I have found that writing calms me down. The words flow from my head, through my fingers to the keys and onto the "paper". I don't often plan what I am going to write, I just write- it just comes out. I can write and write and then I go back and edit and make changes. But it's the writing itself that takes me away to another place, a place locked away in my head yet oh so far away. Each sentence forms itself as I think it and as I think it I type it simultaneously. It is in the planning that I get distracted and things don't flow. I get bogged down in the process and lose the creativity. I'm not sure if this is a normal style of writing but it is what works for me. It is the exhilarating part, when I can let the words shape the characters which shape the story.
So I think I left off around the winter of 2013. I was writing A LOT! I would spend hours on the weekends tapping out the keys and shaping the lives of my characters. The train station and the double sunset had been woven into the story and I was beginning to see more substance and fluff and filler and content shaping the lives of Ava and Jack. They became clearer in my mind.
At this point my sister, Amy Bitter, was reading through the story for the first time as I was working on the ending. Thank God for Dropbox! After we worked out a few kinks, she was able to edit right on the copy I was working from. Oh technology how I love you!
The ending was really bugging me. I had no idea how I wanted to tie it all together and finish. The more I thought about it, the harder it was to visualize how Ava and Jack would finish their tale. I spent many hours thinking about it and just couldn't figure it out.
So I just started writing again. I let my mind clear and I let Ava and Jack tell their story. As I put the finishing touches on the ending it just all came together, without any planning. Ava and Jack created the ending for me. It was their story and as I wrote every open piece of the story came together at the end. The ending is by far my favorite part and I am most proud of it!
At some point during this whole process I decided that I needed to have some trusted readers to give me feedback. I had a desire to know if this story was any good at all. Of course I loved it but would other people? I decided to ask two friends to read it. Both are avid readers and I knew that I could trust them to give me the information I needed. With a few instructions as to what I was looking for, Jen Kuessner and Jen Bethke read what I had written. Their feedback was invaluable!! I really enjoyed talking about the story with them and the constructive criticism was just what I needed and wanted. They gave me a readers perspective which helped me in the revising process. It was exactly what I needed to help me focus my revising!
Sometime early spring I think I had the story as a whole finally written. Amy had been busy editing and now came my task of going back through her edits and making changes. I started at the beginning and began reading through the story for probably the 100th time. This time I made changes to grammar, sentence structure and punctuation- mostly punctuation! I learned very quickly that I am not very good with commas. I think I just throw them in every now and again. Thankfully Amy, and my niece Megan, have a pretty good handle on commas!
Amy ended up going through the whole story twice to make edits- God bless her!! I read through and revised at least twice and each time I would add in a little something new or change something and I really enjoyed this process as a whole. However, I could have edited and revised forever! I could always find something to change or reword or add or delete. I found myself getting very caught up in revising and had to make a conscious effort to just stop and call the story finished. This wasn't easy to do as there was something safe about editing and revising.
I think it was early June when I forced myself to stop and call the story finished. Reading through it just one more time, I was really satisfied with the final story. So now what? I hadn't really thought about the next steps, I was just happy to have it finished. Yet it didn't feel finished to me. A very small part of me wanted to share it with others, a small part that was beginning to grow.
Next time- How I got up the nerve to share it with more people.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
On Change (in light of recent developments in my life)- A reflection on my teaching career.
If there is one thing I've learned from writing this book- When staring at a blank page, or unfinished chapter, what is to come of it is unknown and only I have the power to continue and make it into something.
Last week I found out that I would no longer be working in the position that I have had for 10 years. This has been a tremendous professional and personal blow for me and one again I am staring at an unfinished chapter, having no idea where it is going to go.
