Once Upon a Time
Do you love fairy tales? I do. Those four little words to start the cinema in my mind every time. I love to journey along with the hero, whether it was up the bean stalk or over the raging sea. |
| Once Upon a Time |
As a child, I wrote a few poems and stories but I could draw better.
I Had Plans
Ever hear what Robert Burns said about the best-laid plans of mice and men? Mine went haywire too. After I graduated, I took my shiny new art degree and sent out one hundred resumes. Only one person answered. After the interview, she said I should go back to college. Evidently, companies wanted people who knew computer programs and I'd only taken one computer course.Eventually I got my Masters in education and became a corporate trainer. Meeting new people was fun and I loved watching them "get it." Soon I was promoted to curriculum writer, writing the training manuals for customer service reps to use the company's computer programs.
Until One Day
If you've visited my website, you know I have physical challenges. These began to show up around this time. Soon I knew I wouldn't be able to stand for long hours in the classroom or sit for long periods at a desk, so I prayed for guidance.That's when I saw the Writers’ Digest magazine with an ad for the Christian Writers Guild. It said, “Write Your Story.” That phrase woke something up in my heart. I knew then that I wanted to write stories to stir my readers’ hearts.
I Took the First Step
I began going to conferences and wrote a never-see-the-light-of-day mystery. After spending too much time trying to make it work, my lovely mentor (just like a fairy godmother) convinced me to start over. It wasn't until I began a new story, a new genre, and a new writing routine that things began to click.With the help of my fantastic support group: my mentor, a wise critique partner, and two faithful craft and accountability partners, my story began to make sense.
With their encouragement, I entered my story in contests. Lots of contests. At first my results were awful and I was discouraged. But my team convinced me to consider the feedback. If it made sense, I made changes. If it didn't, I threw it away. If I wasn't sure, I tried the suggestions to see if it worked.
I made my heroine stronger and upped the stakes. My characters became more real, the story stronger. I started placing in the contests. It was finally ready to submit.
You Can Be a Writer, Too
Even though I've typed, "The End" on my first book for now, my journey has just begun. Every writer is different but each needs a support groups. Successful writers never stop learning. And they always keep writing, no matter what.If you're writing, what started you on your journey? If not, what's stopping you?
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| About the Author |
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| Angela Arndt |
Read from Angela at her blog, Joy on the Back Roads or connect with her on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.
