On a Roll

So, for a while I was on a serious writing roll. I had submitted many short stories and poems to contests as well as finished a chapter a day on my second draft. And then I hit a wall. This happens sometimes. It’s never fun, but it’s a way of life. It took FOREVER to finish chapter 14. It’s bland, boring, and definitely not up to par with the rest of the draft, but I pulled through and finished it. It took a while to finish chapter 15, but I did. I even finished planning out the last of the book (estimated at 26 chapters).

I’m now halfway done with chapter 16, well… maybe more like 2/3rds done with chapter 16. Which is still pretty awesome! I’ll be done tonight no doubt and probably be halfway done with chapter 17 tomorrow. Which puts me back on schedule and I may be able to finish before October like I was hoping. I’ll be on the road soon so chores and tv won’t distract me as much as it does right now. I may get a lot done.

That said, unfortunately one of my stories didn’t make it to publication. It’s a bummer. So far, I only have one story published, one poem published (via vanity press I’m upset to say), and really, I have an article in a high school paper a long time ago. Sure, these technically make me an author and even if they didn’t, I’m still a writer. Still, it can be disheartening.

You, or really me, can believe you have talent and have so many people tell you so, but then there’s the one person or group who tell you otherwise. I just have to remind myself that many authors have been rejected before they made it. J.K. Rowling is a good example. Even Dickens. I may not be Dickens or Rowling, but this fact makes me feel better. I can do this. I HAVE to do this.

Writing is my life (aside from Bug, who inspires me to write more). I just need to keep going. I’ll get there, even if it’s self published (which Amanda Hocking is a good example of). I’ll get there.