{"id":1746,"date":"2019-07-10T03:06:22","date_gmt":"2019-07-10T03:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leighgrissom.com\/?p=1746"},"modified":"2019-07-10T03:06:22","modified_gmt":"2019-07-10T03:06:22","slug":"breaking-rules-publishing-guest-blog-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/leighgrissom.com\/2019\/07\/breaking-rules-publishing-guest-blog-post\/","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING RULES PUBLISHING Guest Blog Post"},"content":{"rendered":"

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TIME TO MOVE THE FURNITURE<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Most journeys begin with a single step. Mine didn\u2019t.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It started with a bookcase.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

My mother loved rearranging the furniture in our house. Several times a year, every room would take on a new look. The summer before my fifth-grade year, her bookcase found a new home in my bedroom. I loved it \u2013 I had been a voracious reader since the age of two, and had long since abandoned he children\u2019s section of the library. I scanned every title repeatedly, from the classics, to her books of poetry, and down to two titles that fascinated me more than any of the others. I loved the way the titles sounded and my childhood curiosity pushed me to read them both.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The books were Stephen King\u2019s \u201cFirestarter\u201d and \u201cThe Dead Zone.\u201d As Fate would have it, Mom caught me with \u201cFirestarter\u201d and decided I wasn\u2019t too young to read it. I devoured both books, and on every subsequent trip to the library that summer, I picked up one or two more. I\u2019d already read all the Hardy Boys\/Nancy Drew mysteries; I had to do something.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Flash forward to the school year, where The Human Dragon of Teachers (name withheld because she still scares me) taught a class on descriptive writing. The assignment was simple; a story of no more than two pages, using the techniques she\u2019d shown us to make the story more visual. I can\u2019t remember the title mine, but I can remember it was about a man watching a building burn. In a twist I\u2019d hoped would make Stephen King happy, I waited until the last sentence to show the man throwing the gas can in a dumpster and sliding his lighter back in his pocket. The Dragon Lady was so unnerved that I was called to her desk to see if we \u201cneeded to talk.\u201d Scaring the already-scary was enough to show me writing could be fun. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In the two years encompassing sixth and seventh grade, I hand wrote a short story collection (awful, awful stuff) and one \u201cfull-length\u201d vampire novel that topped out at 42 pages. This is also the time I first wrote the name \u201cKerry Sheridan\u201d in one of my notebooks. More on her in a minute.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

During high school, I stuck to writing assignments and worked part time. I had support from several of my teachers until my senior year, when one vicious note from my English teacher shut down my writing completely \u2013 for over 20 years.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I played with writing during that time, sure. I had to \u2013 it was a need I couldn\u2019t shake. But in my mind, I knew it was awful and there was no point in doing more than keeping a journal. Rejections from several magazines the rare times I gathered courage reminded me I was a hack. The depression that followed opened the door for alcohol, and I forgot I had a dream.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In 2005, I stopped drinking. It took a long time for me to pick up the pen again, but I did. Kerry Sheridan (remember her?) returned with a vengeance \u2013 angry, sober, and she needed to be heard. Between 2013 and 2015, I finished the first draft of \u201cKLS-9\u201d while I was at work (don\u2019t tell my ex-boss). After decades of despair and depression, I finally held a story in my hands that wasn\u2019t half bad.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2016 brought the loss of my mother. Before she crossed over, she told me to promise I would finish the book. I promised.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Then 2017 happened.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

First, I won a contest to have a paperback and Kindle cover designed for \u201cKLS-9,\u201d which wasn\u2019t even finished at the time. The designer was so patient; he worked with me and held the cover until I could give him a page count, and treated me like I was a VIP customer even though he didn\u2019t make a dime. To add blessings on blessings, he also asked the all-important question:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have an editor?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I did not. He recommended someone and she and I clicked instantly. She walked me through the release of \u201cKLS-9\u201d that August and the sequel \u201cSABRE-6\u201d in February of this year. Right now, I can hear her clicking her red pen from states away. I should wrap this up and get back to work on the third book of the series. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Where am I going with all this? I guess I\u2019m trying to tell any aspiring writer, or any writer who\u2019s fighting doubt and fear \u2013 don\u2019t do what I did. Don\u2019t let months, years, decades pass while you deny the passion that fuels your soul. Don\u2019t listen to the people who want to drag you down. If it makes you happy, regardless if you become the next best-seller or not \u2013 for the love of all that\u2019s holy, don\u2019t quit. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So many will tell you, \u201cWrite every day.\u201d If you can, great. But many of us have day jobs. Families. Cats who like to lie on keyboards. Every day isn\u2019t feasible, but when you can, do it. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Support is vital. I used to believe it wasn\u2019t, and I freely admit I was wrong. The friends and family who cheer you on are treasures, but \u2013 and don\u2019t get offended, friends and family \u2013 you should find other writers to provide that added boost. We \u201cget it,\u201d and we know how frustrating and wonderful the process can be. Writer\u2019s groups are a wonderful way to make connections and learn from others. If you\u2019re like me and can\u2019t find a local group, use social media. Set yourself up on Twitter and find the hashtag #writingcommunity. You\u2019ll meet some amazing individuals and maybe make a friend or ten. Trust me \u2013 I did. I\u2019m out there, and I promise I\u2019ll behave while you meet the neighbors. Really.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If the words won\u2019t come, then read. Read everything. Read great books. Read crappy books about overblown sex scenes or sparkling vampires. You\u2019ll learn more than you realize from the great books, and you\u2019ll feel better about your own work when you read the ones that suck. Soon, the words will come back.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

My writing journey took a long time, but I feel I\u2019m right where I need to be \u2013 in the first draft of my third novel, and learning how to write a screenplay for \u201cKLS-9.\u201d Now that I\u2019ve started, I\u2019m not stopping. And you shouldn\u2019t either. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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