In 1996, my husband said to me, “Stop telling me someday you’re going to write a book. Do it now. Quit your job. I give you one year to get anything published.” My youngest son was a senior in high school. Was I too old to begin a new career? I’d felt the urge to write for the past five years, but I was afraid to get started. Afraid of failure. Afraid I was too old to begin a new career. I wanted to write. Could taste the words. “I believe in you,” he said.
I accepted the challenge and devised a plan to work smart and effectively. I looked at my writing goals like a full-time job. If I were to reach the ultimate of publication, I’d have to soar to the top of slush pile. My day was organized into writing, studying how-to books, reading in my genre, and exploring what conferences would teach me the most and provide exposure to agents, editors, and other writers. I started a writer’s critique group that met for over ten years.
During the first year, I wrote devotions, articles, a short story, and a historical novel. Sure I had a rejections along with publications, but I never went back to my old job. In 1998, my first novel released. Oh, the excitement of tearing into the box of author copies. The cover … the book’s name … my name. A dream come true.
That was over 60 books ago. But don’t think it’s been easy. Every novel is a little tougher to write. The characterization must be deeper. The plot’s twists and turns unexpected. The setting more intense. The dialogue and emotion like a sword fight. For me, my two nonfiction books were like clawing my way up a cliff.
Networking is a powerful way to establish relationships.
I believed God had purposed me to write, and my ministry also meant giving back to serious writers what I’d learned. Obedience is a big thing to God.
Techniques and tools of the craft weren’t immediately drop-shipped into my brain. I experienced lots of deletes and rewrites. Still do! Writing is about hard work and sacrifices.
The older we get, the more wisdom is packed into our heads. We may need to organize our time and make a plan to reach our dreams. Let others know you have a special interest.
Hard Work + Determination = Success
Coretta Scott King said, “I learned that when you are willing to make sacrifices for a great cause, you will never be alone.”
What is holding you back from reaching your goals? Be courageous and toss off those shackles. Now is the time to pursue your dreams.
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