Omygoodness it’s that time already?? I remember reading the Debutante Ball all of last year, waiting and waiting for that application window to open. I love writing about writing, about process, about story and worldbuilding and characters and other books. I also wanted a regular, dependable outlet during all the Crazy Wot Is Debut Year, and an opportunity to meet other authors in a similar place.
I was thrilled beyond belief when I found out I’d been chosen for the next class. And reader: my expectations have held up over the year. I did indeed get to write about all things Writing, I got to geek out about story and craft, I got to yell about other authors, and I got to meet a ton more.
But foremost and most importantly, I had a haven here in all the stormy chaos. I knew, no matter what else was going on, that I’d have a topic to write about and a place I needed to be. When I was feeling especially down during some of those debut months, when it felt like I could just close my mouth, still my fingers, stop talking and simply disappear without anyone noticing, I still had to show up here. As much as I felt that I wanted to, I couldn’t just up and disappear. I couldn’t abandon my Debs.
Which might sound terrible to you, but as a person with depression and anxiety, it was a lifeline. Someone, somewhere, was waiting for me to write, even if it was just my fellow Debs. And sometimes, that’s all we need to keep going.
Sure, there were some blogposts I phoned in. But more importantly, there were the blog posts I didn’t want to write, but when I did, ended up being some of my very favorites. And there were the blog posts that I looked forward to for months and when they came, were an absolute blast. It wasn’t always easy, but anything worth doing isn’t going to be easy.
And there were the books of my fellow Debs, astounding and heart-wrenching and gorgeous beyond description. I’ll be the first to admit that without this blog, I wouldn’t have read their books. But I’m so glad I did, and I’m glad I got to read their blogposts too over this last year. Their perspectives and words and views have expanded my own for the better.
I’m grateful for my fellow Debs, of this class and the classes before, and the Debutante Ball.
I hope you can be a part of this tradition, too.
Are you a female or non-binary author with a debut novel coming out between September 2019 and August 2020?
