My Values As A Writer

Seeing the wood through the trees

A strong value system can serve as an anchor in the unpredictable sea of life.

Taking time to identify and understand my own values at pivotal points in my life has been an invaluable guide, helping me to navigate the overwhelming number of choices, opinions and requests which would otherwise leave me feeling at the mercy of the world. Knowing what my values are helps me to remain intentional in my decision-making. It means I now act from a place of alignment not confusion and that, ultimately, I’m building a life I truly want.

I remember the first time I sat down and thought about my own values. In my late twenties at the time, I thought that I was making day to day choices that reflected what was important to me. But, holding my reality up to my values, I soon realised that that the things I was prioritising were not in alignment at all. That process of understanding what I really stood for helped me embark on a journey to turn things around, to better understand myself and to be more intentional with my life. Things are wholly different now and, naturally, my values have shifted with time. So, as I embark on yet another new journey—this time into the world of self-publishing—I’m delving into what my values are as a writer, and what living in alignment means to me now.

Courage

If there’s one thing I’m digging deep to find right now, it’s courage.

Branching out, taking a risk, being the first to stick my hand up or speak out are not new things to me, it has to be said. But imposter syndrome is a bitch and so is fear. There is something uniquely terrifying and vulnerable about writing a book and then handing that book over to the world to judge and critique. Or, even worse, to not notice at all.

When I look back over the last couple of years, I can see that self-publishing is not the first time I have had to draw on my courage to make this dream happen. In fact, every step of the process has required it. It took courage to pick up my pen and write those first few tentative paragraphs; it took courage to keep on picking that pen up. It took courage to decide to turn those scribbles into something bigger and to stick with my story through the countless hours of writing, editing and proofreading. It took a tremendous amount of courage to begin to call myself a writer, and then an author, and then to ask someone to read my words for the first time. And now the time has come to bring all of that work to fruition and to fall back on that courage once more.

Courage is a value that has brought me so far in my life. My promise to myself is that I will continue to choose it over fear. That I will continue to dig deep, to write what needs to be written—even the hard stuff—and to put my work out there regardless of whether it is loved, hated or completely ignored. That I will choose my art, and keep choosing my art. That I will keep on trusting the unknown thing that has been tugging me along this path, to foray into an unknown world and to simply take a chance.

Dedication

It’s not always easy to write and for many, many years I didn’t. Even now, with one book under my belt and a second in progress, it can be hard to prioritise writing around running a house, taking care of a family and working most of the week. Then between seeing friends, exercise, resting and all the other things competing for attention, it can be difficult to make time to write, even when the lack of it makes me feel like a pot boiling over.

Even though I have been back to writing for a few years now, I am right at the very start of my self-publishing journey. It’s exciting (and a little nauseating) but it also often feels like an uphill climb. I’m not making any money, in fact, I’m spending money. I’m learning from scratch how to prepare a book for publication whilst also trying to become a reasonably competent editor, designer, marketer and content creator. I would say that it would be incredibly easy to give up, but that wouldn’t be the truth. It wouldn’t be easy to give up because this feels like something I have to do. What would be easy though, would be to procrastinate on this work for so long that it eventually fizzles out. And that is not an option I even want to entertain.

The truth is, I have no idea where this journey will lead but I do know that the only fair way to find out is through complete dedication to the process. No half-arsing. Through deciding that no matter how hard it gets, I will show up each day and keep pushing forward in big ways and in small ways to make the dream a reality.

Integrity

I’d be lying if I said I had never daydreamed about making money from my books or seeing my name on a bestseller list. When I first decided I was writing a book that I intended to publish, I most certainly did have these thoughts—hello, ego! And yet, one of the reasons I’m glad that my debut novel has taken a long time to come to fruition is that it has given me the opportunity to work through these thoughts, and to get a few things straight.

Success, in society’s usual understanding of the word, may or may not come along—and, I now know, that it doesn’t matter either way. I return to the knowledge that I write because I have to, because I want to, and because I love it. The joy is in the process of bringing a story and its characters to life. Nobody else has to validate, buy or enjoy my work for me to experience that (how fortunate) and nobody can take that joy away by not liking or buying my work (how wonderful).

So, in terms of integrity, here’s what is important to me… To write from the heart, being true to myself no matter whether I think that will be popular or how much I think it will sell; resisting the pressure to be like anyone else. To write because I have to, because it is a calling and not as a way to try to garner money or validation. To be led by the work, rather than forcing it to happen. To try to hold the old ego in check. To accept that my work will not be everyone’s cup of tea but to remain honest and whole rather than forcing myself into a niche or a brand. And to always, always try to remember the sacred joy of the creative process in and of itself.

I hope this has inspired you to have a think about your own values and how your daily life stacks up against them—you may just be surprised by what you find!

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Amy

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