Friends,
Raven Society Book 2 is done. The End has been written. Numerous edits and rewrites have caused me gray hair. My coffee pot has broken up with me. Housework has been neglected for too long. And I cried. A lot.
Now comes the difficult part- waiting for people to read it. I hope people read it!
But I wanted to share something that dawned on me while in the shower this morning.
The Writer and the Librarian was good. I was proud of myself and my accomplishment- I published my first book on my own. My name will forever be on a book cover, and maybe fifty years from now people will still read it. But I also made a lot of mistakes during the process that were very costly and very painful to swallow. The biggest one being that I was writing to be published. I rushed through the process. I just wanted to be done with it.
No author wants to admit that, but it’s my truth.
I didn’t want to read it out loud to myself a fourth time. I didn’t want to rewrite scenes. Hell, I left it on a cliffhanger because I couldn’t figure out how to end it.
It just seemed easier to say f**k it and hit the publish button because you can do that when you are self-published.
And I really thought I would get a publishing contract out of it. After all, I am cute and funny- who wouldn’t want me on their team?
But no one called.
I wanted to give up. Yes, I had friends and family that supported me, but I wasn’t feeling 100%. Doubt ran through me. Maybe I wasn’t as good a writer as I thought I was. Why weren’t people leaving reviews? Why wasn’t I tagged on social media as the next great read? Why hasn’t Oprah called me yet?
And while that was annoying and heartbreaking, that wasn’t the only thing on my mind. I would wake up with ideas for plots, world-building, and character development. I could hear conversations and see imaginary rooms and libraries. I could smell the sea and taste coffee.
I was mentally writing The Myth and The Monster.
However, I didn’t discuss it with anyone. I know many writers who have a whole support team and spend hours talking and working on the next epic novel. I applaud anyone who finds that method helpful and productive.
But that isn’t me. I tried with The Writer and the Librarian and it was too tedious. It gave me a headache. I didn’t know what I was writing because I had 15 other voices talking louder than I was.
In other words, I guarded this manuscript like a child hoarding birthday cake.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I have sticky notes of all the not-so-good reviews I have received, and I glance at them daily to make sure I stay on course- but the book itself? Nope. My eyes only.
So my lesson is this… write the story you hear in your head. Sure, you’ll ask someone to edit it. And there may be some changes along the way. But a writer knows the story they want to tell. Tell it.
And this isn’t just for writing. This is for life. I always wanted to ride a motorcycle. I wanted the air on my face and the sense of freedom that came with owning a bike. But for a long time, I was too afraid. Why? Because everyone loves to share gruesome stories about someone’s death as if it is the be-all-do-all. According to them, if I rode a motorcycle, I would die. Tragically. In a blaze of glory.
But I wanted to ride.
So I did. And ironically, within a month of buying my last bike, I was in an accident.
But I got back on it and rode like I didn’t have a care in the world- because it was what I wanted to do.
So if you want to skydive, climb Mount Everest, or go to Disneyland with a toddler – do it! Take a chance. Write your most memorable story whether it is on paper, taking photos, or just making memories.
I am rooting for you!
Anyhoo, in case you missed it, I am an inspiring author. I will include the link to books if you want a copy or need a last-minute gift for a random friend or co-worker.
The Writer and the Librarian The Raven Society Book 1
The Myth and the Monster The Raven Society Book 2
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