button as well, as I’m quite active in that community, posting articles on many interests, as well as pertinent news stories that I feel we should all be aware of. Tweets run the gamut from travel scenery, to cars, to articles on nanotechnology and cybersecurity, with a little bit of war and politics thrown in just to make people nervous. War, of course, being politics by other means.
Lastly, even though I missed last week, I am still now posting new blog entries on both Monday and Wednesday so that I can bring you all more original content and hopefully delve deeper into topics of relevance to my novels, exciting topics in science and technology such as the evolution of prostheses to cybernetics. I’ll also continue to compose articles on the method and madness of writing, sharing my insights and experiences to help other aspiring authors, as well as to exchange ideas with authors that are already published.
So a relatively short goodbye, but back again on Wednesday for something fresh. If you haven’t had a chance to read through the entire ‘Meet the Author’ series, I would say now would be a good time, with the takeaway being that you get to learn more about me and also think about your own flavor of life. As for this Wednesday, I hope you’re looking forward to reading my new entry as much as I look forward to writing it. Until then, thanks again for your interest and support.
A.C. Harrison
Like what you see here? Spread the word and support indie authors! Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Find me on Smashwords and Kindlemojo.
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