To all my current and future #DCSPeeps (DECIDE, COMMIT, SUCCEED), welcome to my new series in my continuing effort to inspire, amuse, and entertain you! Each Monday I will select a new word to analyze how it might apply to our writing lives and also give you a peek into my childhood growing up in the swamps of southern Louisiana, so kick back, put your feet up, and check out my story about TODAY'S WORD:
CHANCES
When I was in high school, I won the coveted position of editor of my school paper. Coveted by me, but not so much anyone else in the school.
You see, I've always wanted to be a writer.
Started reading when I was four years old.
Started writing poetry when I was 8.
Won my first writing contest when I was 11 and the grand prize? You guessed it...a book!
I took CHANCES back then with my writing. Sometimes the words I wrote worked and sometimes they didn't, but I always respected the freedom I had to choose whatever words I wanted to use at the time.
Back to the high school newspaper thing...
Halfway through the school year I asked for poetry submissions for our latest edition. Poems flowed in and I selected which ones I wanted to take a CHANCE on. The teacher who overlooked the paper didn't like my choices and decided to REWRITE the poems to suit his personal taste.
I was shocked and angered at what he did. So I did the only thing I could do.
I walked out in protest.
I took a CHANCE my protest would get the result I wanted...the freedom to run the paper as I saw fit...and after three weeks the teacher caved and asked me to come back. He promised he wouldn't touch the poetry again so I returned as editor for the rest of the school year.
As writers we take CHANCES all the time.
CHANCES we will finish our manuscripts.
CHANCES we will find just the right critique group, agent, publisher, etc. to help our stories come to life.
CHANCES we will find some level of success on this publishing path we travel.
And what are the CHANCES anything will come of our writing?
No one knows...but if you would have told me back in 2010 when I became a professional writer that in a few years time I would have two stories published, a blog read in over 20 countries, thousands of people reading what I write online, and tons of awesome writerly friends all over the world...I probably wouldn't have taken a CHANCE on believing any of it.
But today, I just sent out a full manuscript request of my YA fantasy romance novel, LUNADAR: HOMEWARD BOUND, to a publisher that just might take a CHANCE on me. So I say, lets roll the dice and take a CHANCE there's another publishing credit in my future!
I hope you have an AWESOME day today cuz you deserve it!
Children's book author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a 'ninja' writer of children’s picture books, middle grade chapter books and young adult novels by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books. She is also a book reviewer for Harper Collins, and a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. Donna is a lover of dark chocolate, good stories, and an adoptive mom to 20-pound guard kitty in Knoxville, Tennesse
Thanks Donna. I wish you the best with your YA novel. We have to take a chance, if we want to hit the jackpot of being published -that what it is all about.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words. If I hadn't taken a CHANCE on my writing 7 years ago, I might not have met so many lovely people through my blog so it was definitely worth it!
DeleteThanks for stopping by and come back any time!
I was a writer on that paper 4 years earlier. The teacher you mentioned was my English teacher and my teacher for 2 elective classes--Novel and Short Story. One of my short stories really got his approval. And he asked if I had actually written it myself. Years later, I realized he thought I had plagiarized it. At the time I just thought he was saying I was a good writer. He'd be proud of you now.
ReplyDeleteHi Janet! That teacher didn't realize the "gems" he had in the both of us. His loss...;~)
DeleteThanks for stopping by and come back any time!