So happy you’ve found my little corner of the web because you must be a fellow author.
And you are probably seeking help for your craft.
If you don’t find the help you need on this site, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m quite sure there’s a way for me to help you.
If you’d like to know a bit more about me before you decide whether I’m your woman, let me introduce myself.
Stories definitely can change lives. I know this because it happened to me. Several times.
It was one of such changes that made me an author.
Like all stories worth their salt, it all started with a children’s ‘trauma’.
When I was a kid, I was scared of darkness. I was so afraid that I never fell asleep with the light off. Always, my mum would switch it off after I fell asleep. I feared that if I switched off the light myself, terrible creatures would arise from the floor or around the corners.
One day, my teacher gave us a short story to read aloud. Because I was one of the best readers, she asked me to read the first few paragraphs. I stopped reading aloud when the teacher called for another kid to go on, but I didn’t let them slow me down. Alone, I read ahead faster than they did.
I needed to know how the story finished.
You see, it had been written for me.
It was about a kid who was afraid of darkness. He would never sleep with the light off.
But one night, his bulb busted, and he found himself in the darkness.
A supernatural being did appear.
A night in shining armour on a magical horse!
The kid was amazed, especially when the knight invited him on his horse. They flew away in the sky to discover beautiful, magical places the kid had never imagined. When dawn approached, the knight brought the kid back to his little bedroom.
“Will I ever see those places or you again?” asked the kid.
“Yes, every time you’ll switch off the light.”
That night, I switched off my light and never needed my mum to do it again.
Of course, I didn’t know it back then, but I had just discovered the power of stories. That magical power they possess to become part of you and change what’s inside you in a better way.
Yet, even if I could not articulate it, I think I knew it on a deeper level because of what happened next.
That same year, my teacher, who was a lover of stories, read us the book of a fellow teacher. It was about a magical wood threatened to be destroyed by a dark wizard. The teacher had assigned a character to each of her kids and that kid was in charge of the actions and dialogue of that particular character (basically, roleplaying).
I was smitten!
These children my age had written a a story? A story that not only was magical in itself but had magic in it, with dark wizards, and talking animals and silvery rivers!
If they could, maybe I could too!
Mimicking that story I loved, I wrote my first.
And then the second.
And then another… and then… and then…
How long does it take to learn the storytelling craft?
I’ll be very transparent here: forever.
I’m not done yet!
If you think it’s scary and depressing, try to look it from a different perspective. Think of a journey that never ends. Every new stop is a discovery. Even if you journey your entire life, you’ll never be in the exact same place again.
How does this make you feel?
Don’t be afraid to tap into your emotions because they are such an important part of the relationship between you and your stories.
Some authors prefer to have control over the story. They like to plan everything up, have a very strict blueprint, and go about promoting their stories in the same way. They will have a very precise publishing schedule and will build their stories and series methodically.
I’ll be honest, this is a very effective way to build a writing business. If you want to build an income fast, this is the best way.
If that’s your main goal, I’m afraid this is not the best place for you, and I’ll encourage you to seek a coach who practices and teaches this specific writing journey.
Now, I do believe that we all can find our road to success, I just prefer to focus on impact rather than efficiency.
I don’t mind waiting a bit longer and experimenting a bit more if I can then write stories that carry children out of fear and adults out of doubts and insecurity.
I want to be the author who will charm kids to switch off the lights by themselves that first time.
These stories require more than efficiency, and I’ll be happy to help you on your discovery journey if this is what you are after.
For me, the short answer is: yes. Definitely.
I do believe that talent exists – but it’s very rare. I believe that many of us have a gift for stories. Yet even talented or gifted people won’t go very far if they don’t commit themselves to learning the craft.
Storytelling is a mix of characteristics we naturally possess and skills we willingly learn.
The ratios are different for every author, but you will never write a story that will keep readers awake at night or have them carry your book around in the hope of finding 10 minutes for a few more pages if you totally lack one of the two.
Of course, nobody can change what you naturally possess, but you can definitely find someone who will help you develop your mastery of the storytelling craft.
If you think we are a good match, do send me a message and let’s talk.
