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"Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside, inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe" ~ Neil Gaiman (A Game of You)

3.25.2011

I'm Just a Baby

OK, I know what you're thinking.  You've seen my picture and you'd like to beg to differ.  But that's just in people years, not in writer years.

I remember the day that I decided to become a "real" writer.  I've always loved writing, and I thought it would be fun to write a novel some day.  However, I was just a mom, just a housewife, and I was so boringly happy!  I didn't think I could find a story anyone would want to read.

Then my husband and I went to San Diego for our 20th anniversary, December 2008.  We were eating at an outdoor cafe (you can do that in San Diego in December), and I was enjoying watching the variety of people walk by.  It got me thinking about them and wondering what it would be like to actually "be" the 20-something girl in hip clothes laughing with her friends or the harried business man pushing through the crowds.  I wanted to get inside their heads, feel what it was like to live in their skins for a day.

And that spawned my Big Idea.  Finally, I had an idea worthy of a novel!  Something that people would be interested in reading.  In that moment, I became an author.  Eons away from becoming a published author, but in my heart, I was an author.

I quickly learned I had a lot to learn about writing a novel.  I decided to write a "practice" novel before tackling my big idea.  And I did... kind of.  I finished the first draft of "A Novel Idea."  It took me a year to do it, and it's only 36,000 words in length.  Still, I'm thrilled that I did it, and I learned so much along the way.  I fell in love with my practice novel, and I hope to revise it and see it published some day.

I'm still not ready for my Big Idea.  I need to work on my prose, learn how to write in first person point of view, do a lot of research, and learn how to edit.  I'm just a baby.  I've got time to learn and grow up.

5 comments:

Adam B said...

And there are many who will encourage you along the way. Keep it going.
Adam B @revhappiness

Shelli said...

Thank you, Adam -- I'm lucky that way. :)

Michelle Gregory said...

i found you thru A-Z, and how can i resist a giraffe? i hope you finally get to write your "Big Idea," but don't miss the joy of writing what comes before.

Nicole M. White said...

From what I read on your blog you're quite talented. I'm in the same boat you are- just a baby but I'm so impatient! I can't learn fast enough and the ideas keep coming...
Thanks for sharing.
http://nicolemariewhite.blogspot.com/

Shelli said...

Michelle -- Thank you for stopping by, and pleased to meet you! I am indeed enjoying the journey... most of the time. :)

Nicole -- Welcome to my blog, and thank you so much! Here's to babies helping babies along the way.