My Writing Side

My Writing Side: November 2012

Sunday, November 18, 2012

It's A Wonderful World


I am published…really…in print.

Life Rattle has selected my short story, Alfie, out of all the ones it features every week on its internet radio. Ten authors will be reading at the Totally Unknown Authors Festival on November 21, 2012. Our stories are now printed in the 2012 collection—check it out here. I am honoured and thrilled to be among this eclectic group of fine authors. Click here for more information about the festival.

Life Rattle released the radio version of Alfie in December, 2011. A year has passed since my story was accepted. How often have I read that the publishing process is a long drawn-out process? No kidding.

This past year, I have been totally wrapped up in writing my first novel. I have to admit that this is the hardest undertaking I’ve ever been engaged in. Now that I’ve completed my first draft, the grind continues—no relief is in sight yet. I am spending every available free time on editing my work. The re-writes are brutal. Huge chunks of words disappear in one click. Often, the perfect sentence eludes me. I stretch my brains, picking word after word—inserting, discarding, inserting. Are my characters credible? How do I infuse life into them so they are not mere personalities with one dimension? And of course, the doubt persists…all the time.

Until I get my manuscript to an editor or a reader, this is a lonely journey. And when it leaves the safety of my computer, I have to psyche myself to accept criticisms…lots of it, I’m sure. Why do I put myself through all this? It’s a torturous route, to be sure. Yet the reward—clearly not financial—is so much more satisfying. I have achieved greater material success in the corporate world and can continue to grow even more. But that is a dream I have put on the shelf so that I can devote more time to my writing.

My little story is published, and my cup is brimming with writing pride. Can you imagine where my head would be if my novel gets to the reading public in its entire bound and printed glory? I wish I could write faster and find more time to write. With what little time I have, I plug along. It sure is a slow and arduous journey, but the experience is priceless.