Annie from Writing Outside the Lines asked us to talk about our writing journey. I know I’ve talked about it some, but I thought I would go into a little more detail.
My journey began in 8th grade. I had different stories bouncing around my head for years, I just never thought to write them down. Until my teacher wrote a small paragraph for our daily journal and the floodgates opened.
I learned how to format sentences in English class and I read, alot. I also kept writing. It didn’t matter what the subject was. It was in my head and I wrote it down. I look back on some of that early writing and cringe. In my defense, I was a teenager.
I started writing Obsession in college. Orginally it was about 100 pages. I finished it, moved on to other things. New and old stories, boys, homework, work. Eventually I moved to the big city. Don’t remember writing too much during that time. I did read though. Loved to read. Historical romance, fantasy, sci-fi.
Then I met my husband and we started a family. Once the kids were semi-self suffcient, I picked up Obsession and read it. Yikes! And so started the first of many many re-writes.
I have a friend who read Obsession during one of those writings when I was a little over halfway through. She told me she noticed a difference in my writing. She couldn’t quite describe it, just that it was better. I knew why. When I write I listen to music. I’ve made playlists by recording songs from 45s (for you young-uns that is a mini vinyl record) and albums I bought or borrowed. I still have those tapes. What changed is that I started writing to the soundtrack to Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings (FOTR). For some reason the music spoke to me. Still does. That’s when I started to listen to more soundtracks. I still have my playlist with new songs that play on the radio that I listen to over and over. Music, the tone of the songs always helps, but back to the writing.
400 pages and I think, I’m done! Nope.
I start allowing others to read my book. I received good reviews and there were those who said I should publish. I was still fearful of opening myself up to strangers and it took me a while to get up the courage. Then one of those I let read Obsession asked me a question. Why? Why was Alex the way he was? 400 pages turned into four books. I began to send out letters to publishers, only one bit amd they decided in the end not to give me a publishing deal. So I re-wrote again. Ling story short I decided to self publish and here I am.
Well, enough from me. Everyone has a story and it would be interesting to hear yours. Give Annie’s prompt a try. If not this one, then try one of her others on Writing Outside the Lines.
Have a wonderful week. 🙂
