Keeping On

 “If you write a hundred short stories and they’re all bad, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed.  You fail only if you stop writing.”

A friend gave me that quote many years ago.  I had been working really hard on a book, and was filled with self-doubt.  Was it any good?  Did the characters seem real enough?  Would anyone else understand or love the story as much as I did?  She must have sensed my insecurities because she sent me a ‘you can do it, keep on keeping on’ email along with the quote.  I wrote the quote on a little neon green post-it note and stuck it to my desk.  All these years later, it’s still there, faded with time, but still so very poignant. 

So even though a tiny voice sometimes whispers you can’t, I will.  And even though my dreams seem unreachable at times, I’ll dream.  And because I’m filled with faith in what lies ahead, I’ll keep on writing.

Hello world!

Have you ever had a dream? A dream that plagues you night and day, that constantly whispers in the back of your mind? I have…I do. Deep in my heart, in a place where I’ve let very few visit, I have a dream. I want to become a writer…a professional, published, making a living at it, writer.  It’s not to say that I haven’t written things – I have. Very few have read them, very few people have seen them, but I have written four completed novels and two partially completed stories over the past decade. I write when I can find the time, which unfortunately isn’t very often. I have a full-time job, a funny and supportive husband, a beautiful daughter just starting college, an energetic son who is a sophomore in high school, and one absolutely spoiled puppy. To say the least, my time for writing is sometimes nil.

It’s what happens to me when I don’t find the time to write that has led me here. The words in my head, the characters, the thoughts that ramble on and on, need an outlet. I need to write often, and I need a way to journal my thoughts while hopefully connecting with other writers in the world. (And if you’re out there, burgeoning or already successful writers, how did you do it? How did your passion become your profession?)

And to be totally honest, I’m creating this blog as an exercise on letting the private side of me out. Yes, I have written four novels, and yes, I haven’t shared them with very many. Those are two truths. This fiery dream I have doesn’t always mesh with my personality.  I hate the word fear but there’s no denying it, is there?  Fear of many things when chasing a dream.  But the realization hit me hard last spring…what could you do if you weren’t afraid?  What could you do with your life if you quit being scared silly all the time?

That’s my new path.  I will not let fear of the unknown dampen my dreams.  So with a deep breath and a little squeal of excitement, I say welcome! Read with me, write with me, let me know your thoughts.