I recently read a blog post by Kristen Lamb
It made me shout out OOHYA and do a fist pump.
The Topic of Her Blog?
Good Girls Don’t Become Best-Sellers—Channeling Your Inner “Bad Girl” to Reach Your Dreams.
Among the many lessons in this post, she discusses how we can unlearn behavior lessons passed down to us over the years and learn from watching how men do business. One of the many ways I admire Kristen Lamb is that she’s not afraid to tackle controversial topics and tell it like it is. I personally needed this reminder of what I was like when I started on this journey. I was gutsy and determined.
Least you misunderstand my intent here, I’m not advocating masculinity over femininity. Let me explain. I have a dear female friend who is a highly successful author. She is at all times a LADY in speech and action. She is regal and commands your attention, without so much as a harsh word. Yet, when she discovered that her publisher didn’t have her best interest at heart, she took it upon herself to hire an attorney, get back the rights to all her books, educate herself on how to successfully independently publish and market her work – Globally. That’s the kind of strong, gutsy woman I’m talking about!
Perhaps having spent years working as a lone female in a male-dominated business environment, and being successful, has helped me understand how to use my strengths to advantage. And, I will tell you that running my own company as a woman makes me keenly aware of this facet of the business world. But if you want to be a professional author and make money with your books, well then you are talking about running a business. If not—it’s a hobby—not that there’s anything wrong with that. But you do need to know which avenue you are pursuing.
Here’s an example of the honest content in Kristen’s blog:
When it comes to writing, the second a man even starts a novel, he has business cards with “Author” as his title and he is securing a website. Women, on the other hand? Let’s pause that thought for a little test.
How many of you are aspiring writers? Raise your hand. No one will see.
Now, use that hand to smack yourself soundly and never call yourself that again.
Writers write. There is no try. There is no aspire. Aspiring is for wimps. It takes guts and blood to be a writer.
No one will take us seriously unless we do it first.
Yeah – Kristen doesn’t pull any punches!
So, Kristen asks if you see yourself in any of these scenarios?
Are you scared to admit you have a dream?
Do you call yourself an aspiring writer?
Do you find it difficult to admit you want something? To claim a certain life?
Do you tweet as @fairywriter or @ILuvBooks or @dragongirl instead of your real name?
Have you ever said, “Well I tried and that’s all that counts.” ?
Do you believe it is unbecoming to brag?
Are you afraid to start a blog?
Do you feel selfish that you want to write?
Do you put everyone and everything ahead of your writing?
Are you afraid of failure?
Are you afraid to ask for what you want?
If you answered, “Yes” to even ONE of these, read Kristen’s blog!
Good Girls Don’t Become Best-Sellers—Channeling Your Inner “Bad Girl” to Reach Your Dreams.
I would love to hear back from you regarding this topic. Do you agree? Disagree? Did you find it helpful? How are you going to be a stronger woman writer?
Being outside in nature is the most basic part of who I am. Besides gaining knowledge about wildlife, I learn lessons about who I am, and surprise myself about what I am capable of achieving. Nature continually inspires me. It is a part of all my writings, no matter the genre or subject matter. 
I started calling myself a writer (complete with business cards) early on after my career change. Starting to believe it took a little longer, but I’m grateful I didn’t hesitate, nor cringe too much when I created a Facebook Author page. I may not be published yet, but that’s merely the next stop on my journey.
Awesome! I love it that you are owning it and following your dream. When I reread this today it reminded me of when I first started out. I was gutsy and determined to succeed. I still am. Writing and publishing is a hard road. Attitude makes all the difference. Thanks for reading, and sharing your experience! Write On! <3
Yes!!!! Thanks for posting, Indy!
Thanks Diane! :0)
Delighted you’ve re-posted this valuable blog post, Indy. We all need to be reminded that courage is necessary when we pursue our dreams. This journey can make one feel somewhat isolated, but we’re not alone. We have an amazing community of Indie writers from whom we can gain inspiration and strength. Hugs, LT 🙂
Thank you, Laura. I agree that the Indie writing community is amazing. It never fails to amaze me with its support and willingness to share information and experiences.
Loved your validating post, Indy! You’ve captured the essence of Good Girls Don’t Become Best Sellers from Kristen Lamb. We’re all finding our courage as writers, and the fact that we do it within a mutually supportive and strengthening community does nothing but empower us all to set aside our fears and brave this new world!
As always, thank you! 🙂 LT
Thank YOU, Laura! You are always my inspiration. You have no idea how many times I think WWLD (What Would Laura Do) when I’m making a writing decision…including how to share this blog! :0)
Interesting blog, Indy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the link to Lamb’s blog. Much of it resonates with me. Now, I’m all fired up!
Cool, Suad! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Yeah, it fired me up as well. :0)