I'm writing a book!!!!

I finally decided to do it!!! After much encouragement from friends, family, and co-workers. After thinking and re-thinking and asking God.. what could I do?? I finally decided to write my book!!! Yay!!! Go Me!! Yes, I, StacyAustralia finally decided to write her book.

Me..Duh!! That's my "Joan hair" (Tracee Ellis Ross)

I know a lot of you may be thinking; "What will her book be about?" That is one of the things that stalled my process. I have been writing since I was a child. I always wanted to be a writer and wrote several short stories as a child. As I grew older, I began writing poems, keeping journals, and raps (Yes, I wanted to be a rapper. I wanted to be the first female rapper on Cash Money Records).

Over the years I have played around with various things. I am not really into fiction. I feel a lot of  fiction books (especially African American fiction) is the same storyline over and over. I am an avid reader so a lot of these books I read when I was in high school. For instance the author Zane. I read her book Addicted for the first time when I was 17. I was shocked and amazed because I was so young and I was not prepared for that. Blew my mind!!! Now everyone is on Zane. I read Eric Jerome Dickey, Omar Tyree, Mary B. Morrison, E. Lynn Harris and so many others when I was a teen. Reading them now doesn't stimulate me. I have read so many books that I can basically predict what is going to happen and how. I started stepping out of the fiction zone when I was in high school when I began reading the Chicken Soup series and Iyanla Vanzant. I really began stepping outside the fiction zone when I entered college and began reading memoirs/autobiographies, business books, feminist theorists (even though I do not claim to be a feminist), race, gender, sexuality books (hence my goal to  pursue a PhD in Sociology- this stuff fascinates me). I started reading non-fiction and it's my favorite.

As I considered writing my book, I did not know how I could be different as a fiction writer. I did not see anything my characters could do that other authors characters haven't done before. I wanted my book to be something empowering, something uplifting, something that you could actually learn from and apply it to your everyday life. Then I started narrowing things down a little more.. Hmmm, what population do you want to target? I really did not know. I just wanted to write (Mama, I just want to sing). I thought about it more and more and I knew I wanted to do something for young girls/women. I decided I want to write some type of empowerment book. It will be different "lessons" I have learned in my 27 years. Each "lesson" will be accompanied with a personal story.

I plan on talking about sex, love, relationships, friendships, life, and family. Yall I get's raw, so if there is something you wanted to know about me... I am putting my business out there as I tell these stories and tie them in with the lessons. I have already completed 2 stories and have a lot more to go. There have been several things I attempted to write but it was just to hard. I have a lot of things that occurred in my life that I still have not dealt with. As a social worker, I am pretty sure a lot of the decisions and choices I have made in my life ties back to things that have occurred earlier. Some sad things have happened. Some things I never wanted to remember, talk about, yet alone write about but I am doing it.

I plan for my book to be an open letter to young sistas. Letting these young girls know, they are not alone. There will be things you will encounter in your life but you will be able to get through them. Been there, done that. Being a teenage girl is hard. Being a college age girl is hard. Shoot, being a grown woman is hard!!!

I just feel, I really need to do this. There are some young women who feel like there is no hope. They watch these videos and listen to these songs but yet still feel empty. I do not want these young girls to feel that way. There have been too many incidents of suicide and attempted suicide in the media and in my personal life for me to allow someone else to take their lives because they feel lonely.

I write this book for all those young girls who need something to hold on to. The young girls who need hope, need encouragement, need love.

I am excited!! I do not know how it will go or what will developed but my goal is to have the manuscript completed by next summer and have the book ready to purchase by the end of next year.

My writing style? I sit down and let the words flow. Once I get everything down I need to get I will go back and revise (change names) etc. I will definitely keep you updated on my progress through this blog. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy my book when it comes out!!!

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