The past 5 years at Halstead Academy in Baltimore County Public Schools have been the best of my 22 years in the county. When I first walked through the doors of Halstead, for some odd reason, I felt at home and complete. I felt that my story was written that day, signed sealed and published. This was where I was going to stay for the rest of my career. I felt it in the students I have come to love. I felt it in the best friends I have made among my fellow teachers. I felt it in the challenges I faced to learn and share my technology knowledge with students and staff. And I felt it in the changing administration that have made Halstead Academy a place of learners for all. While I love what I do at Halstead, I love the students even more. I spent Friday looking at these students individually. Students who have challenged me, taught me and yes sometimes frustrated me. My love for these students makes contemplating leaving there so much harder to bear.
I have been very fortunate in my career. My 5 years at Victory Villa were the best years in terms of being a classroom teacher and having the opportunity to work with an amazing team that taught me what co-teaching and sharing are all about. Allison and Cindy you will always be a part of my team! You have taught me more about friendship and teamwork then I ever could have learned anywhere else.
When I left the classroom to become a technology teacher I had no idea what I was doing. I did, however, know that I loved it! I was so fortunate to work with Pat Quinn who showed me the ropes and helped me to develop not only my technology teacher skills but also my love of troubleshooting technology issues and learning as I go. Pat taught me to have confidence in myself and I always say- "I learned everything I know from her." (and that I miss her- Pat I have I told you that recently?)
So when I came to Halstead, I had a wealth of experiences under my belt and every one of those experiences helped to shape the teacher I became at Halstead. It hasn't always been easy but it has been the most rewarding experience I could have ever hoped for. And now change is on the horizon once again. My blank page is before me and I have no idea what will be written on it.
I have no idea if I will be a classroom teacher next year or in some other position. I don't know if I will even continue my employment with Baltimore County. I do not know if I will be fortunate enough to stay at Halstead or begin, yet again, at another school. Being the author of my own story means that I know where I want the "characters" to head but sometimes (as I learned from Ava and Jack) the story writes itself. I know exactly what I would do with my job if I were to write the story. Unfortunately I am not writing this part of the story, maybe that is why I am struggling with this. So much of my future is out of my control right now. This is unsettling for many reasons and unlike writing a book, I can't shape my career the way I would like at this point.
I wrote in my previous post about "gifts" that I was presented with that propelled the story forward. I am at a point in my "blank page" that I need to look for those same gifts that will serve to put me exactly where I am supposed to be, if not where I want to be.
If leaving Halstead, or going back in the classroom is the change that happens, I will use what I have learned from my time there and my time as a technology teacher and write the next chapter, always looking for the gifts along the way. I can't imagine that the best is yet to be but I'm sure when Ava was trying to push aside the dreams she was having and keeping Jack at arms length, she too didn't know what lay ahead for her.
In the meantime, I am trying to stay hopeful and positive in a time of change and will use these "life lessons" in my next book which I am beginning to work on. I think this will be a nice distraction for me and I can't wait to see what all of these blank pages in my life and in my next story turn into!
Stay tuned!
Last week I found out that I would no longer be working in the position that I have had for 10 years. This has been a tremendous professional and personal blow for me and one again I am staring at an unfinished chapter, having no idea where it is going to go.
The past 5 years at Halstead Academy in Baltimore County Public Schools have been the best of my 22 years in the county. When I first walked through the doors of Halstead, for some odd reason, I felt at home and complete. I felt that my story was written that day, signed sealed and published. This was where I was going to stay for the rest of my career. I felt it in the students I have come to love. I felt it in the best friends I have made among my fellow teachers. I felt it in the challenges I faced to learn and share my technology knowledge with students and staff. And I felt it in the changing administration that have made Halstead Academy a place of learners for all. While I love what I do at Halstead, I love the students even more. I spent Friday looking at these students individually. Students who have challenged me, taught me and yes sometimes frustrated me. My love for these students makes contemplating leaving there so much harder to bear.
I have been very fortunate in my career. My 5 years at Victory Villa were the best years in terms of being a classroom teacher and having the opportunity to work with an amazing team that taught me what co-teaching and sharing are all about. Allison and Cindy you will always be a part of my team! You have taught me more about friendship and teamwork then I ever could have learned anywhere else.
