First One, Then Many

One
A painted donkey walks across a rain soaked field in Wapiti Valley, Wyoming. Copyright by WyoJones. All rights reserved. Used with permission.Copyright by WyoJones.

Years and years and years, okay, and YEARS ago, I let the notion of becoming a writer creep into my brain. It was an intoxicating, terrifying notion. I think I tried to kick it out, but it kept coming back. So I let it stay.

But I didn’t tell anyone.

My little notion couldn’t stand up to scrutiny and besides, everyone knew that writers wrote alone in garrets, possibly freezing and starving. The fact that I was well housed and well fed did not get in the way of my cliches about writers. I saw myself as interesting and mysterious, but I probably looked more like the donkey in the picture, asking, “What?”

I eventually told the hubs, who was and has been supportive through it all. My sister has been an awesome supporter, too. But going public…yeah. The hubs, it was cute how proud he was. He would tell people and I’d die because of course they’d ask where they could find my books.

In my head, was what I thought to myself.

To them, I’d smile and have admit that I was still seeking publication.

I kept trying, scribbled stuff, even finished a few things, took some classes and finally had my first sale. It was a children’s story and you can read it here if you’re curious.

That sale gave me some encouragement to keep trying and I eventually wrote a whole novel, but I was still One, like the donkey. I had a novel but didn’t know what to do with it. Then this wonderful thing happened.

I started to connect with other writers. Found a writers group. Then went online and found even more writers, people like me who needed to put words on paper, to create stories out of the stuff of their imaginations.

I realized that I didn’t have to be One. I could be One among Many.

Some became mentors, others just offered encouragement, or shared industry news. I’ve been so blessed—and not just as a writer—by the people I’ve met through the years. There are people who helped me that I never met face-to-face. So many people who encouraged me to keep going until I published my first book. Some of them I can only repay by paying it forward.

That’s one reason I have my “why she wrote” Wednesdays on the blog, so that you can meet some of these wonderful writers, too. I’m glad that is a popular feature on my blog and I hope you’ll stop back on Wednesday when the wonderful, Veronica Scott will be here to talk about her latest release, Healer of the Nile. 

Have you had special mentors or connections in your life that have helped you realize your dreams? I love comments so much that I pick a favorite to receive my monthly AnaBanana gift basket ($25 value).  Recipient is announced the first blog post of the new month.

Perilously yours,

Pauline

P.S. For the holidays, I bundled my first two novels together. You can grab Perilously Fun Fiction at a bargain price until the first of the year. Then we’ll see. 🙂