How ironic. December will be the 16th time I've been published.
I clearly remember the first book I worked on and the terror of trying to put 50,000 words into story form. Now, I have to rein myself in so I don't hit the 200,000 word mark.
My husband and I were talking on the way home from work about the difference practice and patience played when I was learning to ride my motorcycle. I would ride my small Honda 650 to my job about twenty miles away and, literally, plan every foot of the ride in my head as I drove. Five years of riding and making mistakes as well as experiencing triumphs have given me the confidence to ride my Harley and be able to enjoy the trip and scenery along the way.
So it is with writing. The first book or two are lessons in writing. How to set up a scene; how to create tension or mystery; how to build your characters into beings your readers identify with and root for. [How not to end a sentence with a preposition. As you can see, I still have some learning to do.]
I hope my work has improved with each book and I have readers who enjoy my tales. I think I've found my calling.
Sable Angel
Interesting post. I enjoyed reading about your story.
ReplyDeleteInteresting how you learned to ride your motorcycle. Probably smarter than the way I learned--my brothers dared me to get on what would have been considered a dirt bike--in what was either a ride it or crash scenario. LOL! Keep writing great stories!
ReplyDelete