THE UNOFFICIAL BIO
This is the rambling introduction which won't feature any quotes about my writing or a list of accolades. This is just me.
Hi, I'm Stefanie London. And yes, I was that kid who always had her nose stuck in a book. I grew up on a steady diet of Baby Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High. I devoured anything written by R.L. Stine and Agatha Christie, and eventually graduated onto my mother's Danielle Steele, Jackie Collins and VC Andrews books (probably earlier than I should have!)
After finishing high school by taking as much English/Literature and as little mathematics as I possibly could, I went to on to get a business degree from La Trobe University in Melbourne. Ah the Eagle Bar, so many memories. I spent the subsequent decade building my experience in the fields of Human Resources, L&D, Change Management and Corporate Communications. I found myself changing jobs frequently (to the horror of my ever-conservative grandparents) and climbing the corporate ladder with steady promotion, ticking all the boxes I'd been told were important - shiny degree, great job, loving husband, a house in the suburbs. But I wasn't fulfilled.
A life-changing moment
After starting to write romance fiction in late 2012, and scoring a two-book publishing deal with Harlequin Mills & Boon a year later, I suddenly understood what my life had been missing. This was the missing piece of the puzzle.
The real change came, however, the day my husband and I decided to quit our well-paying corporate jobs in the Australian banking industry and move to Canada. So many tears were shed, and I miss my family like crazy even now. It was a huge leap of faith. But we LOVE living in Toronto. I decided not to go back to my old career, and instead worked part-time at MAC Cosmetics while I wrote. When that first contract turned into more, I eventually made the leap to writing full time. That change probably wouldn't have occurred so quickly if we hadn't moved overseas, and I'm grateful every day for that opportunity.
But writing isn't everything
As much as I love my job (and I truly, truly do) work can't be everything. I also love to play boardgames and video games with my husband. Our current favourite franchises include: Lords of Waterdeep, Pandemic, Resident Evil and The Last of Us.
I'm an avid reader, self-taught knitter and I enjoy making a mess in the kitchen. I love nothing more than finding an amazing restaurants, watching documentaries, continuing my search for the perfect flat white and hanging out with people who enrich my life. My happy place is a quiet morning spent with a hot drink in one hand and a book in the other.
my top tips for anyone who wants to "do the thing"
The Thing (and yes it’s important enough for a capital letter.) for me was writing a book. For you...who knows? Maybe you want to run a 10k race, maybe you want to learn how to make the perfect macaron. Maybe you want to quit your job and move overseas and start a whole new career. That's a lot of change at once and it's hard, but I do recommend it ;)
Whatever your "Thing" is - big or small - you should absolutely do it. Carve out space in your life and give it a go. Will you be successful? Maybe. Maybe not. But a life spent wondering what might be is a life with a giant hole in it.
So, do the Thing. Here are my top tips to help you get there:
Write the Thing down. What is your goal? Don't be vague. Specific goals will enable you to have a clearer vision and more easily track your success. Want to write a Book? Run a 10k? Make Adriano Zumbo weep with how amazing your macarons are? While you're at it, write down why you want to do The Thing.
Carve out time in your schedule. Don't wait for time to happen, and don't think that one day's effort will make you a success. You need to do the Thing and then keep doing the Thing over and over and over. If at that point you're sick of the Thing, then it's probably not the right Thing.
Don't underestimate the value of short-term goals. Writing a book is a great goal, but it's long-term. Writing a hundred words doesn't sound like much, but see the previous point. All steps towards your goal are important and valuable, no matter how small.
Find other people who also want to do the Thing. I know, the introvert in me also hates the stress of joining a new group. Do it anyway. It'll be worth it.
Talk about the Thing with someone who supports you. Accountability is great, but sharing your passion is contagious. You might inspire someone to do their own Thing. Besides, you never know who might be able to help you with your Thing. People everywhere have secret talents.
Make a promise to yourself that the Thing is worth it. The best things we do in life are often the most difficult - completing our studies, having a family, creating something we care about. There will be points where you feel like you don't have it in you. That's totally normal. But I want you to promise yourself that the Thing is worth the struggle, it's worth the discomfort and it's worth the effort. If it's worth it, then you'll make those sacrifices.
Make one more promise: that you'll believe you can do the Thing. Now, this doesn't mean doubt won't creep in, because it will. Frequently. But doubt is often triggered by external factors, such as seeing someone else succeeding, receiving criticism, having people see you fail at a task. In my opinion (and it’s just that, so take it with a grain of salt) belief needs to come from within even before you’ve seen success. Belief is a foundation upon which you build success, not a reward for doing so. So give yourself that foundation.
Good luck. I hope you do the Thing and that it changes your life.