It starts!

I'm finally putting on my big kid shorts and doing as my past writing teachers have been suggesting I do for years: I'm making a concerted effort to send my work out into the world. Since I could scribble words onto a page, I've aspired to be an author; however, for whatever reason, up until last year I had never sent anything out for consideration. I don't know if it was just that I wasn't prepared or that I wasn't confident of my abilities yet--that's something that I should probably address in order to avoid future self-sabotage--but I do know that it was never a fear of rejection. I was thrilled to get my first rejection letter as I felt it made me a "grown up writer." I vowed to save every response I received, and though I couldn't know how many would come before I got a bite, I was just thrilled to be in the game. Fortunately, ten rejections later, I'm celebrating my first success on the most unlikely of pieces.

I don't typically write poetry, but now and then, inspiration hits us all in ways we wouldn't suspect. I wrote "Warfare" quickly, after several lines steamrolled the horror novel I'd been working on. I finished the poem within an hour or so, then sent it off that night on a whim. I was surprised when a month later it found a home. Sure, I'm not really a poetry writer, but it was encouraging to know that acceptance wasn't just a dream attained by people who aren't me. It's a baby step, but it makes me feel like there's a chance that I really can get my name out there with enough effort and perseverance. For now, I've started up the practice of sending something, anything, out to magazines and anthologies every month. None of my novels are ready, but I'll always have a surplus of short fiction, and I want to see where it can take me. A part of me doesn't truly believe I can become what I dream, even though I've learned as much as I can about the complex world of writing professionally and know it's attainable, even if it might not come with the financial stability so many people imagine is tied to getting that first manuscript published. I believe I just have to take pride in the effort I'm making, especially when I spent so much time encouraging others to submit their work, never taking my own advice.

So, that in mind, I want to start making even more of an effort to connect with other writers out there. Being surrounded by like-minded people feeds inspiration, and you can never have too many connections or resources. I don't imagine networking will be easy, but I'm going to make an effort at least. We'll see where that takes me.