My children all have four legs, so I can’t claim to have the same knowledge as moms of the two-legged kind. But I did watch my mom start crying when at age 16 I began to drive on my own. The day I got married, well, the water works flowed from both parents. I realize that parents everywhere at some point must learn to let their children go. From what I can tell, nothing prepares them for it. It’s one of those rites of passage that can’t (ok, shouldn’t) be avoided.
The same kind of thing happens with a story. I know quite a few people who claim they want to be writers. They, in fact, have a collection of stories that they’ve spent years cultivating. They fret over words. They build their characters. They grow their plots. They raise these stories from little baby sentences until they reach full-fledged novels. But as soon as I ask about when they plan on submitting to a publisher or agent, these same writers, people who are so proud of their work, shut down. They don’t want to face rejection. They can’t let go.
I’ve never made it a secret that idea for SOLDIER just came to me one day. On a whim, I decided to sit down and put the idea on paper. Three weeks later when I finally wrote The End, I knew I had a good story. A fabulous story. And people deserved to read it. For that to happen though, I had to let send my story to a publisher. I had to face potential rejection. I had to find the courage to let it go.
I’m very proud to say that Cobblestone Press granted me the opportunity to say that I’m a published author.
SOLDIER released in April of this year. Since that original contract, I’ve contracted two additional stories with Cobblestone Press.
I want to encourage anyone out there who has a great story that is dying to be told to find that courage. Break away from the safety of “I’m going to write a novel one day” and venture into the land of “I submitted my story to a publisher today”. Sure, a few tears may fall if someone doesn’t like your work or better (worse?) yet, someone likes your work (yay!), but your editor doesn’t like your words (oh no). In the end, that experience can only help you grow.
A fellow writer once told me something that sticks with me today: Written but unsubbed is unfinished. I can’t claim that I don’t have a story or two that are written but unsubbed, but I can say that like any good parent, I know when I’ve done my job. I know when I can’t keep the story to myself. And I let it go.
Find out more about me and my stories. Visit me on the web, http://www.deecarney.com.
Hugs,
Dee
