"Small moves, Ellie, small moves"

One of my favorite movies

I love the movie CONTACT. I loved it when it came out in 1997 and I have rewatched it on a number of occasions and still love it. Its fundamentally optimistic view of the universe and our place in it is one that resonates with me and informs both what I choose to read and what I choose to write.

Some of the quotes from the movie have become part of our family vernacular. There's a part, early in the movie, when Ellie Arroway is a young ham radio operator and her father is coaching her at her radio rig not to turn the dial too quickly. He tells her "Small moves, Ellie, small moves." And that has become a guide in my own life.

I have been writing and writing and writing for a dozen years and a dozen novels. Over that time, I've gone from an overly optimistic newb with dreams of fame and glory to a seasoned in-the-trenches author with 6 books in the marketplace and stripped-down realistic goals of what success means.

It's been over a decade of small moves.

Many of them enhanced by luck and timing.

This year, I was offered the opportunity to participate in the Boston Book Festival on a panel sponsored by Biblioboards and the Library Journal Self-e program. Through them, I was also connected to the Belmont Public Library and their Indie Author Day program.

These feel like big opportunities that have emerged from all those small moves. And I remain optimistic that each of those small moves are moves in the right direction.

So if you're in the Boston area, please come by for either Indie Author Day on October 8th and/or the Boston Book Festival on October 15th. I'd love to see you there!

#SFWApro

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