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| Bonnie Doran |
Those who pursue writing careers don’t all start out on that
path as youngsters. But when God has something planned for our lives, He
utilizes a variety of things to make it known. Author Bonnie Doran discovered that for
herself. Today on Seriously Write, she shares her personal journey and tips
she’s learned along the way. ~ Dawn
One
Writer’s Journey
I traveled a strange road in becoming a published novelist.
I hadn’t planned on writing fiction at all.
In fifth grade, I wrote a poem about the planet Mercury that
my school published. I served on
newspapers for junior high, high school, and community college.
I majored in chemistry, switched to journalism, and took a
job as a secretary.
I wrote a devotional column for a weekly paper.
As a short-term missionary with the Far East Broadcasting
Company on Okinawa, I served as secretary, scriptwriter, and programmer. Again,
I wrote a devotional column for a local paper.
For the next 35 years, I worked as a secretary and/or bookkeeper
in a variety of settings.
I attended various conferences for 17 years. I learned the
craft, met new friends, and made contacts with people in the industry. I wrote
a few magazine articles and took several devotional assignments.
One workshop leader challenged me to write science fiction.
I finished a YA novel that might remain in a file drawer for a long time.
Members of my critique group suggested I write adult
fiction. That’s when I started the science thriller that became Dark Biology.
I pitched to numerous agents and editors. Two of them wanted
to see the manuscript. One problem: I hadn’t finished it.
Two years later, I finished the manuscript. At a conference
in 2012, another agent and three more editors asked for it.
That fall, I signed with agent Steve Hutson. Two weeks
later, Pelican Book Group offered me a contract.
That’s not the end of the road, but here’s what I’ve learned
so far:
1. Be obedient to God’s nudges. Switching to fiction was a
scary step but now I realize it’s where I should be.
2. Keep learning through workshops, conferences, and craft
books. And don’t think you know it all. Now that I have one novel under my
belt, I cringe when I see how much better I could write it now.
3. Get into a writers group. No one but a writer understands
when you tell him that your character won’t cooperate. We need that kind of
support.
4. Join a critique group, especially one with members at your
level or higher. Critters should encourage you when your writing sings and show
you how to improve.
5. Trust God’s timing. Many of my friends were published long
before I was, and some are still waiting. God’s path is different for every
writer.
6. Never give up.
Tweetables:
Author Bonnie
Doran shares 6 tips learned from her writing journey. Click to tweet.
God’s path is
different for every writer. Click to tweet.
Be obedient to
God’s nudges. Click to tweet.
Renowned
vaccinologist "Hildi" Hildebrandt has set her sights on beating her
brother to a Nobel Prize, and the opportunity to conduct experiments on the
International Space Station might just provide the means to obtain that goal.
Chet Hildebrandt should have had that opportunity.
But now he'll teach a lesson
to them all: his hot-shot astronaut sister, his philandering hypocritical
father, and the CDC for not properly appreciating his work.
One vial of a virus
purloined from the CDC labs and released at his father's marriage seminar
should do the trick, without hurting anybody. After all, it's only a mild
influenza strain...Or is it?
Bonnie Doran’s
heart is in science fiction. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, and
Sudoku puzzles. Her husband of thirty years is a Mad Scientist who owns a
2,300-pound electromagnet. They share their Denver home with two Siamese cats.
Her debut novel, Dark Biology,
released October 25 from Pelican Book Group.
Media
Links:
Website: Where Faith and Science Fiction Collide: http://www.bonniedoranbooks.com/
Blog: The Mad Scientist's Wife: http://bonniedoran.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bonniedoranbooks
Twitter: @bonniedoran
Twitter hashtag: #DarkBiology
