Several years ago I had the good fortune to be seated at a luncheon next to Dr. John Pilkington, my grad school mentor, and took the opportunity to tell him that he taught me everything I know about reading and writing. He replied, “What makes you think you know anything now?”
Excellent point. So it’s not the goal of this blog to impart knowledge.
Last year my unpublished manuscript, Every City or House, made the quarter-finals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest—along with 500 others. Yes, it was heady for awhile and it was gratifying that my kind friends and family members took the trouble to read the excerpt and post glowing reviews.
As I read the other writers’ excerpts my giddiness quickly morphed into humility. I was awed by the depth and quality of the submissions and was reminded that the path to publication is next to impossible to maneuver. This impression was underscored by the laments of the many who vented their frustrations on the online forum.
While it has always been hard, today the publishing industry is in such disarray it appears that the odds of breaking through are longer than ever.
I don’t have the answer. Just a hunch that social media might offer a new portal.
My other goals are more concrete. Some of my happiest times have been spent sharing thoughts and ideas with other readers and writers. I believe that there can never be too many sources for insights about and recommendations of good books.
As for writing, we feed off of each other. One writer friend is fond of remarking that she’s always happy to share her inspirations because even if someone else seizes on her idea they will write it differently. So it is my hope to entice here the writer friends who have kept me going so far. We are too busy or too scattered now to gather in traditional writers groups. Why not here?
If others wish to join us, all the better.
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