When I left the classroom to become a technology teacher I had no idea what I was doing. I did, however, know that I loved it! I was so fortunate to work with Pat Quinn who showed me the ropes and helped me to develop not only my technology teacher skills but also my love of troubleshooting technology issues and learning as I go. Pat taught me to have confidence in myself and I always say- "I learned everything I know from her." (and that I miss her- Pat I have I told you that recently?)
So when I came to Halstead, I had a wealth of experiences under my belt and every one of those experiences helped to shape the teacher I became at Halstead. It hasn't always been easy but it has been the most rewarding experience I could have ever hoped for. And now change is on the horizon once again. My blank page is before me and I have no idea what will be written on it.
I have no idea if I will be a classroom teacher next year or in some other position. I don't know if I will even continue my employment with Baltimore County. I do not know if I will be fortunate enough to stay at Halstead or begin, yet again, at another school. Being the author of my own story means that I know where I want the "characters" to head but sometimes (as I learned from Ava and Jack) the story writes itself. I know exactly what I would do with my job if I were to write the story. Unfortunately I am not writing this part of the story, maybe that is why I am struggling with this. So much of my future is out of my control right now. This is unsettling for many reasons and unlike writing a book, I can't shape my career the way I would like at this point.
I wrote in my previous post about "gifts" that I was presented with that propelled the story forward. I am at a point in my "blank page" that I need to look for those same gifts that will serve to put me exactly where I am supposed to be, if not where I want to be.
In the meantime, I am trying to stay hopeful and positive in a time of change and will use these "life lessons" in my next book which I am beginning to work on. I think this will be a nice distraction for me and I can't wait to see what all of these blank pages in my life and in my next story turn into!
Stay tuned!
Friday, January 10, 2014
Gifts
Throughout the writing process I was given little "gifts" that came about unexpectedly and helped to move the story along and renew the writing for me. The first one was when Shannon Smith suggested I add 1117 into the story. (see previous post). Without that suggestions I may have been stuck with 140 typed pages, no ending and no where to go from there. While going back through the story and finding just the right places to add in 1117, I was able to revise and edit and make changes that then, as in a ripple effect, would cause changes in other places in the story.
Through the winter of 2012 I focused on expanding the story, making it longer and more detailed in places. When I would run into a slump, a time where I just had no idea what else to write or add into the story, I would often go back to researching. I haven't mentioned researching much, which is odd because, researching was one of my favorite parts of writing the story. When I was writing the first "concept" of the story- the horror story- I was researching England legends and superstitions and overall English history. I had files of information taken from websites that I discovered could possibly be included in the story. Once I ditched that story idea I had to also ditch all of that research.
So when I shifted my focus to love on the lake, I began to look more into Rudyard Lake and the surrounding town. Having already combed over the Rudyard Lake website, I began to look into other things in the area. The next "gift" I was given was the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway. I knew about the railway very early and kept it filed away in the back of my head. One day, while looking over the website again and viewing pictures of the Rudyard Lake Railway, I knew I wanted to include it in the story- the proverbial light bulb glowed in my head. Once again, trudging back into the story, I found places where I could weave the railway in and make it an integral part of the story. The Rudyard Railway was one of my favorite "gifts" and I love how I was able to tie it together throughout the story! THIS is the thrilling part of writing for me!
Mid-winter 2013 the story was still called Reverie. I spent a lot of time reminding myself that a Reverie was a daydream and it just didn't fit with the story. However, I really liked the word! I liked the sound of it, especially as a title. I have always been partial to one word book titles for some reason. I just wasn't ready to let that go as the title. Until- my next "gift"- the Double Sunset!
After the Railway was put into the story, my next research mission was to find out more about the surrounding towns, particularly Leek. While reading about this charming town I came upon a mention of the double sunset- a rare phenomenon in which the sun sets twice on the same night from a specific place. I was fascinated and began to read more. I was also beginning to think of how I could incorporate this into the story and I found that it fit in perfectly in so many different ways. If you've read Double Sunset you will have to let me know if you think it just fit with the story.
