Good afternoon,
I'm leaving my comfort zone and trying to get connect with the world on a virtual level!
I have just completed a wonderful RWA class on social media. So with a tiny social flame lit under my reluctant caboose, I got my official Facebook author page set up and ready to go. Twitter is done, Blogger too, so I felt really good about myself until I checked the set-up dates on all my accounts and realized that I created all these links over two years ago!
Sigh...I had to ask myself the question, where did the time go?
For me the past two years have been a blur of poopy diapers, dirty bottles, half written manuscripts and numerous wonderful lessons learned about the craft of writing. But the good news is, two babies later, I am still here plugging away at my dream of being a published author.
And just so you know, I haven't been totally lazy! I've won a couple of contests, including The Maggie Award of Excellence from the Georgia Romance Writers. I've had several requests for full manuscripts and a couple of rejections I celebrated. So I can officially say, I'm actively working toward my dreams and I hope you are to!
The road to publishing is a long one. It's filled with triumphs and disappointments. Now that I have the technical side of writing firmly under my tool belt, I am excited to dive into the social side of things! I am hopeful that the next few months will be full of only good news shared via Facebook and Twitter and hopefully regular blog posts!
Until then, enjoy the wonderful smell of Spring!
Nessa
Friday, April 26, 2013
Friday, September 10, 2010
Surrounding yourself with the best...
Isn't it amazing how we learn by example? Think back to the first time you attempted to complete a new task. In your mind, maybe you had a picture of a friend or loved one doing the same thing and you tried to replicate their success!
I think that I have always dreamed of writing, but about a year ago I made an active decision to pursue that desire. It took a long time for me to switch my brain from reading to creating, but once I did the ideas flowed like honey.
Now, I just had to figure out how to write. What formats were used? How did one go about getting published? How did I find people willing to impart what they had learned on their own personal journey?
And, though I have a college education, I had NO personal examples to follow for becoming a successful writer! The hurdles seemed insurmountable. I thought, how in the world do you embark upon such a monumental task?
Well, I decided to do some research and was amazed at the wealth of knowledge available to aspiring writers like myself.
The most important thing I have learned since beginning my journey to publication is you must surround yourself with people who are successful at their trade and gather tools and examples you can use to build your own work.
I did some online research and found a local chapter of Romance Writers of America. This group meets monthly and is full of a wide range of authors from prepublished to multipublished. At each meeting they offer craft development training. I still giggle when I think back to one of my first meetings and a guest author was talking about the difference between showing and telling. I thought she was talking about something entirely different! Thank goodness I didn't say anything!
If you are unable to meet with a group, there are hundreds of online classes devoted to the craft of writing. These resources, albeit not free, are excellent sources for individualized learning. I have been able to tailor classes to suit my current needs.
And of course, there are books! I am a voracious reader and have read romance books for years. But only a few books remain on my keeper shelf! These authors did something special that really struck a cord with me. The setting was phenomenal. The characters could have been family. The plot was heartwrenchingly sweet. These are things I wanted to replicate in my own stories.
The point is...with the right tools and support you can achieve your dreams! Do the research and surround yourself with the best!
Nessa, thinking I'm seriously lucky to have such wonderful local chapter and online group to call home!
I think that I have always dreamed of writing, but about a year ago I made an active decision to pursue that desire. It took a long time for me to switch my brain from reading to creating, but once I did the ideas flowed like honey.
Now, I just had to figure out how to write. What formats were used? How did one go about getting published? How did I find people willing to impart what they had learned on their own personal journey?
And, though I have a college education, I had NO personal examples to follow for becoming a successful writer! The hurdles seemed insurmountable. I thought, how in the world do you embark upon such a monumental task?
Well, I decided to do some research and was amazed at the wealth of knowledge available to aspiring writers like myself.
The most important thing I have learned since beginning my journey to publication is you must surround yourself with people who are successful at their trade and gather tools and examples you can use to build your own work.
I did some online research and found a local chapter of Romance Writers of America. This group meets monthly and is full of a wide range of authors from prepublished to multipublished. At each meeting they offer craft development training. I still giggle when I think back to one of my first meetings and a guest author was talking about the difference between showing and telling. I thought she was talking about something entirely different! Thank goodness I didn't say anything!
