If you think about it, an author is like the Monarch caterpillar.  From the time they first start out, until they finally become a published author and release their first book unto the world, just like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar, authors will go through many changes.

Some changes are hard and scary.  Some are dangerous and leave us vulnerable, but all authors must go through each stage.  And it is those who survive the change, who, in the end, come out as the better, and stronger authors.

Let us look at the Monarch caterpillar for a minute…

For the caterpillar, starting from an egg, he hatches into a miniscule little being, a tiny miniature caterpillar who’s main goals in life are to gorge itself on food, grow, and to stay alive.  That may sound easy to you, but for the caterpillar, it is not.  It is a life-long struggle for him.  Caterpillars have a lot of predators in the world, so staying alive is one of the hardest parts of their journey.

As for authors, they begin their career as what I like to call “baby” authors, and no, I am not talking about the kind that wear diapers and suck their thumbs, although, I have no disrespect for any thumb-suckers out there.  And there have been plenty of times during my writing career when I have wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball in the bottom of my closet and suck my thumb hoping the struggles will get better.  But it is all worth it…. trust me.

Baby authors are new and fresh to the writing world, they are fairly inexperienced as writers and do not know much about publishing or what it really means to be an author.  They usually start off with just playing around with some words on paper, filling notebooks with ideas, writing poems or short stories.  And there is nothing wrong with that because we all have to start somewhere, right?

Just like that tiny little caterpillar, baby authors are just smaller versions of their future selves.

Birds, squirrels, other insects, there are many predators that a caterpillar must worry about throughout it’s life.  And although the dangers are not as dire and life threatening as they are for the caterpillar, authors also face different dangers throughout the stages of their career.

When first starting out, an author might run into some personal issues that hold them back, such as their motivation, their fear of failure, or maybe they do not even know where or how to begin?  Staying organized can be an author’s best friend when it comes to situations like this, and it can help you through each stage and change you go through.  One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give, is to try and keep your ideas organized.  Maybe try writing your ideas down in a notebook, or a drawer (like I do).  Also, it is a good idea to keep your individual projects organized by using outlines, character lists etcetera.  You do not want to get your books crossed and write about the wrong thing in the wrong book.  It is also a good idea to not have too many projects going on at once, but I will go more into that later on in a future article…

Making a list of the steps you need to take and checking them off as you complete each one, is another great way to help keep you organized.  And, when your book is in it’s final stages, knowing what happens next and remembering the last minute details can be a huge relief as you are dealing with the crazy up and down emotions that finishing and publishing a book can bring.

There are many other dangers and obstacles one might face in their journey to becoming a published author, but, just like the caterpillar, if things are taken slowly and you stay aware of what is going on, keep a straight head, and try to stay organized, you give yourself a better chance of making it through to the end.

Now, back to the caterpillar, who, after gaining some real-world experience, taking things slow, and avoiding dangers and predators, is now plump and about the size of an adult’s pinky finger.. He finally decides he is ready to move on to the next stage of his life.  He wants to become a beautiful butterfly so he can soar in the sky and fulfill his destiny, which is every caterpillar’s ultimate dream.

Just like that caterpillar, over time, the author, who has practiced writing and has honed their skills and has either avoided or prevailed over any obstacles that have come into their path, has finally decided that they want to start on their first book.  This can be such a daunting task for a baby author.  But, do not fear, new authors CAN get through this with a little bit of organization, motivation, a mentor or experienced author, and maybe just a little sip of vodka (just joking, I don’t drink!).  Just like the caterpillar has dreams of becoming a butterfly, an author’s ultimate dream is to become published.

See where I am going here?  If you think about it hard enough… us authors really are like caterpillars.

Now, where were we?  Oh, yes….

The mighty Monarch caterpillar fills himself one last time, then he finds what he hopes is a safe location and he hangs upside down and begins to form a chrysalis.  He will stay in this chrysalis until he sheds his outer skin and turns into a beautiful butterfly, completing his metamorphosis.

And, just like the caterpillar, the mighty author finds a comfortable location to sit down and write their book, whether that be their desk, couch, bed, outside, wherever they feel most comfortable at, and they then begin their journey of transferring all of their creativity and soul into words on paper (or laptop), until they eventually have enough for it to finally be considered a book.  Then, after completing their first novel and going through the chaos and stress of having it published, the author has now gone through all of the changes and completed their metamorphosis, they have now earned the right to be called a published author.

The one difference that I have found between the author and the Monarch caterpillar, is that once the caterpillar is a butterfly, he will live for just another 2-6 weeks before flapping his little wings for the very last time and moving on to butterfly heaven, or wherever those beautiful little souls go to after they die.

But the author, if they want to pursue their career, will continue the cycle over and over again with each new book they write.  And with each one, they will continue to change and develop even more skills…  Being an author, you are constantly going through different stages and changing.  An author’s writing changes as well, getting better and better the more they write.  Being an author is like a never ending metamorphosis.

*A special thanks goes out to little George the Monarch caterpillar who starred in the pictures on this article.  My children found him in our garden and we have been watching as this little fellow goes through his different life cycles.  George was nice enough to allow us to get it all on film so I could share it with the world on my blog.  Thanks George!*