Months ago I typed what I thought would be the final chapter of my first novel. I couldn’t have been more wrong, and if it weren’t for the on-line writing community, I might have sent my manuscript off before I was ready.
I have Therese Walsh of Writer Unboxed to thank for pointing me in the right direction. I met Therese on release day of The Last Will of Moira Leahy at our local Barnes & Noble. She was my first connection to the writing community; up until that point, I was on my own. Now, I’m connected with writers and agents through Twitter – which then leads you to their blogs, where these brilliant people share their advice and wisdom.
Well, I’m not on my own anymore. I also have my best friend and fellow writer, Paula. We met about ten years ago, when I worked with her husband. Right away I thought she was way-cool, but busy lives and different schedules didn’t allow for us to build a relationship at the time, and a short time later I left that job. Then last fall, because of my new online presence, we found each other. We’ve been pretty much inseparable ever since.
Paula has been a huge inspiration and sounding board for my writing. Being an aspiring writer can be a lonely journey, especially when friends and family don’t understand your dedication and drive: to not only complete a novel, but to actually want to be published.
It’s a little freaky how much Paula and I have in common -- that's us in the picture. We're like kindred spirits. We both write YA. We’re both a little nuts. And we both have webbed toes. (Maybe that was a little too much information?)
Anyway, I’m happy to announce that at approximately 8:00 pm on May 19, 2010
I finished writing my first novel!The feeling of accomplishment is tremendous, and I know that with Paula’s help and the advice of the all the awesome people I follow (check them out) I will be prepared for the still long journey ahead.
Here are some links I found helpful and relevant to the stage I’m at, in the last week alone:
The Graceful Doe's Blog post titled More Helpful Writing Sites and Blog Posts, and she mentions ...
Jody Hedlund's blog post on the editing process, in addition to other helpful sites.
QueryTracker.net Blog, because ... well, I don't need a reason, they're just that good.
Random Daily Thoughts, because this post sounded so much like me.
Guide to Literary Agents, because they've got it all.
CONGRATS!!! *Virtual pat on the back*
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Michaele! And how sweet of you to say that I helped inspire you forward. :-) So glad you've finished.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your support guys!
ReplyDeleteI am all teary! You have been an incredible blessing in my life, Michaele. Kindred spirit indeed- it's freaky how much so. I am so grateful for you and inspired BY you. Your tenacity and dedication to your first YA novel is simply delicious- and RARE to witness firsthand! One of my favorite things to do is sit in a cafe with my best friend, laptops and caffeine in front of us, typing away...a dream come true. And hey! Webbed toes ROCK! I'm positive they're the mark of creative, witty YA writers who know how to laugh really hard. At a LOT. So when's our next writer date? I'm afraid we must meet in a place of Upright Chairs, because your hammocks will not be conducive to the aforementioned tenacity and dedication. I love you so much.
ReplyDelete~Paula