If you are unable to meet with a group, there are hundreds of online classes devoted to the craft of writing. These resources, albeit not free, are excellent sources for individualized learning. I have been able to tailor classes to suit my current needs.
And of course, there are books! I am a voracious reader and have read romance books for years. But only a few books remain on my keeper shelf! These authors did something special that really struck a cord with me. The setting was phenomenal. The characters could have been family. The plot was heartwrenchingly sweet. These are things I wanted to replicate in my own stories.
The point is...with the right tools and support you can achieve your dreams! Do the research and surround yourself with the best!
Nessa, thinking I'm seriously lucky to have such wonderful local chapter and online group to call home!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Baby Steps
I have learned that starting a new career is like learning anything new in life. It takes time, patience and perseverance!
Did I mention a LOAD of DETERMINATION?
It's like watching a baby learn to walk. Inevitably bumps, bruises and tears follow, but there is finally a moment when she walks steadily into your arms with a huge grin on her face. And as a parent, you think, "Whew...it was all worth it...and my back won't hurt as much anymore!"
Creating a new career is hard work! I think the dream of fruition is what keeps us all persevering! And you know what they say, "if you're going to dream...dream BIG."
What they should say is stop dreaming and get to work! So, I am pulling up my socks and getting down to business achieving my dream.
I have decided to chronicle my personal journey to becoming a published author! Yes, I am hopping in line with the millions of other lady writers in hopes of becoming the Next Big Thing!
What do I write, you ask? Romance of course! Afterall, love is the one thing that makes this world bearable. Don't you think? And I have loved the genre for more years than I can remember. In fact, I could have rooms relegated to books I have collected from my favorite authors like Linda Howard, Elizabeth Lowell, Nora Roberts, Diana Palmer. They are classics!
But don't feel like this blog isn't for you just because you are not a writer. Like Rachel Ray says, it's more about learning the technique and applying those lessons to the foods you like or, in this case, the dreams you want to achieve! I hope to impart some hard learned lessons so that maybe the steps to success are shorter and easier for people like you.
So here's to query letters, agent searches, contest entries, learning about websites, Twitter, and Facebook (sigh...technology has passed me by!), and hopefully the day I get "The Call" to say..."You're going to be published!"
I hope that my experiences over the next few months (sigh...years?) will be inspiring and helpful to any others who have decided to follow their dream!
So move over Nora Roberts! Here comes Vanessa Moss!
Cheers,
Nessa....thinking if Nora Roberts read my current work in progress it might take a little less time to get published ;)
Did I mention a LOAD of DETERMINATION?
It's like watching a baby learn to walk. Inevitably bumps, bruises and tears follow, but there is finally a moment when she walks steadily into your arms with a huge grin on her face. And as a parent, you think, "Whew...it was all worth it...and my back won't hurt as much anymore!"
Creating a new career is hard work! I think the dream of fruition is what keeps us all persevering! And you know what they say, "if you're going to dream...dream BIG."
What they should say is stop dreaming and get to work! So, I am pulling up my socks and getting down to business achieving my dream.
I have decided to chronicle my personal journey to becoming a published author! Yes, I am hopping in line with the millions of other lady writers in hopes of becoming the Next Big Thing!
What do I write, you ask? Romance of course! Afterall, love is the one thing that makes this world bearable. Don't you think? And I have loved the genre for more years than I can remember. In fact, I could have rooms relegated to books I have collected from my favorite authors like Linda Howard, Elizabeth Lowell, Nora Roberts, Diana Palmer. They are classics!
But don't feel like this blog isn't for you just because you are not a writer. Like Rachel Ray says, it's more about learning the technique and applying those lessons to the foods you like or, in this case, the dreams you want to achieve! I hope to impart some hard learned lessons so that maybe the steps to success are shorter and easier for people like you.
So here's to query letters, agent searches, contest entries, learning about websites, Twitter, and Facebook (sigh...technology has passed me by!), and hopefully the day I get "The Call" to say..."You're going to be published!"
I hope that my experiences over the next few months (sigh...years?) will be inspiring and helpful to any others who have decided to follow their dream!
So move over Nora Roberts! Here comes Vanessa Moss!
Cheers,
Nessa....thinking if Nora Roberts read my current work in progress it might take a little less time to get published ;)
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