Monday, October 18, 2010

Along for the ride

One thing I have acquired along this writing journey is a plethora of friends. I can hardly believe how blessed I feel to have SO many great writer friends in my life. They've rallied around me in times of trouble and cheered me on during times of success. I feel like Maximus in the Gladiator. I hear their chanting echoing off the mountains. I revel in it, especially now, when I'm feeling a little down.

Up here in Hicksville, it's easy to forget that other people exist in the world. With a click of my fingers, I find these friends and catch up right where we left off. I'm itching for the next conference to see them, but sad that my book won't be for sale there. Ah well.

The funny thing is . . . I never felt like I'd paid my dues. I was picked up by a publisher after only writing for a year and a half. I'd taught myself all I knew, and never had any formal education in writing. I guess I'm paying my dues now. We all have to. We have to work hard, continue believing in ourselves and supporting those around us.

I'm plodding on, fixing my book so I like it again, and working on another. My career is only beginning and I'll keep stepping forward until I reach my goal. I don't know how long it will be, but I do know one thing. The ride will be a blast with all the friends I'm bringing along! And that's all that matters.

19 comments:

Old Kitty said...

You can only go onwards and upwards right to the very top!!
:-)

Good luck!!! I will of course be cheering you on as always! Enjoy your blast of a writerly ride!

Take care
x

Wendy Lu said...

Very inspiring! :) I'm happy for you and glad that you have a group of friends who you can write/work with and talk to about your writing adventures. I acually really envy you! I wish I had a group of writing friends, but most of the writers I know tend to stay rather quiet and independent with their work.

~TRA

http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com

Joanna St. James said...

glad to see you are picking yourself up.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I think I am sharing the same ride - which means all the promotional stuff is hitting me hard!
Thankful for online friends, though!

Annette Lyon said...

Best attitude ever. You go!

Jennifer Hillier said...

You have a really amazing attitude and I so admire you. I have no doubt all your dreams are going to come true.

PK HREZO said...

No kidding! It makes such a huge difference to find so much positive support from other writers.
It's what keeps me pressing onward some days when it all feels moot. :)

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Clearly anyone who gets picked up by a publisher after only 1 1/2 years of writing has talent :)

Natascha said...

A year and half? Wow, you are amazing. You inspire. Glad I could come along on your journey :)

Unknown said...

It's nice to read a success story for once. Congrats. I'm impressed that you were able to complete a MS., in a year and a half.

After a year and seven months I'm just getting started on the second draft of my novel. I feel sooo slow right now. Anywho, your story is an inspiration for us aspiring novelists. Wishing you all the best in your writing career.

Scott said...

I'm actually glad to hear that you made it and without all the training and just going off of what you've picked up along the way. That part of your post gave me some hope! It's been great getting to read your insights and to learn a bit about yourself. Keep it up!

Melissa Cunningham said...

You guys are awesome and make feel like dancing! Did someone mention I thrive on praise? =)

You're the friends I'm talking about! Just so you know.

Jolene Perry said...

Great post. It's just filled with happy :)

Jessica Ferguson said...

It's so easy to get discouraged in this business. The thing that jumped out at me in your post is that you said, "fixing my book so I like it again..." Keep that thought close to your heart. You weren't liking the changes they wanted so you would have been very unhappy with the finished product.
Congrats on staying true to yourself. Many authors aren't. Hang in there.

And thanks for popping over and following my blog. I'm hanging in there too! :) There are a lot of publishers that want fantasy so make a list and be aggressive in your marketing. I honestly believe networking is the key. Be sure to check out all publishers and agents on the Preditors and Editors site. Lots of 'bad guys' out there.

J E Fritz said...

The thing about dues is you have to keep paying them. Writing is constantly evolving and as long as you keep up the hard work, you'll keep paying them:)

LARCHMONT said...

Your resilience is inspiring. Thanks for following me; happy to be following you!

alexia said...

Yes, friends make everything better. And we're all writers, so we know what you're going through!

Emma Michaels said...

New follower!!!

Sincerely,
Emma Michaels
http://EmmaMichaels.Blogspot.com

Elizabeth Mueller said...

Good Luck, Melissa! I've no doubt that your book will have a new home. *hugs*