I actually got started writing when I was just a teenager. I loved to write poems and songs mostly. I never
really thought seriously about it because the most important person in my life told me I wasn't good enough to write professionally,
and being somewhat a timid soul, I believed him.
I entered college at the age of 38 where I learned through the help of some wonderful English teachers that I did actually
have a talent for writing, but I was scared to pursue it. What did I do? I started writing never did a thing about
it. I had tons of spiral notebooks with unfinished stories and chapters of unfinished novels. My self-esteem was
in the pits by that time but after I became exposed to the Internet in 1998, I become friendly with someone who encouraged
me to have my writing published. I became more serious about it then, thinking thoughts day in and day out.
Where am I now? I'm still struggling to write that great novel and to see my name in one of those highly distributed
publications everyone reads, but I'm writing, editing,and helping publish an online magazine which gives me plenty of exposure
and experience. I'm learning to deal with the negativity and accepting that I am going to be a great writer, and though
I may not have as many years to enjoy it as I would have at 20 or 30, I'm still going to enjoy what I can.
For those of you who are new to this business of writing and editing, I have this to say. A number of years back
I was involved in MLM, and one of our top producers wrote a book called "Don't Let Anyone Steal Your Dream". Anytime
you let someone tell you that you aren't good enough, and you don't go for it anyway, you're doing just that! I did
it for years, don't you make the same mistake I did. Always follow your dreams and don't ever look back.
