- Joined
- Dec 10, 2009
- Messages
- 430
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- 27
A little background first. I studied English, lit and creative writing in college. A long time ago.
While writing was the only goal that mattered to me as a young man, I was a horrible fiction writer. My profs knew it, I knew it. My heart was broken when I decided all those years ago to hang it up before I ever even got started.
I went on with life and contented myself with what nonfiction and technical writing was necessary for my day job but it was always there haunting me.
I comforted myself with the mantra that if I ever had a story idea that was worth pursuing, I would do so. I always suspected in the back of my mind that it was a lie and I was nothing more than another failed writer. After all, I had a great family and a terrific career. What more did I need, right?
Well, it happened. For some reason, the creative juices started flowing again. I had ideas.
First came songs. I wrtote a dozen that are quite good and some friends are helping me set them to music and I'm learning to sing.
Then came story ideas. Weak at first, but I kept hammering at them in my mind, changing, working, massaging. A short story concept. A novel concept.
Ah, but they were only concepts. There was nothing on paper.
Then I did it. I took my short idea and I wrote it. It's only 2600 words, but it's a complete story. A beginning, a middle and an end. It holds together.
Several of my old college associates have read it and said "Not bad. Quite good, in fact."
So there it is, anticlimactic as it might seem. The fact is, I can now at least see light. I'm on top of the world.
Whether publication, best sellers and awards follow really don't matter that much right now. I'm on top of the damn world.
It took me 25 years to overcome whatever block it was that I set out there but it's broken now.
I'm writing every day again. My novel is growing and, if I may sing my own praises, it doesn't suck! The novel isn't anywhere near complete, but, by God, I've finished a story.
Just wanted to share. Most of my friends in the business world respond with a "That's nice." They don't understand what a wall I've finally destroyed.
A pretty minor victory by comparison to the other threads I read here but for me it's huge.
This forum has been a great resource for me. Thanks Absolute Write for doing your part in my renaissance.
EG
While writing was the only goal that mattered to me as a young man, I was a horrible fiction writer. My profs knew it, I knew it. My heart was broken when I decided all those years ago to hang it up before I ever even got started.
I went on with life and contented myself with what nonfiction and technical writing was necessary for my day job but it was always there haunting me.
I comforted myself with the mantra that if I ever had a story idea that was worth pursuing, I would do so. I always suspected in the back of my mind that it was a lie and I was nothing more than another failed writer. After all, I had a great family and a terrific career. What more did I need, right?
Well, it happened. For some reason, the creative juices started flowing again. I had ideas.
First came songs. I wrtote a dozen that are quite good and some friends are helping me set them to music and I'm learning to sing.
Then came story ideas. Weak at first, but I kept hammering at them in my mind, changing, working, massaging. A short story concept. A novel concept.
Ah, but they were only concepts. There was nothing on paper.
Then I did it. I took my short idea and I wrote it. It's only 2600 words, but it's a complete story. A beginning, a middle and an end. It holds together.
Several of my old college associates have read it and said "Not bad. Quite good, in fact."
So there it is, anticlimactic as it might seem. The fact is, I can now at least see light. I'm on top of the world.
Whether publication, best sellers and awards follow really don't matter that much right now. I'm on top of the damn world.
It took me 25 years to overcome whatever block it was that I set out there but it's broken now.
I'm writing every day again. My novel is growing and, if I may sing my own praises, it doesn't suck! The novel isn't anywhere near complete, but, by God, I've finished a story.
Just wanted to share. Most of my friends in the business world respond with a "That's nice." They don't understand what a wall I've finally destroyed.
A pretty minor victory by comparison to the other threads I read here but for me it's huge.
This forum has been a great resource for me. Thanks Absolute Write for doing your part in my renaissance.
EG
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