ok, so i'm a writer: i'm a PUBLISHED author!

this post is a little late, but friday, may 1st, was a BIG day. it's a day i'll never forget. it's the day i became a published author. no, nothing happened, i didn't become an "overnight success" or bestseller. there were no cakes or star-shaped cookies (although i do intend on making some soon just for fun).

but friday was different, alright. it was a mental difference.

if you've read my blog for any length of time, you know this has been a for-real journey. it's been a fast roller-coaster, a slow roller-coaster, a hurry up and wait coaster. it's been a stuck coaster.

i started writing my first manuscript in the summer of 2011 when i lived in california and had just gotten off tour. we moved from west hollywood to santa monica ten days after i rolled off the bus and once we were finally in one spot long enough to breathe,  i felt the urge to do something outside music. on tour, leading up to tour, recording the album, music is the only thing you're able to think about. it's not a 9 to 5. it's a 24/7 lifestyle.

it started with an idea for a song i think...anyway, all i know is that i remember thinking wait, that's not a song idea. it would take too long to get to the point. that's more like a character in a book...more like a chapter in a novel.

writing a novel was some lofty goal i'd always dreamed about. keyword: dreamed. it's something you never actually think you can do. i mean, i hated to write papers in high school and college. and the idea of writing hundreds of pages was not something i could see myself doing.

but just having the idea was enough for me to not care so much about the page count. that said, if you get an idea...just freakin' start writing. see where it goes. it might take you years, it might take you a few months. you may hate it, OR you just might finish that manuscript and get an even better idea in the process. (that's what happened to me)

that first book has been shelved for now, but not because i don't like it anymore. it's just not the right timing with falling stars and the sequel. but the best thing about books? there's no expiration date! same thing with authors. age works FOR you in this business!

anyway, this post isn't about me getting some big, amazing news. it's about the late night edits, the sheer amount of edits, my faithful early readers and their honest feedback, the songs written, the belief by so many people in my life that this was actually going to happen even when there was no proof, the odd jobs, the second jobs, the hand cramps, the tendonitis for goodness sake, the amount of journals and sketchbooks and pens i purchased. it was all so worth it and then some.

for all the days i was not a published author, now i am. and it feels cool, i'm not going to lie:)

if you're an aspiring author...i hope this pushes you to keep going. like i said, it's so worth it!

love, ashlyne