Here are some links to more information about the real Double Sunset in Leek, UK.
http://www.leekonline.co.uk/sunset/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_sunset
Through the winter of 2012 I focused on expanding the story, making it longer and more detailed in places. When I would run into a slump, a time where I just had no idea what else to write or add into the story, I would often go back to researching. I haven't mentioned researching much, which is odd because, researching was one of my favorite parts of writing the story. When I was writing the first "concept" of the story- the horror story- I was researching England legends and superstitions and overall English history. I had files of information taken from websites that I discovered could possibly be included in the story. Once I ditched that story idea I had to also ditch all of that research.
So when I shifted my focus to love on the lake, I began to look more into Rudyard Lake and the surrounding town. Having already combed over the Rudyard Lake website, I began to look into other things in the area. The next "gift" I was given was the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway. I knew about the railway very early and kept it filed away in the back of my head. One day, while looking over the website again and viewing pictures of the Rudyard Lake Railway, I knew I wanted to include it in the story- the proverbial light bulb glowed in my head. Once again, trudging back into the story, I found places where I could weave the railway in and make it an integral part of the story. The Rudyard Railway was one of my favorite "gifts" and I love how I was able to tie it together throughout the story! THIS is the thrilling part of writing for me!
Mid-winter 2013 the story was still called Reverie. I spent a lot of time reminding myself that a Reverie was a daydream and it just didn't fit with the story. However, I really liked the word! I liked the sound of it, especially as a title. I have always been partial to one word book titles for some reason. I just wasn't ready to let that go as the title. Until- my next "gift"- the Double Sunset!
After the Railway was put into the story, my next research mission was to find out more about the surrounding towns, particularly Leek. While reading about this charming town I came upon a mention of the double sunset- a rare phenomenon in which the sun sets twice on the same night from a specific place. I was fascinated and began to read more. I was also beginning to think of how I could incorporate this into the story and I found that it fit in perfectly in so many different ways. If you've read Double Sunset you will have to let me know if you think it just fit with the story.
Here are some links to more information about the real Double Sunset in Leek, UK.
http://www.leekonline.co.uk/sunset/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_sunset
http://www.mikeoates.org/mas/leek/sunset.htm
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| This picture is from the last website above.
As I fit the idea of the double sunset into the story it kept creeping up that this would be a perfect title for the book. I wasn't sold on the idea and struggled right up to the very day I published about keeping it as the title. Thinking back I can't imagine any other title for the story and I am glad I didn't try to change it, it's perfect.
There were many many more "gifts" that would present themselves to me just when I needed them, that also had a significant role in making Double Sunset what it is. The whole publishing process was full of unexpected twists and turns that allowed me to keep pushing forward to the end.
I will be forever thankful for these "gifts", some might call them coincidences but I prefer to think of them as a special intervention that kept me focused and on track to finish and publish.
Next thoughts- putting an ending on the story...finally!
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Friday, January 3, 2014
1117- a very special number in my life
I was 18 when my mom's mother, my Mom-Mom, died. I was very close with her and thankfully remember her well. She and my Mom were very close and when my grandmother was dying, she had a conversation with my mom in which she told her she would send her a sign that everything was ok. My mom waited a long time for a sign but just couldn't figure out what it was. Little by little she started noticing that should see the number 1117 a lot. November 17th is my mom's birthday. The more she paid attention to it, the more she realized that this number had a way of popping up during times of great sadness as well as happy times. She began to realize that this was her mother's way of telling her everything was ok and she was there.
