Who? Me?

I’ve been writing my entire life. Okay, fine, since I could actually hold a pencil. (As I’m writing this post, I have the realization that, with the paperless movement, future generations may not know what a pencil is. Hm. Good thing there's Google.) Back to the point. I wrote poems, short stories and the occasional Haiku.

I’d always wanted to write a novel. But, like most people, I never had the time. I kept telling myself…someday. Well, someday finally arrived when I quit a job that was eating away hours of my time each day, the commute was grueling. On a particularly bad day, I sat in traffic for over three hours ONE WAY.

That was enough for me. (Side note: I do not recommend quitting your day-job to become a writer. The road is hard and chock-full of potholes.) I began searching for a new job, finally landing a wonderful one—3 years ago—as a city employee. (Now my commute is only fifteen minutes. Hooray!) In the meantime, I started writing that novel. I had no idea what I was doing, but I wrote. Every. Day. It quickly became an obsession. If I wasn’t staring at the computer screen, well then, I just wasn’t living. I had to write. Yearned to write.

The characters in my head wouldn’t shut up. And let’s face it, I didn’t want them to. I craved the sweet whisper of their ramblings. Some might think this is a bit multiple-personality disorder, but writers know: there’s only a problem if the voices STOP talking. So I wrote like a dark fever had consumed me. When I finished, I had a story. Not exactly a very good one, mind you. But I had the satisfaction of completing what I’d set out to do…write that book. (I am currently writing my fourth complete novel.)

Granted that first story I wrote may never see the light of day. Frankly, I’m okay with that. It was a stepping-stone. A way to unleash the voices in my head. I’ve learned so much since that book, joining writers' groups, beta reading and researching the heck outta the industry. Through these posts I will share my nuggets of wisdom. Glean from them what you will.

If you walk away with only one thing, let it be this: Finish. The. Book.

You can do it! The voices will help. *winks*

Write now is your moment…seize the page!