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The Nascent Writer
Kathy, thank you so much for allowing me to post on your blog.
Like anyone who follows the trends in publishing, I find myself fascinated with everything that’s happening in the publishing world—from the explosion of ereaders to the struggles of the big 6 publishing icons. And given the ease with which one can self publish these days, it’s no surprise that new and beginning writers have exploded onto the scene.
I recently read an article on the how tos and what not to do when it comes to self publishing. Of course, all the important tasks were there: Hire an editor, have a great cover and proof read your manuscript again and again.
But where I found it interesting was when the writer stressed that one should not self publish until you have all your ducks in a row and you’ve gained an uncertain amount of mastery in your writing.
So I thought about it…and thought about it some more…until I came to this conclusion: sometimes you have to just jump in, immerse yourself, and learn as you grow.
The assumption is made that the writer has already followed up on the most obvious of tasks like those listed above. But as for garnering experience? I thought of the ten lepers who were healed of leprosy (okay, forgive the corny biblical analogy). If you recall, it’s as they were walking that they were healed. I believe that so it is with the nascent writer, myself included, that as we write, our skills will improve and we’ll learn as we grow.
I’ve found that in my case, I wasn’t willing to wait until the moon was the perfect shade of color, until the stars aligned, or the sun was giving off just the right amount of rays, or when the sky was the perfect blue and when the weather was exactly the right temperature…just to publish my book. It’s this whole publishing journey that I’m loving. I’m reading and trying to follow the trends that I deem best for me, but I also know that I’m creating my own roadmap as I go. That’s where the experience becomes treasured. I’m learning from my own and others’ mistakes.
When we do that, in the process, we become better writers. Our readership lets us know whether they love or hate what we produce. Our skills become honed by fire when we take in the criticism and mine through the accolades in search of what will cause us to improve and grow. I’m glad I pulled the publishing trigger, jumped in and immersed myself. Sometimes it’s in the doing that we learn the most. To borrow an old Nike phrase, I’ll use it to encourage the would-be writer to follow the wise advice of others. But at the end of the day, the week, or the year: You have to just do it!
Here’s to your success!
Terri Wolffe
Author of Desperate Desires
The cunningly audacious Lady Lucinda Davenport is by no means a conventional woman. Smart and fiercely determined, she’s more comfortable adding numbers than she’ll ever be socializing with highfalutin members of the ton. When desperate straits force her into action to save her home and lands, she finds herself faced with only one option. Summoning every ounce of her courage, she sets in motion a wild and raunchy scheme that would set the ton on fire if they ever caught wind of her actions.Look for my review on May 11.
Lucien Brandford, fourth Duke of Carlsborough, is a dangerous man. Wealthy beyond imagination and handsome to a fault, the Duke is sought after by nearly every woman of the ton. Single, widowed, or married, ladies vie for his attention with cutthroat precision. But the Duke has no tolerance for the machinations of his title and fortune-hungry peers. He seeks his pleasure from women who require no commitment.
That attitude ensnares the Duke in Lady Lucinda’s plan. Caught unawares, Lucien finds himself at the mercy of a bold and luscious woman whom he cannot decide if he wants to strangle or bed.The sensual dance that follows between captor and captive as they engage in a volatile battle for control, culminates in a seismic eruption—both psychological and sensual. As tempers flare and sparks fly, an intense and erotic interlude of passion ensues.
The temperamental lovers soon discover what all the world knows: that in order to possess the love of a lifetime, they must submit to one another to conquer their own Desperate Desires.
Sensually spiced with a heavy dose of passion, this romantic bestseller comes complete with a memorable cast of characters. You won’t want to put this one down!