My mom told me about this and when I heard of all the times that she would see this number I knew it wasn't just coincidence. One of the first times I remember really feeling the impact on it was during my daughter's birth. I asked what time it was and was told it was 11:17. That cannot be a coincidence!! Since then I have seen the number in many different places. Basically where ever a number can be, I have seen it. Sometimes I see it several times a day, sometimes several times a week, but there are very few weeks that go by that I do not see it at least once. When life is full of challenges I see it more often and equally as much during happy and exciting times. I never look for it, but I don't have to, it just appears. I could recount story after story of ways Mom-Mom has said "hi" to me.
Here is just one example recently:
I was going to a Gavin Degraw concert in December and had to drive to Virginia to pick up a friend and then drive to the concert. I was excited and looking forward to the concert. There is a sign very near my house that displays how many miles and minutes it is to the next major highway. It always says 11 miles 16 minutes. Every time I look at it that is what it says. This day, however it said 11 miles 17 minutes. I smiled, as I always do, and said, "Hi Mom-Mom", and knew she was traveling with me! Oh how she would have loved to hear my Gavin Degraw concert stories!!
Whether you are a believer in these types of things or not, I cannot for one minute doubt it. There have just been too many times in the past 15 years that she has been with me in the form of this number. It is comforting and reassuring and makes me believe a little more in life after death.
So it was only appropriate that I would include 1117 in Double Sunset, a story that walks a fine line of life after death possibilities. So being the believer that I am, I added this number into the story and it became an integral part of Ava's life, particularly at the end.
I like to think that Mom-Mom was there with me helping me to finish and publish this book and she was loving every minute of it! As I wrote I was often given little gifts along the way that helped propel the story forward. Adding 1117 into the story was just this type of gift that helped to shape the lives of Ava and Jack, Katherine and John!
Thanks Mom-Mom! I love you!
Next time I will detail the other "gifts" that were simply presented to me as I wrote which helped make the story what it is now.
P.s As I emailed myself the picture of my grandmother from my phone to add here, I looked at my emails and yup you guessed it- 1117! Yes, my friends, THAT is how it works!!
My mom told me about this and when I heard of all the times that she would see this number I knew it wasn't just coincidence. One of the first times I remember really feeling the impact on it was during my daughter's birth. I asked what time it was and was told it was 11:17. That cannot be a coincidence!! Since then I have seen the number in many different places. Basically where ever a number can be, I have seen it. Sometimes I see it several times a day, sometimes several times a week, but there are very few weeks that go by that I do not see it at least once. When life is full of challenges I see it more often and equally as much during happy and exciting times. I never look for it, but I don't have to, it just appears. I could recount story after story of ways Mom-Mom has said "hi" to me.
Here is just one example recently:
I was going to a Gavin Degraw concert in December and had to drive to Virginia to pick up a friend and then drive to the concert. I was excited and looking forward to the concert. There is a sign very near my house that displays how many miles and minutes it is to the next major highway. It always says 11 miles 16 minutes. Every time I look at it that is what it says. This day, however it said 11 miles 17 minutes. I smiled, as I always do, and said, "Hi Mom-Mom", and knew she was traveling with me! Oh how she would have loved to hear my Gavin Degraw concert stories!!
Whether you are a believer in these types of things or not, I cannot for one minute doubt it. There have just been too many times in the past 15 years that she has been with me in the form of this number. It is comforting and reassuring and makes me believe a little more in life after death.
So it was only appropriate that I would include 1117 in Double Sunset, a story that walks a fine line of life after death possibilities. So being the believer that I am, I added this number into the story and it became an integral part of Ava's life, particularly at the end.
I like to think that Mom-Mom was there with me helping me to finish and publish this book and she was loving every minute of it! As I wrote I was often given little gifts along the way that helped propel the story forward. Adding 1117 into the story was just this type of gift that helped to shape the lives of Ava and Jack, Katherine and John!
Thanks Mom-Mom! I love you!
P.s As I emailed myself the picture of my grandmother from my phone to add here, I looked at my emails and yup you guessed it- 1117! Yes, my friends, THAT is how it works!!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Summer Slump and Sharing
Being a teacher, I love me some summer! It is one of the perks of the job....until you realize that you aren't getting a paycheck for those 10 glorious weeks you aren't working.
