Meet Emily R. Bellas

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emily R. Bellas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Emily R., so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I can’t, in good conscience, say that I have overcome imposter syndrome. Truthfully, the feeling changes day to day. One minute, I’m on top of my game, feeling like the writing world is mine to take on. The next minute, I read a bad review of one of my books, and it makes it want to give up on writing altogether. Since I didn’t go to school for creative writing, sometimes it makes me feel like I am an imposter. Who am I to just write novels with no formal training or experience? How dare I even think I can compete on the same level as those Big Five published authors? But on the other hand, I try to remind myself that books are subjective. Opinions differ from person to person. Someone who loves thriller authors like Lisa Jewel might hate my stories but readers who love Emily Henry might love my books! It all depends on the reader and that’s what this is all about. I write books for people who want to read them. And reminding myself of that fact is how I overcome imposter syndrome…today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

By day, I am a New York City public school teacher and by afternoon, I’m an indie romance author. While these may seem like very different occupations, they are, in many ways, very similar. At school, I am Ms. Bellas-6th grade math teacher. I worry about teaching strategies, student growth and overall lesson planning and preparation. When I come home, I switch to Emily R. Bellas, indie author. I worry about social media marketing strategies, book sale growth and manuscript planning and preparation. Both of these jobs are demanding, rewarding, and inspiring. Both jobs require my full attention and luckily, I have the time in my day to give it.

While in some ways these jobs are quite similar, they are also painfully different. However, I’m pretty good at compartmentalizing so my two trains of thought don’t ever meet anywhere at an inappropriate time. If I have an inspirational writing idea during my work day, I quickly jot it down and move along. If I have to grade tests during my writing time, c’est la vie. So far, I’ve been able to make it work and I’m hoping to be able to keep it up even after my husband and I start our family (one day).

Being an author is incredibly special to me. Not only because I get to leave a little bit of myself in the history of this world but also because I get to inspire my students to do the same. I love sharing my writing career with my students and seeing the look of shock and awe on their faces. I tell them, “If I can stand up here and teach you about volume of a cube and then go home and write a novel, so can you.” It’s not an exact translation of talents, I will say, but I hope it encourages them to follow their dreams even if it means they have to work a little bit harder to achieve them. (Don’t worry, I also tell them they can’t exactly read my books just yet, but the inspirational message still counts).

I started reading romance novels when I was in college. My Nook ereader was riddled with covers of half-naked men and spicy kisses. I remember enjoying them so much and then having the thought: I could do that. So, I did. I started my first novel after that thought, sat on it for 4-5 years then during COVID lockdown, I decided to self-publish. And even though, looking back now, it’s probably the worst thing I’ve ever written, I wouldn’t change the experience for the world. I’ve learned so much about writing, editing, publishing, the whole process since then and I can say with confidence that my books have only gotten better.

My books are a combination of wit and banter mixed with some passionate moments and deep, emotional connections to form a romantic chili, if you will. Spice levels vary. I’ve written enemies to lovers, friends with benefits, romantic suspense and my most recent release is a non-sporty college romance which is the first of a series of interconnected stand-alones. If you pick up my books, you’ll find love stories with depth, heart, and just enough heat. And maybe even your next favorite!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

One incredibly important quality to have is patience. It takes time to write a novel. A good one, at least. It’s not something you can do overnight and it’s certainly not something you can do perfectly on the first go. Prepare to make a lot of mistakes. And then prepare to fix those mistakes probably more than once.

I learned the hard way that you need to have thick skin. You need to able to look at a bad review of a book that you’ve poured your heart and soul into and think: “Ok, I’ll just do better next time.” Use it as fuel to better your craft instead of a tool for self-destruction.

Research is key. As a reader myself, it becomes very obvious when an author didn’t do enough research into their story, either for the plot, the setting, or the characters. I take pride in doing the right amount of research while writing my drafts so that they feel realistic and relatable. If my story takes place in New York, you better believe those cross streets are going to be accurate.

My favorite advice to give to new writers is also probably the most annoying thing to hear: Just Write. You can’t edit a blank page. You can’t fix something that isn’t yet broken. Even if it’s not perfect, even if you think it’s complete trash, just write. Compete in writing sprints. Personally, I thrive on competition and if I set a timer with a friend for 20 minutes of non-stop writing, I WILL end with more words written than them. It’s probably mostly unusable but it’s a starting point for editing. It could turn into inspiration for a scene you didn’t think you’d write. I find that once I start going, the story writes itself, no matter what plans I had made for it.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

Currently, the number one challenge I’m facing is making meaningful connections with readers. I can post a million pictures and reels on instagram but I haven’t yet been able to create relationships with the people who actually read my books! Likewise, I’ve made very few connections with fellow authors either. I have a select group that I love conversing with, sharing ideas and inspirations, but other than that, I’m very much alone in this whole process. Now that I’ve got the writing/editing/publishing part down, I think my next goal needs to be to form true relationships with readers and other authors. Not only will I feel more supported (and be able to support others) but I might feel a little less lonely!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Emily R. Bellas

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Tactics & Strategies for Keeping Your Creativity Strong

With the rapid improvements in AI, it’s more important than ever to keep your creativity

Productivity
From Burnout to Balance: The Role of Self-Care

Burning out is one of the primary risks you face as you work towards your