Writing—The Beginning of My Journey

In the beginning, there was the written word…

Of course, like most writers, I’ve always known that I wanted to a writer. As a little girl, I lived in my mind and lost myself in books. I can still remember the joy of writing my first stories when I was a pupil in the tiny one-room school in Simmie, Saskatchewan. But knowing and becoming are two different things.

I was in my early thirties when I allowed myself to start writing—I had a poem published in spring, a magazine showcasing work from emerging writers. The Saskatchewan Writers Guild puts out this publication biannually. (Consider becoming a member of this wonderful organization!) Sadly, life took over, and I got side-tracked. I usually don’t admit this, but it was fear of success as much as anything else. It was fear of failure, as well.

About two years ago—right around my fortieth birthday— my son looked at me seriously and asked when I planned to DO something with my life. It might sound cruel, but he said it with love and intensity. I think he knew that those were the words I needed to hear. I’ve never looked back with regret, but I can’t imagine how much sorrowful I’d be if I hadn’t listened to him. (Thanks, Jesse!)

How I got started

Where do you start something so huge and limitless? I get overwhelmed by such huge concepts unless I jump in without really looking.

I am the kind of person who needs commit fully. I’m all or nothing, and I need measurable challenges. I made a contract with myself: for the next three months I would enter every contest or call for submissions I came across. I wrote many stories and poems and sent my work out like a mad woman! Every single piece got rejected, but I didn’t quit. Although I didn’t keep submitting to every call or contest I came across, I kept sending out my work (which had accumulated) and focussed on editing. I started receiving feedback on some of my stories and poems, read books on writing. I immersed myself.

A breakthrough

My first acceptance was a poem that appeared in Soliloquies 20.1 about six months after I’d started sending work out. My publications snowballed, and eighteen months later, I’ve got fifteen publications on my resume. I have become a reader for untethered magazine and a board member of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild. Next week I start the last two classes for my writing certificate, and then watch out world! I’ll be unstoppable. ☺

So, if any of you are interested in writing, but don’t know how to start, I suggest checking out the following:

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Let me know if I can help support you in any way☺

 

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