ABOUT

MY STORY

I began writing stories from a young age. Writing was an important outlet to me - it let me get anything off my chest through story. It allowed me to explore different things and experiences through my characters. It provided me an escape on days things felt rough.

I viewed the idea of writing my own novel as a “someday” goal. But I also knew myself - I procrastinate, I get overwhelmed, I start things and don’t finish. I began to wonder if I would ever get around to it. I had a story growing in my mind that I couldn’t stop thinking about. Sometimes at work I would take a notepad and start writing. Random scenes, partial dialogue, sometimes just notes. I remember bringing these scraps of paper home and joining them with the other pages I already had. The story began to take shape, and I had a feeling it was pretty good. 

I began to think, why wait until someday? Will my life ever really slow down or get less busy? Would I wait until my kids went to college or when I retired? What if at that point I think "What’s the point now? It’s too late.”

I decided to write the story now. With my mother’s birthday coming up, I set an ambitious goal of self-publishing the book on Amazon and presenting it to my mom as a birthday gift. She always believed I had it in me to become an author.

I set out to get it done. I knew, with my procrastinating personality, I needed to set specific deadlines. Deadlines broken up into smaller, manageable milestones. I wrote with intention. I knew what I was going to write about before I sat down to write it. I gave up watching TV at night. It soon became addicting to see my story come to life on my computer screen. I was invested in my characters and wanted to see them go through their journeys as quickly as I could.

Without a set deadline, I would have fallen into the trap of revising and editing over and over, forever finding things to fix or change. But I forced myself to get the whole story out, and type “The End.” Typing “The End”, as trivial as it sounds, really motivated me. It was a major milestone and served as a glimpse of the finish line. It also cemented the overall storyline.

After “The End” it was easy to go back and read through the story to make sure everything flowed and made sense. I was free to make my edits and revisions, but I made sure any changes or additions aligned with the overall storyline and ending.

I edited the book myself (my first mistake of many), paid someone on Fiverr to format my Word document into Kindle formatting and design a cover, and self-published the book on Amazon. At this point, I still hadn’t told anyone besides my husband and my mom. I even published my book under a pen name (Mila Oliver - the first names of my two kids!) to remain anonymous. I was far too fearful of what people would think of my book.

Before long, people started buying, reading, and even reviewing my book. And by people, I mean strangers. I was shocked. And as someone who was filled with self-doubt, I was even more surprised to discover how many readers liked it. It was a dream come true, knowing people around the world were reading and feeling my words, staying up at night because they were so invested in my character’s journey, having reactions and responses (whether positive or negative) to a story I created in my mind.

Fast-forward less than three years and my book has sold over 5,800 copies, 2.1 million KENP (Kindle Unlimited pages) read, and even hit a category best seller rank on Amazon.

I made a lot of mistakes along the way. I wish I knew then what I know now. I wish I had some help along the way. I wish I had the confidence, the tactics, and the strategies I have now.

So, if any part of my story resonates with you, I hope it brings you motivation. I hope this is your year to finally follow your dream and write your novel.