I was just staring at my keyboard when a question popped
into my head. What would I like to be doing right now if there were no
obstacles to the doing? You know, like money, time, family intrusions, job…
I’ll answer that later.
But it did remind me of another time when I asked the same question.
It was several years ago when I asked myself, “Why aren’t you writing?” I was
home alone (my husband was traveling,) and the stir of feelings about writing
the great American romance swept over me again.
It had always been my wish to be a romance writer. I blame
Kathleen Woodiwiss. She wrote the most stirring romantic epics. I know some
readers think she is overblown and prosy but something about her writing spoke
to me. Every time I cracked open Ashes in the Wind, I could see Cole Latimer
with his Hardee hat and long sideburns. And of course, the street urchin coming
off the steamboat that we would learn was our heroine.
I read Ashes in the Wind and the Wolf and the Dove at least
once a year. I would love to write like her. Or Mary Balogh. Or Eloisa James.
Or Loretta Chase. Wow, am I off subject.
So it really came down to having a dream and then having the
will to go forward.
The first year, I started my own story with a dashing sea
captain and the former whore he had purchased at a slave market. Sadly, that
book will never see a publisher’s emblem. But my goal wasn’t to actually get
the story published. My only goal, and I repeated it to myself nearly every day
for a year, FINISH THE BOOK.
No matter what it took, I knew I had to get through it. I
had to write THE END.
So it took me a full year and 112,000 words, but I got it
done. At the time, there wasn’t a better feeling. It was the feeling of
accomplishment. Since then, there have been better feelings – contracts, book
covers and release days.
Oh and by the way, today is release day for One Last Night –
go check it out at Ellora’s Cave.
So my point is, if you want to write you have to write. Just
like if you want to win Powerball, you have to play. Writing one chapter won’t
cut it. Writing one book probably won’t cut it either. I have started sixty-six
stories and of those, I’ve only finished nineteen and they aren't all published yet.
Some people say they have to write or they would die. If I
didn’t write, I would find something else to do. But I must admit, there is
nothing more satisfying then penning a tale, exciting readers and knowing that
I finished what I started. Oh, and the sweet feeling of knowing that IT IS
GOOD.
So why am I asking the same question today? I just marked a
big thing off my bucket list last weekend. I now have to add something to it.
So what should it be?
One Last Night purchase link: http://www.ellorascave.com/one-last-night.html
I love this story - I know I say that about every story I write! Well, this is one of the best and most used plot lines - lost love.
When she was gone, when he realized there wasn't another woman such as Grace, he understood the depth of his mistake.
