The Road So Far

I’ve written about my writing dozens of times. I’ve documented both my successes and my failures. The act of writing is my passion, and it fills with me joy. I can only hope to make a living from it in the future. So far, I’m off to a good start. I recently made over four hundred dollars for an article and a company contacted me about using my writing in one of their upcoming ads. I’ve never won any of the writing contests on Vocal, but I hope to soon because I think my writing voice holds something special.

The content that I create is important to me, some of it has even helped me to get through tough times. When I lost my toxic job, I started to write more, but there is one project that’s still on the back burner. I wrote a novel about two years ago, but I never edited it. I might have been afraid that some of the magic the novel had disappeared, or maybe I was scared.

I’ve heard many writers use the term ‘book baby’, and I must admit that’s how I feel about this novel. I’m also afraid to peak at it for fear of messing it up, but I know I have to. It has always been my dream to hold the book in my hands and run my fingers through the pages, but somedays that dream seemed out of reach. There were times when I didn’t feel good enough about my writing, or when others told me that my writing wasn’t the best. There were other times when people told me that I wouldn’t make it as a writer.

I hate admitting this, but somedays I listened to the negative voices of those telling me that I would never amount to anything with my writing. There were days when I almost gave up completely or deleted projects that I was working on. I’ve even failed in the past when I decided to release my debut novel too soon. I regret those days, but they made me the writer I am today.

So why should anyone support my passion?

The simple answer is because I’ve made mistakes throughout my career, but I’ve learned from them and strive to do better. I want to see my book in print, but not badly enough to sacrifice the quality. I care about the story that takes place between the pages, and I believe you should too. I’ve worked on the story for two-plus years and I want it to be the best story I’ve ever written. I put thought into every detail of the story, from the book’s title to the blurb, to the words in between the pages.

I set the story in my home state of Louisiana, so I share a special connection with it. My characters enjoy many of the things Louisiana has to offer, like warm weather and beignets. My protagonist is haunted by the ability to see ghosts, but I’ve managed to keep her down to earth and relatable. I also gave the struggles that she must overcome, like the inability to have a regular life because she sees ghosts. Her power affects every part of her life, from her dead-end job to her nonexistent dating life.

If you’re still asking yourself why you should support me, please consider that I crafted each word of the novel with love. I created a character that many people could connect with, and hopefully love as much as I do. The protagonist's journey will have many twists and turns along the way, but I felt that the story was worth writing and worth reading.