Hello, my very own blog!

So for as long as I can remember, my primary hobbies incorporated one of two things: reading or writing. I've always known that I wanted to be a writer. And I've always known that I am a writer. I mean, that's what I do, right? But I've never been officially given that title. No one has ever handed me a name tag that says, "Belle Malory, Writer", and yet I've been writing my entire life. For anyone wondering, my name tag actually reads, "Belle Malory, E-communications Specialist". It's a fancy title for "She writes boring stuff for real money". Truth be told, I want the other name tag, even if it's just a metaphor.

In the past, I'd write the beginnings of stories and would never finish them, only dreaming of ever seeing my books in print. I kept putting it off, over and over again. "One day..." I would say to myself. After all, it would be too hard right now. I work full-time, go to school, etc. But something clicked inside my head this past January. I told myself I was going to buckle down and publish a book- this year. I declared my New Years resolution and was determined to see it through. My entire work ethic changed. And amazingly, I finished Wanderlove. And I'm very, very proud of it.

So why self-publish, you ask? Simply put, because I want to share my stories with anyone who will read them. I don't want to waste all the time it takes to find that perfect agent or perfect publishing house. I don't want to wait years before I see anything in print. I want to do it now. I want my words to mean something to someone who doesn’t know me. Sure, it would be nice if I can eventually make an income that way. And I'm not going to lie, it would be an absolute fairy tale to be traditionally published and to see my books in an actual store. But until then, I'll settle for just one person who likes something I've written. It would seriously be the most incredible thing in the world.

Belle

Motivational quote of the day:

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him" - Buddha. (The Secret)