This month's IWSG question is, "Do you remember writing your first book? What were your first thoughts about the career path? Where are you now, and how is it working out for you?"
It appears we have multiple questions, so I will tackle each.
Why, yes, I remember writing my first book, That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN! My career was born in a rocking chair, late one night in Lakewood, Ohio. The year was 2005. My infant son, Bubba was the inspiration. He was a not-so-excellent sleeper. One night, when I was up for the umpteenth time, holding him in the rocking chair, a poem started going through my head. It was the beginning of That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN! Over the course of a week, every time I was up with him, I'd add more to it. By the end of the week, the entire thing was in my head. That's probably where it would have stayed had I not shared it with my three-year-old daughter. She liked it and said it should be a book. Being in the sleep-deprived state I was in, I thought it was a brilliant idea. The rest is history.
My first thoughts as I went down this career path? I don't remember, because I was sleep-deprived, but they probably were something like, I don't know what the heck I'm doing. But who cares? I'm doing it anyway.
Eighteen years later, here I am. Six published books with three on the way, plus a couple of anthology stories. It's been a wild ride. Ups and downs. Lots of rejections, but also awards and high points along the way. And the unexpected thing is that I've met so many awesome people like yourselves who have been wonderful friends and helped me on my journey. And for that, I'm very grateful!
What about you? If you're an author, what has your journey been like?
Now for what I've been doing, besides revisions on the next three Bubba and Squirt books:
A visit to Chattanooga Tennessee where we saw Ruby Falls, an underground waterfall. Ever been there? It's spectacular!
