Being A Writer

I didn’t get internet service until 1998, and boy did it open up a whole new world for me, especially after I found an online writing community, now defunct, but where I met a lot of writers and renewed my interest in the craft. Unfortunately, after well over a decade of disuse, my skills, which weren’t that good in first place (especially in spelling), were rusty. And that’s not considering how limited my vocabulary had become.

So, to say the least, my first foray into the realm again after so many years was horrible. But I was lucky to have met a kind woman who sweetly took me under her wing and started giving me the grammar lessons I’d forgotten and worked with me on my spelling.

She also told me about active and passive voice, and “show don’t tell” and I was able to find a mentor in a published author, who helped me until she got too busy. Then I made friends with a professional editor who gave me a critique, and somewhere in there, I learned about Funds for Writers http://www.fundsforwriters.com. And the editor, Hope Clark told me about The Writer’s Chatroom at http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm.

With their help, I struggled, I groaned, I even cried. At one point, I told my twin, “Maybe I’m not cut out to be a writer,” she encouraged me and I grew as a writer. And I learned a lot.

Today, I can spot passive voice in a heartbeat and I’m down to 0%. I also don’t need my spell check as often, my vocabulary has grown by leaps and bounds, and I even know the difference between showing and telling. Plus I’ve learned about echo, redundancies, and flow.

I haven’t sold a novel yet, however I think I’m on the right track, because not only does practice make perfect but I’m not stagnating anymore.

What do you think? J