I probably first wanted to be a writer when I was in kindergarten, and we had parent volunteers come in and help us write a story we dictated. Then the parent volunteers bound our “books” with pretty fabrics that we picked out, labeled the front with our names and title and voila! I was published. I remember sitting at the table coming up with the story (which was a very obvious rip off of Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?) and loving every minute of it. My Mom still has the book so I can still picture the purple floral print I chose as my cover.
I’m not sure I truly gave much thought to actually being published after that for a while. I mainly wrote stories like the books I was reading, only creating characters based off my own life. I wrote because I loved to do it, because stories were in my head, because characters talked to me. It was a joy.
And the thing is, it still is. I want to be published. I am determined to be published. But I don’t write to be published, if that makes sense. I write because it makes me happy.
Which was why this post from literary agent Janet Reid really spoke to me. Sometimes I feel discouraged by the trying to get published process, but I can always find the joy in writing. So, no, I won’t be giving up.
We should all be so lucky to pursue the things we love to do, the things that bring us joy.
Nicole Helm 