One Little Step Leads to Bigger Things...Eventually

from the archives...4 September, 2009

It seems forever since last visiting my writing adventures. I've been busy and as my last soapbox of a blog clearly divulged--or shall I say, ranted--my life met with a whirlwind or two and setting my writing desires on the back-burner did not come easy. And now: progress! The forecast has cleared for the moment and the next small step in the publishing process has begun. But what an experience thus far.

Beyond my surprises at cost--a fault of my own naivety, not the publishers--and the many frustrating stops along the way, my final manuscript has been submitted. Better late than never. I had to wonder, though, if such ups and downs were actually bad omens. You know, warning lights, flashing signs, road blocks saying, "Wait! What the hell were you thinking? Author? You?" [giant guffaw and side splitting laughter, me curled up in a pool of tears].

On review since, I think most of that visual comes from my drama queen side and I have to chalk the frustrations up to a typical part of the adventures in the writing process, made even less smooth as it is the first go round for this humble writer.

All said and done, here I am at the cover copy polish stage, which I have been anticipating most with yet another rise of happy anticipation. Ah, to see my book in living color shining with, of course, my name across the front of something real and tangible. Again with the drama. I do realize it won't be in flashing lights, nor imprinted in cement in front of Mann's Chinese Theatre. Not yet, anyway. [longing sigh from me, whistles of fame floating through the air of my imagination.]

I have to say, in the past few months I haven't had time, nor the flow of ideas to sit at the computer and work on anything new. I think I may be going through with-drawls, but there seems to be a shortage of new characters nudging me forward, their pushy selves fueled by an innate desire to have their stories spit out and hovered over for months on end.

I must keep telling myself: one step at a time. They will return.

One step at a time.