BEHIND EVERY GOOD WRITER

You know that saying "Behind every good man is a woman" I think the same could be said about a good writer. Now I'm not saying I'm a good writer. Heck, before last week I hardly considered myself a writer. Anyway, I have been fortunate in my journey to have the help of a few good women. I thought it would be nice to thank them right here in front of the tens of people who might see. =)

I had a story. It was a good concept. Now how do you start writing. I knew nothing. Absolutely nothing. I did have the good fortune to have Colleen Coble as my young married SS teacher. (I know) This was before Colleen was published and I got to witness a little bit of her struggle. I used to lean over and whisper to my husband. "If she gets published, maybe I can" Okay, so I'm not very realistic. Anyway, I kept watching her put out one book after another and finally had the nerve to send her something I was working on. She was very kind, but told me to keep working.

I kept working. Little by little. I didn't feel like I was making much progress. Colleen told me to join ACFW. Maybe if I got a crit partner I'd progress a little. So I did. I joined a Mentor group knowing that I needed mentoring. Jennifer Tiszai was to be my new mentor along with writing buddy Malia Spencer. Jennifer has guided us in every aspect of writing. She's helped with formatting, chapter spacing, plotting and character development. Reading her current work, Witness, has given me a new measure to judge my own writing. It's a well written romantic suspense. I can only hope when I grow up, I can write like Jen. =)

Malia is an English major. She's so good at picking up on all my grammar problems. That's a big job. Believe me. She writes College Lit. It's unique, funny and a little sarcastic. That really appeals to me. I love sarcasm. I can honestly say that the three of us have become friends. I am eagerly awaiting the day one of my friends has their book published. It's coming, I'm sure of it.

I finished the rough draft of my first book a week or two ago. It was a very good feeling. Now I just need to rewrite all that crap that I wrote. I've just started a new lit book titled Rock Bottom. I'm enjoying this story much better. I think in this learning process I'm learning to be true to who I am. I'm not Colleen Coble or Jennifer Tiszai. I may never write a great romantic suspense. I will definitely never write a great college lit. I will write something, and it will definitely be better for having been critiqued by these ladies.

A published author, awesome mentor, English major student, and the support of a great writing community. Am I blessed or what?