Back again this month for the Round Robin Blog Fest!!
November's question is: How has writing rewarded you? What has it cost you?
Writing has given me an outlet for when life gets rough. When my parents would argue when I was a kid, while going through physical pain then a marital separation as an adult, writing helped keep me sane. It also brought me a connection to my kids when I wrote them stories to read at bedtime.
I'm grateful to have many people in my writing group as well as at events. I've even had the thrill of appearing at a coffee shop event then having someone (not a friend) recognize me as a writer days later! That completely made my day.
Our local library does an event every fall called WOW - Words the Orangeville Way. This fall was our third annual event and I'm grateful to be a part of it each time and have the library staff excited to see my new books come out. They're always first in line to purchase them for their own collections as well as for the library.
While I'm not widely recognized in the community, it's fun to see familiar faces in the audience and meet other writers.
What has writing cost me?
Off the cuff, I'd say my marriage, but my writing was merely a small part of the issues there.
What it has cost me at times is my sanity, especially when closing in on deadlines and trying to market my work. This year, I've not only written one new novel, but edited three others for republication in 2018.
I've been fortunate to finally find a partner who supports and understands my need to create. He gets when I need to have some quiet time to work on novels. He's even driven me to events and carried my books in from the parking lot and celebrates all my accomplishments with me and pats me on the back when I need it the most.
At the end of the day, I'd say writing gives me far more rewards than anything. I love how my youngest son used my book in a shoe box project he did once the demonstrate the things that he loved. When I asked him why he put a copy of my very first novella in his box, he said that if I could follow my dream and get a book published then he could do anything. Yes, that made me cry!
Follow your dreams just as my fellow writers have done. Please check out what their rewards and costs have been and leave comments for us all:
Skye Taylor
Judith Copek
Beverley Bateman
A.J. Maguire
Fiona McGier
Dr. Bob Rich
Connie Vines
Diane Bator
Victoria Chatham
Rhobin L Courtright
