In the quietness of a Shabbat late morning on our kibbutz, as I watch my son laugh in a pot of water in our garden while waving a red paintbrush over his red hair, and I am brought to write the following post....
In a little bit over a month, school will be out and my head will be in the suitcases, boxes, and getting stuff organized for our year abroad in the States.
It will be a year since I took my first online fiction writing class at Gotham. Since then, there have been many firsts of different things - my writing blog, sending writing letters including work-for-hire, sending my stories for the first time, a writing gig at Luftansa airline, a long term writing gig at suite 101 and from there, learned about the world of writing for the web.
And how could I forget those delicious acceptance letters??
In that online writing class at Gotham last summer, I shared my work for the first time. I believe that is where it all began. The passion and discipline were there even all throughout the war and my writing intructor was in awe of my determination to succeed. My determination also took me to not so comfortable areas: I learned what it takes to silence my inner editor, to not be afraid to share my work, to learn from others, to lower my frustration and writing anxiety and most of all, I began to believe in myself.
Since then I have shared numerous pieces all over the world. I even surprised (and inspired) myself and wrote an article about selling your first piece of writing.
I have done much to make writing a central part of my life. I even hired a babysitter to get extra writing time. It's hard writing with a toddler and often I had to rethink through my priorities of a given moment and be less selfish. I bit my nails, when the words didn't come and learned how to let sleep work its wonders. Sometimes the words didn't want to come, other days I knew what I wanted to say.
As I wrote in my last post, this book project that I will do during my sabbatical is a major thing. A very good thing. I am crossing my fingers. As I wait for the paperwork from my supervisor to come in through, I continue to refocus and revise the book proposal, first starting with the chapters and get it sent out.
What's comforting is that the year ahead will give me piece of mind (a bit, I hope) so that I can put writing in a central part of my life while I am getting paid. This is very reassuring!
So, when I receive a rejection, I look beyond the words. I am learning to realize that each little step is actually a milestone.
Hopefully, everything that I do and learn will get me closer to my wish (and goal) and one sweet perfect day, I can live off my writing.
How long have you come with your writing? Where are you heading? What is your writing wish?
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