I started writing when I was in elementary school (5th grade) writing poems for the school paper. It was a few years later I tried writing short stories, albeit, they were crude but I was looking for a way to be creative and writing seemed to be the niche I was looking for. My dad was trying his hand at writing and I wanted to do what he was doing.
For a long time though, I let writing slide into the background forgotten as I tried making my way into the world, graduating high school, then going to college. I had assignments that need to be written, but it didn't really stoke the fire until I was in my thirties….I had forgotten what a rush it was to write a piece and flesh it out.
Marriage the first time around allowed me no time to explore writing but it definitely gave me a few life experiences. The second one (marriage) was not much help either, but at this time, was where I picked up writing short stories by taking a course through Long Ridge Writer's Group. I was able to publish a few articles in the company newspaper, but it seemed I was not going to get far. Time after time, I was shot down, with rejections galore. I have a sensitive nature about me, so I just decided that maybe, after all, it wasn't what I was supposed to do if I couldn't take rejection.
Well, a few years later, I found out that Long Ridge Writer's Group and Writer's Digest both had courses in writing novels. I had a lot of material written, but just didn't know where to get started putting the pieces together. I tried both courses, I stuck with Long Ridge Writer's Group because they were helpful and courteous. The instructor I had from Writer's Digest was in my opinion not helpful and cold. I put that behind me and began the arduous task of putting a story together. The job I had at the time allowed me to explore not only the library but the Internet as well which was still in its infant stages. I became involved in several online writing groups and attended writer's conferences.
The one time I attended a writer's conference in physical form was great until one of the speakers asked us why we were at the conference instead of at home writing. I'm not a snobbish person, I don't try to make it like I'm super smart because I'm not. I think what turned me off from the whole conference thing is most of the attendees were more concerned about copyrights, which is important, but not the most important. The opportunities came but still, nothing opened up. I think that's my bad because I was intimated by the whole process of marketing, and publishing. I'm not a salesperson and I have different genres of material because that's how I read novels. I don't really care what type of novel it is as long as it keeps my attention. So again, I was stuck and as time went by I slipped out of writing, not completely but it again took a back seat. I had a new job that demanded more of my time, my husband (no.3, a keeper) is a musician and he was busy doing gigs and I wanted to put my time and efforts in that direction.
Over the course of the years, I've gained a few things under my belt like growing a thick skin and just stay the course. It helps that I've retired from my job of 35 years, so not having time is no excuse!
I'm a fiction writer, but I like writing articles about things that are of interest not only to me but to anyone who will read them. And now with self-publishing, I don't have to search high and low to find the right publishing company that may like my material. Haven't gotten that far yet, but I'm working on it. :)
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