For many aspiring authors, it’s easy to find yourself too overwhelmed with day-to-day responsibilities to sit down and write a book. Now, however, with more people stuck at home due to COVID-19, Philadelphia-based author Chantelle Adanna is hoping to teach people how to self-publish a book through her online course, How I Did It.
Adanna self-published her memoir, “My Soul Told On Me,” a collection of essays discussing the Black experience, self esteem and mental health, in 2019. Adanna started blogging, and the response she got from her posts inspired her to turn her blog posts into a full-length book.
Writing, though, has always been a positive outlet for her, and she wanted to share the tools and the strength writing has given her for the majority of her life.
“Writing taught me to be more open minded, more open to different scenarios and views,” said Adanna, who has been writing since she was 10. “Writing for me is therapy, being able to write things down and release them really brings out my courage to be able to say how I feel. The more I write, it brings me closer to me.”
Starting April 10, you can learn the skills required to self-publish and promote a book and maybe learn something new about yourself throughout the writing process.
“One thing I learned about myself [while writing “My Soul Told On Me”] is that I am stronger than I thought I was,” Adanna said. “I knew that I was sensitive and emotional, but I’m able to adapt to different situations and able to relate to people in ways that most people can’t.”
Contact staff writer Breanna Cooper at 317-762-7848. Follow her on Twitter @BreannaNCooper.
