Some friends of mine and I started a new group blog titled Inkspirational Messages. This week we’re taking turns introducing ourselves and telling a bit about how we got started in writing. Since I’ve never really done that here, I thought I’d re-post what I shared over there. I’d love to hear comments (at either site) about how you started as a writer and where you are now in your journey.
Funny thing, being a writer. Like the Reading Rainbow show I watched when my kids were younger — you can go anywhere, do anything, become anyone. The funniest thing about me being a writer is that I stumbled upon it quite by accident. I saw a book at a yard sale titled, 25 Careers Women Can Do From Home, or some such thing. I flipped through its yellowed and torn pages, stopping at the chapter on writing. I went to the library, picked up a few books on learning to write, and that evening told my husband I’d decided to become a writer and I figured that within two years, we could both quit our jobs. I was serious.
That was about 15 years ago. We’re both still working, and I’m still learning the craft. I sometimes think I probably could have transitioned to full-time writing by now had I just settled on one type, but to me the writing world is like a roving dessert cart. How can I possibly pick just one? (Lorna’s suggestion that we share what “type” of writing we do made me smile.)
My first foray into the field stemmed from my days as a newspaper typesetter. I almost instantly got promoted to copy-editor (I blame my grammar-nazi father for that), and within weeks began submitting my own copy to the editor. The next thing I knew, I held the title “Sports Writer.” To date, sports writing has been some of the most fun I’ve had in my wordsmithing work.
Magazine articles came next. I still write for a few statewide periodicals but have actually attained a few national bylines. One of my biggest thrills in my hope of becoming the next Marjorie Holmes was the day I received a rejection letter from Woman’s Day on original letterhead, signed in ink — my first non-form-letter rejection. I danced around the room waving the letter around.
Somewhere shortly after that I had a heart-to-heart talk with my mother, which resulted in my first book, The Prodigal Daughter. The book begat a speaking career, and I still speak to groups from time to time either about reconciling relationships or various writing topics.
During the book-writing process, a friend of mine introduced me to what was then called American Christian Romance Writers, an off-shoot of American Christian Writers. The group has evolved into American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and now has nearly 2000 members. I may hold the record as the longest standing member who is not yet published in fiction. It’s that lack of focus thing again, although I have completed a novel (an inspirational historical romance) and am currently working up a proposal to pitch it.
My true writing love, though, is humor. If the writing fairy stopped by my house right now and waved her wand, I’d wish to be transformed into a columnist. The next Erma Bombeck or maybe Dave Barry but with less sarcasm. (I’ve actually had my picture taken with him as well as with Erma’s daughter — that should count for something!)
My humor columns are nearly as diverse as the rest of my writing career has been, and include topics such as Overweight & Underorganized, Navigationally Challenged, To Insanity and Beyond, and Think Outside the Beltway (political commentary). 
It would be a dream come true to have a collection of columns published some day. That nearly happened last year, but sadly, when the economy tanked, so did my would-be agent’s hopes of selling the project, which merited me yet another very nice rejection letter. Such is the life of a writer.
Although it makes my husband crazy, today I no longer worry whether or not my words will be published, which may be why many of them aren’t. I just write what I’m thinking at the time and post much of it on my blog. I hope you’ll stop by there sometime and say “hey!”
