Fantastical Things, my start to novel writing

About my writing…

2017 was a busy year, and I started writing a book. Other than college, I don’t think I have ever read, written or learned so much in such a short amount of time. Self-directed learning is a beautiful thing. I thought writing was pretty straight forward. Step 1) have ideas. Step 2) make time to research and write. Step 3) write the story. Those three steps turned into about six or seven.

I had to learn how to properly structure a story. I needed practice honing my self discipline. Lucky, I have increased my self discipline to write often including when I am tired, sick, or worries about the twenty of tasks on my to do list. In addition, I’ve developed the patience to stay focus on a long term project. It takes numerous hours to write a novel, and before now I’ve never spent so much time on one project.

So, am I a Novelist? Yes. Am I a novel writing expert? No. To be clear, I still look up grammar rules as I write. I frequently refer to a dictionary and thesaurus to help with word choice. I still reread my favorite novels for inspiration. And, I still rely on my daughter’s smiles and my husband’s hugs to see me through the times when I am plagued with self doubt.

I am lucky to have the support of loved ones. All I can do is continue writing. I seek to improve my craft. My hope is that each blog post, short story and novel is better than the one before it.

I am enjoying my transformation into a novelist, and I’m still learning.

Two quotes about writing that resonate with me: 

“Writing is an extreme privilege but it’s also a gift. It’s a gift to yourself and it’s a gift of giving a story to someone.” — Amy Tan

“If you really want to know yourself, start by writing a book.” — Shereen El Feki 

These days, I am a little more articulate, well read, and sure of myself. I have life experiences to draw from, and a vivid imagination to fill in the gaps. I dream fantastical things, and I want to explore those themes and images further. So I jot them down, and sometimes there are enough sparks to start a fire.

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What topic or activity have you taught yourself?

What is your passion job?

Comment below.

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Welcome to A Book & A Baby.

This is a glimpse of my life as a new mom and writer.

[You might like these other A Book & A Baby Blog Posts: wild nights, silly voices, how ignorant fantastical things a spiritual experience getting cozy home alone breastfeeding playdates]