LIFE
B
eing a writer takes patience, planning, skill and creativity. It also takes courage; the courage to put your ideas and personality on the line to be dissected and scrutinized. In the days before the Internet, someone could read your book and you’d never know their thoughts unless you met them in person. Now, keyboard warriors empowered by anonymity are at the ready to hurl criticism and opinions about your accomplishments. For Autumn Doughton, 34, now a prolific novelist who e-publishes her books for tens of thousands of readers, the courage didn’t manifest itself until nearly a decade after she graduated college, got married, had children, and started a business. “I had always wanted to write stories when I was younger, but when I went to Auburn for college, I kind of panicked,” Autumn said. “Even though it’s [writing] what I wanted, it felt like a dream and I needed a job.” It wasn’t just practicality that impeded Autumn’s dream, it was fear, too. How can you write for a living if you’re too afraid to let anyone read your work? It was a question she was desperately trying to answer while in search of a way to support herself.
"I had always wanted to write stories when I was younger... Even though it's what I wanted, it felt like a dream and I needed a job." TheVillageJournal.com | 45