A Lesson Learned

Writing is something that has always come easy to me, I never really struggled with getting the words on paper. Now wether those words were spelled correctly and the writing murdered the english language or not I can not say. Teachers always tell me I have amazing voice in my writing and I flow well. Last year I wrote a book it was a first draft that I thought was more like an eighth until I started looking into winning contests and writing my query letter to agents. The rejection I got were hard but it was also empowering and very informative. I took a break and a couple months ago I wrote a little and then blamed life for getting busy as to not have to look upon my embracing mistake a little while longer. Well the problem with writers is we have all of these stories that flood our heads plotting murders, falling in love, going to school or college, building a family all with factious characters of course. If we don't write we block our heads with tons of voices, yes I said voices and so you wither write them out or you go crazy, I didn't go crazy I found the courage to try again. 

I read a lot of blogs about writing and how hard it is for some. i thought to myself the writing part is easy for me its the revising and the editing that are scary. Then I reminded myself how I was once scared of the dark and I got over it for the most part, (still get a little scared okay) So I sucked it up. I read through my original horrific MS and took from it what I thought I could use and began again. 

 I have learned now though that yes some writers like Stephen King can write a book and it will be a best seller but we all start some where. As I write my new book I have set realistic goals and not right now goals. I want to show the world my characters and make them fall in love with them as I have. Rushing my story will get me no where. 

So I am starting at the top writing a little each day as well as reading and completing the book. Setting it aside for a couple days and reading a book. Then Revising three drafts, sending it out to close friends and family for their eyes by the time I am ready to look into an editor I will fully revise my Manuscript 8 times. I will have my query letter hacked by Saturday night Hackers and Agent query and I will have everything looked over by other Authors who are willing.

 Then I will enter contest and query agents. something encouraging that every Author who read my first MS said was, my voice is amazing in my writing and my story was new and fun. 

Lesson learned here is that there is no need to rush the writing to get to the stress of the agent trenches. There are other options like Self Publishing and Ebook publishers and lastly if your going to share your crazy mind with the world it might as well be EPIC rather than your rushed work. 

There is always another contest, another agent and a million readers who don't know it yet but are dying to read your book. I really hope to go to LASBCWI this year to meet my favorite authors and new writer friends and build on some of my skills I am learning when it comes to writing a fantasy science fiction YA novel. 

One last lesson was to watch the news feeds of the agents I am considering submitting too to make sure I know their attitude towards certain works and a little about them before I send in my forth baby. 

Have a happy Weekend! 

                                    I am 79 lbs down from 252 lbs :) thought I would share!