I’ve been asked a few times about who built my website, and when I share that I created it myself, the follow-up question is often not about the technical aspects of how it was built, but rather how I developed the vision, the idea, and the overall theme behind it.
When it comes to writing, this isn’t my first serious attempt and becoming published. Realistically, this will be my third serious attempt. I have two completed manuscripts, I’ve researched and queried agents in the past. I have a healthy collection of rejections, some even personalized! I’ve been asked to submit a few chapters even but have never made it past that point.
With each experience, I become more adept at defining myself as a writer and clarifying my goals as a storyteller. These challenges aren’t wasted efforts; they’re opportunities for me to learn, grow, and refine my voice and vision.
I spent a couple of years in a soulless job with a gaslighting boss—a woman who has a beloved public persona but, behind the scenes, is far from nice. After leaving that job, I stepped away from writing altogether, but 2024 marked a turning point for me; my goal became to write again—this time for myself.
Before sketching out ideas for my novel, I took a step back to reflect on what truly made me happy as both a reader and a writer. I asked myself what captivated my attention, what hooked me, and what I wanted to share with the world.
With those answers, I gained clarity on the direction I wanted to take as a writer and began to shape my identity as an author. I envisioned the colors to embrace, the emotions to evoke, and the values to infuse into my stories.
From there, I created a mood board and started developing my website. I crafted my mission statement, established my values, and refined my tagline, all of which helped me define who I am as an author and translate that vision into my online presence.
I love getting to know people from their websites, and I wanted people to have that same experience on my site. So, there’s a lot about me, things I like, things that drive me forward, books and quotes that have inspired me. It’s also for agents to see who I am, to get an idea of the kind of person they’d be working with as well. I’m organized, calm, but thorough, and I try to get the job done. Oh, and I love my darn animals and family is paramount!