Journey as a writer

As I was combing through back stories tonight, making sure everything was in the right place, I thought about a question a lot of people have been asking me lately.  "How did you not give up?" 

Being a writer isn't simply a career or a passion you pick up overnight.  To those of us who actually spend our nights writing, we know this is something we dedicate ourselves to every day of our lives.  While our soldiers go to war for us, gymnasts compete at championships, and singers perform in front of crowds of hundreds, we--the writers--are the ones hurriedly typing away at late hours of the night to finish one last chapter.  You don't always see us, you  don't often know us, but that's okay--we understand that.

The wonderful thing about being a writer, though, is that you are able to experience a journey like none other.  What the journey is like, though, I cannot tell you for sure.  It all depends on you, the book you write, the hours your sacrifice, the words you place down on paper.  And when you come to that final destination of your journey, you should know that it doesn't stop there.  Perhaps it sounds a bit cliche and it's been said before, but this is true: When one journey ends, another one begins.

It's okay to be asking yourself in the middle of the night why you don't give up or what it means to you that  you're a writer.  We all ask ourselves that question, and my answer is going to be different from yours, hers, and his.  We have to experience this journey for ourselves, but I want you to know that through all of this there are so many amazing people you can meet.

Up until I actually signed my publishing contract, I had no idea how truly significant acknowledgments can be.  Then as I was writing it, I realized there were people who impacted my book in more ways than I had noticed before.  A large group of those people were published authors--whether they were famous indie authors or traditionally published--all of them were my mentors, friends, and role models during this process.  So even if you ever feel like you're alone on the ride, don't forget about the men and women before you who have written amazing work--they truly do have an impact.

Well I've got a date with editing to return to, but I hope this gives you something to think about in the meantime.  Happy Tuesday everyone!

Lindsey R. Sablowski