Today as I've been working on a new part of my adventure in writing I was thinking of all of the things that I've learned over the past six months. At the moment I'm actually working on three stories simutaniously, something I never thought I would do, and it's amazing how things are coming together. I'm currently working on Isabella:Book Four of the Cattleman's Daughters and can't believe I'm already there.
When I wrote my first Novella Maggie's Valley I didn't have a clue how this whole publishing and writing thing worked. I simply had a story to tell and did my best to tell it. Unfortunately despite my best efforts and the amazing help of friends and family the book was formatted all wrong and the editing was, to put it nicely, poor. I discovered in that first step on this journey just how much I had to learn and a weakeness that seems to pleague nearly all writers: we can't edit our own work worth a hill of beans.
I'd like to think that as I continue to tell my stories I also continue to grow and develop as an author and 'finisher' of my work. My second story Katie was far better laid out than story one but still had many errors. Now as I move forward I've been blessed with an editor that I can afford and who is helping me develop that side of my craft. I'll tell you now I'll never be done, if I'm not improving each time I tell a tale then I'm doing something wrong.
Many readers have reached out to me with both positive and negative responses to my work and they are all equally valued, though some are bitter medicine, they all make me better at what I do. I am deeply thankful and appreciative for everyone who reads my work and is forgiving and understanding through this learning process. I am striving each day to get better and hope that soon you will be able to enjoy my stories error free. Each work is an adventure and a learning experience and you all make it worth the effort. I'd say it's a growing thing.
Thanks for going on this writing adventure with me.
Danni,
I also want to thank the amazing authors at Pioneer Hearts who are the most supportive people I've ever met. Check them out at the following site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pioneerhearts/