Finding my way
As promised, I wanted to describe my “road to publication” in a series of blog entries. This will be the first in that series.
In 2002, I began writing short stories. Most of them were amateurish at best, but a few of them showed promise. I submitted them to local contests– (the first one I ever submitted to the Charlotte Writer’s Club won honorable mention). I was excited, but I wanted more. Also, I wanted to know more. How do you get published? How do you get a literary agent? How can I improve as a writer?
Over time, I found the answers to my questions. I studied, participated in writing critique groups, wrote more, and read books in several genres. Soon, I had one particular short story which my writer friends suggested I flesh out into a full novel. I worked on it for several months, and began submitting it to literary agents, who were kind enough to give me suggestions for improvement. I spent several more months revising the manuscript, sent it to new agents, and received more rejections than I care to admit, but I learned a great deal in the process. One important lesson learned, was that I should begin writing the next novel– take what I’d learned from the first one and create something new. Move on.
Next post: What happened to novel number two…
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