Thursday, September 5, 2013

Getting Serious about Writing

It has been about three months since I decided to “get serious” about writing.   Not that I wasn’t serious before then, I had just never made the effort to try to get people to read what I had written.

I have been an avid writer since grade school, writing mostly poetry, songs and short stories.  Those words from long ago were really only intended for me and something I have tightly held on to.

I have rarely had any issue with writing technical manuals, emails, presentations, documentation and the like for my day job.   I have always been glad to give those written words to anyone who asked me for them – they were tasks to be finished and expected deliverables of the job.   So, why would personal writing be any different?

I realized that many times, the personal works I had completed over the years were just that – personal.  They were about my experiences in life, my accomplishments, my disappointments, my strengths and so many of my weaknesses.   Not really something I wanted to share or wanted the world to see.  

About fifteen years ago, a very good friend said to me, “You really should write a book, you have such fascinating views on life and other things”.   I shrugged it off as her being a good friend and just being nice, until I recently reflected back on the years since that comment.   

Over those years, others have mentioned to me that they love the way I write – succinct, to the point, and easy to understand.   These comments have come from friends, family and from business associates alike.  After much soul-searching, I decided to take the next step and pursue getting my work into the hands of readers.  

It has been a long journey to get to where I am comfortable with others reading my personal work.  Being the introvert that I am, this was not very easy to overcome and something I continue to work on every day.  But, I am happy to say that I am now actively writing new short stories with the intent to share them with those who wish to read them.  

I have submitted several of my older short stories to select publications, have engaged in some great flash fiction exercises and have finally created a Facebook author page. 

And of course, I started writing this blog …

Thanks for dropping by.  I hope you will come back again to see my progress.
Posted by at

2 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 9, 2013 at 9:33 PM

    Hail kindred spirit!

    After your lovely comment on my flash fiction story I just had to come see who you were... and I'm so glad I did! Your evolution as a writer matches my own in so many ways it's not funny.

    I too did my public writing as a tech writer, but always believed I lacked the imagination to write the kind of fiction I loved to read.

    Once I let myself write fiction I discovered I had heaps of imaginative ideas, but had a lot to learn about storytelling. :(

    The tech writing has been invaluable in some ways, and a huge barrier in others. I am learning though, and each small success helps me gain a bit more confidence.

    I truly hope your path to that first novel is easier [and faster] than mine. If there's anything I can do to help - even if it's just to listen - I'd be happy to do so. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. moltenisaSeptember 10, 2013 at 8:14 AM

    Thanks for dropping by, AC! It's funny how kindred spirits connect ...

    It is so nice to meet others who have been through the process and actually completed their first novel. It gives me a new found hope that I will get there as well.

    Thank goodness tech writing was only a small part of my work life. It has been a hindrance recently to this endeavor to write fiction. The most glaring issue is that I am adverb and adjective challenged. Working on that one right now. :-)

    Thanks for the kind words and the offer of assistance, it is very much appreciated.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)