Going in to the summer of 2012 I had lofty goals! Well actually going in to every summer I do. You see around this time of year, anything that can possibly be put off is added to the summer "to do" list. Well 2012 was no different and one of my goals was to work on the story. I had a shell but it needed so much more- including an ending. I still had no idea how this story was going to end.
Well I can fast forward to the fall of 2012 and tell you that nothing happened during the summer of 2012, I did not write at all- it was almost as if the story was put back into the recesses of my brain and became one of those things that I may or may not get back to. Also during August, I began another journey to get healthy (see my previous blog www.runin2it.blogspot.com). I was so focused on what I was doing that I now had another reason to casually forget about writing.
So the fall rolls around and I am back to my regular routine of teaching and raising my girls. And I missed my story, I missed Ava and Jack and I wanted to see where their lives were going to go. So about mid-September I started writing again. This was probably the hardest point for me because I was struggling with finding an ending and making it longer. I started to research lengths of books and how many Word document pages would there be in a printed book. I read a few blogs of other writers and a few blogs and articles about writing style. I learned a few tips and tricks and started revising some of what I had already written. While doing that, I was able to add a little bit more to the story and I was beginning to live in that world again.
I believe it was around October of 2012 that I decided, on a whim, to get a little feedback from a trusted friend. It wasn't something that I gave any thought to- I didn't look at my list of friends and go eenie meanie meini mo. I simply thought one day- I bet Shannon Smith would like to read it. Shannon and I had taught together and I knew she was an avid reader, particularly of this genre. Above all, I trusted her. So I sent her an email telling her I had written a book and asked if she would be interested in reading it. Before I knew what I was doing, the copy had been sent to her and I sat chewing my nails completely out of my comfort zone. I sent her over 150 pages typed and she read it in one night. Shannon then became one of my biggest cheerleaders. It was a very surreal experience to have some feedback about the story I had written and to be able, for the first time, to have a conversation about the characters. Then Shannon said, "you need to include 1117." WOW of course I had to include that, why hadn't I thought of that!
So with a renewed excitement I began to go back through the story and add in 1117. I wasn't sure exactly how it was going to fit into the story but I just added it in where I could and began to think on it. I can't thank Shannon enough for her enthusiasm and encouragement as I trudged head on back into the story.
By December (a year after I started) I was becoming a little more confident in the story and decided to share what I was doing with my family. We were going out to dinner again for my Dad's birthday, at the same restaurant where we went the first day I began writing. I was hoping all day that I would see the Hollins Market picture, I wanted to get a picture of it. Sure enough we sat at the same table and the picture was still there!
I had been thinking for awhile about telling my family and this was my perfect opportunity. To say I was nervous was a complete understatement. I had no idea how they were going to react, I didn't even know how I was going to tell them. I can't remember what I said, but I do remember shaking and blushing when I told them. It felt like I was sharing some deep dark secret.
So with my story a little more out there I knew there was no looking back. I often think that I waited to share the story with anyone until I knew that I would finish it in some way. I had about 170 pages, a sketchy ending and with some revising and editing I knew I could make it better. My family was extremely supportive but I don't think they had any idea what to expect. Since it was still in Word form I knew my mother wouldn't be able to read it on the computer. My sister, Amy, said that she could be my editor. I don't think she realized that I would accept that offer! :0
So now that the cat was out of the bag, I had the winter to get it finished. I was excited, and scared and completely immersed in the world of Rudyard Lake going into the Winter of 2013.
My next steps were to figure out how to revise and make it longer. Publishing it entered my mind a few times during the fall and winter, mainly because I was interested in knowing how many pages published it would be. I knew that the average novel had about 300-350 pages published. I found out that a 300 page published novel is about 75,000 words. I had somewhere around 40,000. I still had a lot of words to go and this is what propelled me forward!
