Following a dream…

There are spaces in time we never forget…learning to ride a bike, standing on stage singing with my school Glee Club for the first time, graduating from high school, falling in love, giving birth to my children and finally understanding what love is really all about. I have now added a new one to my list…it is finishing my first novel. The emotions fill my soul faster than I can understand…sadness that it came to an end, exhilaration because I loved writing it, satisfaction, pride, and happiness because I accomplished it. From the time I was young, I have loved to write…but it was always in the form of a poem. I dreamed one day of writing a novel…maybe it would be built on truth, maybe just filled with my imagination…maybe a little of both. Finally, about 20 years ago I did start a novel…and started another and another…but never getting very far. Life’s priorities were pointed in other directions. But life is different now, and while sitting in a waiting room one day I saw a magazine article that said “Write All About It”…and so it started. I tore the article out of the magazine and to this day and always it remains taped to the side of my filing cabinet. Those four words of encouragement started a process I will always treasure. Together with my 38 year old dictionary, tattered and worn with the binding duck taped in an attempt to keep the pages in tact, I was soon entering writing contests and enjoying every minute. Suddenly I realized…why stop there. I revisited the novels I had started, looking at the directions I could take them…but an entirely different inspiration hit me…in the middle of the night as they often do and that was it…the novel started pouring out of me…for the past four months to be exact. Working my writing in around everything else in my life was constantly motivated by passion. I have now followed my dream and written my first novel…and no matter what the circumstances are around getting it published…I can proudly say I did it…I did it…I did it…and I am very happy. Writing this book became a part of me faster than I thought possible…the characters became real people in my mind. I knew their thoughts, desires and dreams as the situations became as real as if I was living it myself. Trust me when I say, I’m not delusional…I know I’m not a literary scholar, but I know now I can do it…in fact, I’ve already outlined my next book. I couldn’t help but share the excitement I feel…if for no other reason than to encourage all of you reading this to follow your dream, don’t let anyone stop you and if you never get anything more out of it than your own self accomplishment, than that is okay…because it is your dream…go get it and embrace every second you spend working towards that finish line.