Author Audrey Gene – Today’s Q & A!

BG Mountain Studio’s second Q & A with an Alberta author is here! Today, we feature Audrey Gene, author of Of The Dragonfly. To find out more about Audrey Gene’s books, please visit www.audreygene.com.

1. How was the idea for ‘Of the Dragonfly’ begun?

When I sat down to write Of the Dragonfly, I didn’t actually have a story in mind. I gave myself a deadline of thirty days to complete the first draft and on my first day, I began by creating the main character, Evy. As I wrote about her struggles in her career and her personal life, she started to come alive and then I at least had a vision of who she was. As for the story, each day that I wrote, I never knew where it would go. I just surrendered to the process and let the story flow out of me. The beauty of the deadline was that it kept me committed and the momentum of the writing kept the story fresh. I am still amazed at how it all unfolded!

2. What is your favorite aspect of being a published author?

My favourite aspect is the people I get to meet and the events that I have been able to attend. I’ve been blessed to do many book signings and fundraisers, as well as I’ve been invited to be the guest of honour at book clubs and school presentations. I am very grateful for these opportunities.

3. What is your advice to authors-to-be currently going through the publishing or self-publishing process or those who would one day like to be published authors?

I am not an expert by any means, and I still have much to learn, but I would say to allow yourself to be human. Know when to stop and take a breath. As exciting as it is to have your hard work published, there will be times that will be tough. There is a lot of work that goes into this and there may be days when you wonder how much more you can take. I think this is normal. But there are many wonderful people out there that can help you. Be open to learning from other authors. They are your peers and know what you are going through. Be honest. Promote yourself with integrity and allow yourself to make mistakes. Writing can be tough, but it can be much worse if you don’t allow yourself to be human. Enjoy your accomplishments, accept your failures, and then put your feet up to breathe.

4. What have you learned from this experience that you will take forward with you?

I have learned so much, but one thing I’ll take forward is that we are not alone. Whether someone is an artist, writer, athlete, musician, or business owner, we all go through our own set of fears and doubts. We aren’t that different from each other. We work hard, we dream big, we celebrate the successes, and we crumble at the failures. But the hard work and dedication is what gets us to where we need to be. At times when I feel the pressure, I look to others to find strength. I try to learn from them because there’s a reason they’re successful. And not only do I surround myself with positive, supportive people, I also strive to be that person for someone else. There’s a world of people out there who can help us grow as individuals, and in knowing this, I feel anything is possible.

5. How do you tackle the promotion of your books and finding buyers?

The promotion side of being an author is very demanding, but it can be a lot of fun. I tackle it by taking it one day at a time and making every experience enjoyable. When I sign books at stores, or attend events, I go in knowing I have been blessed with these amazing opportunities. I don’t look at it as a chore, I look at it as another chance to meet wonderful people. I believe having a positive attitude attracts people, in turn, finding buyers just falls into place.