Next post- The number 1117 is a big part of Ava's story and a big part of my life.
Going in to the summer of 2012 I had lofty goals! Well actually going in to every summer I do. You see around this time of year, anything that can possibly be put off is added to the summer "to do" list. Well 2012 was no different and one of my goals was to work on the story. I had a shell but it needed so much more- including an ending. I still had no idea how this story was going to end.
Well I can fast forward to the fall of 2012 and tell you that nothing happened during the summer of 2012, I did not write at all- it was almost as if the story was put back into the recesses of my brain and became one of those things that I may or may not get back to. Also during August, I began another journey to get healthy (see my previous blog www.runin2it.blogspot.com). I was so focused on what I was doing that I now had another reason to casually forget about writing.
So the fall rolls around and I am back to my regular routine of teaching and raising my girls. And I missed my story, I missed Ava and Jack and I wanted to see where their lives were going to go. So about mid-September I started writing again. This was probably the hardest point for me because I was struggling with finding an ending and making it longer. I started to research lengths of books and how many Word document pages would there be in a printed book. I read a few blogs of other writers and a few blogs and articles about writing style. I learned a few tips and tricks and started revising some of what I had already written. While doing that, I was able to add a little bit more to the story and I was beginning to live in that world again.
I believe it was around October of 2012 that I decided, on a whim, to get a little feedback from a trusted friend. It wasn't something that I gave any thought to- I didn't look at my list of friends and go eenie meanie meini mo. I simply thought one day- I bet Shannon Smith would like to read it. Shannon and I had taught together and I knew she was an avid reader, particularly of this genre. Above all, I trusted her. So I sent her an email telling her I had written a book and asked if she would be interested in reading it. Before I knew what I was doing, the copy had been sent to her and I sat chewing my nails completely out of my comfort zone. I sent her over 150 pages typed and she read it in one night. Shannon then became one of my biggest cheerleaders. It was a very surreal experience to have some feedback about the story I had written and to be able, for the first time, to have a conversation about the characters. Then Shannon said, "you need to include 1117." WOW of course I had to include that, why hadn't I thought of that!
So with a renewed excitement I began to go back through the story and add in 1117. I wasn't sure exactly how it was going to fit into the story but I just added it in where I could and began to think on it. I can't thank Shannon enough for her enthusiasm and encouragement as I trudged head on back into the story.
By December (a year after I started) I was becoming a little more confident in the story and decided to share what I was doing with my family. We were going out to dinner again for my Dad's birthday, at the same restaurant where we went the first day I began writing. I was hoping all day that I would see the Hollins Market picture, I wanted to get a picture of it. Sure enough we sat at the same table and the picture was still there!
I had been thinking for awhile about telling my family and this was my perfect opportunity. To say I was nervous was a complete understatement. I had no idea how they were going to react, I didn't even know how I was going to tell them. I can't remember what I said, but I do remember shaking and blushing when I told them. It felt like I was sharing some deep dark secret.
So with my story a little more out there I knew there was no looking back. I often think that I waited to share the story with anyone until I knew that I would finish it in some way. I had about 170 pages, a sketchy ending and with some revising and editing I knew I could make it better. My family was extremely supportive but I don't think they had any idea what to expect. Since it was still in Word form I knew my mother wouldn't be able to read it on the computer. My sister, Amy, said that she could be my editor. I don't think she realized that I would accept that offer! :0
So now that the cat was out of the bag, I had the winter to get it finished. I was excited, and scared and completely immersed in the world of Rudyard Lake going into the Winter of 2013.
My next steps were to figure out how to revise and make it longer. Publishing it entered my mind a few times during the fall and winter, mainly because I was interested in knowing how many pages published it would be. I knew that the average novel had about 300-350 pages published. I found out that a 300 page published novel is about 75,000 words. I had somewhere around 40,000. I still had a lot of words to go and this is what propelled me forward!
Next post- The number 1117 is a big part of Ava's story and a big part of my life.
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