Doing it Wrong and Tender Mercies

I don't know if there is a right way to go about writing, but what I've learned (maybe the hard way) is there are things that can make it easier. As in earlier posts, I've said I was a closet writer. I wrote my little heart out and didn't tell anyone. At the time, that was the right thing for me. I wasn't writing to be published. I just had a story that would wake me up from a dead sleep, one that was constantly bugging me when I was trying to relax, and it needed to be told. Then, when my focus switched to early chapter books, I was writing to be published. One day, I will out myself for the many mistakes I've made, but not in this post. The main thing I want to get across is the need for YOUR people and their constant cheerleading to be successful.

So, where am I now? I've got my constants (hubby, family, friends), and I'm slowly gaining my writing world peeps. One tender mercy came after many emails to bloggers and editors. I had been looking for someone (someone who didn't know me personally) to read my book so I could actually get some good constructive feedback. That's when Jen Arena came into my life. She not only responded to my email, within a day or two, she was so kind and positive and WILLING to read my work. (Side note: Out of all of the emails I had sent, she was the one I was hoping to hear from the most. So, of course, it was fate) She opened my eyes to my writing style, some things I need to work on, and was very positive in her delivery. That being said, I have never been so embarrassed in my life! After a few chapters of her line edits, I wanted to poke my own eyes out for how many times I had repeated the same mistakes. I took many days, sometimes in small doses, to revise and improve my original MS. Needless to say, I am so much more in love with it! So, thank you Jen, for everything. Thank you for the advice to join Twitter. It has opened up a lot of opportunities for me to meet people in my same boat, some who have sailed past me, and some who are just flat out entertainment value. So, my goal is now to find a good CP or critique group so my edits won't take so blasted long! Recap: Sometimes it's okay to just write for yourself/by yourself. If you want to write to be published, you need PEEPS and many cheerleaders who already love you!