When I told a friend of mine I was thinking about writing a book, she said to me, “Ah, you have something to say.” I frowned, and said, “No. I just have this awesome story in my head.”
So, with those words planted in your mind,
“Let me tell you a story…”
My journey to publication started in the mid-90s.
One evening while I was reading, I thought how simple the structure and
dialogue was in this particular novel. You
can write, a voice urged inside my head. Let me tell you, I almost fell off
my chair. But the words rang true for me. So, I decided to act on this truth,
and took a writing course—Writing your
Novel—where I met a great couple of like-minded would-be writer gals.
Together we started a writing support group, and I wrote my first novel—a
paranormal romance. This manuscript caught the eye of an agent, but I was
hardly ready, and I see that now. What I needed to do was to hone my craft and
get better and better with the process of writing. And that takes making lots
of mistakes at the expense of your ego. In other words: lots of rejection, rejection,
rejection! Ouch!
Then one night, during my writer’s group,
one of my friends said something that floored me. She mentioned that I hit my
twelve-year-old character’s voice bang on. So, this got me to thinking—how hard
would it be to write a young adult novel? It was a stupid question. Of course
it was hard! After thinking about what my friend had said to me, I decided I’d
challenge myself and write not just a novel—but a series—that would appeal to
my son, who at the time was the target age of my audience. Since I’ve always
loved the time travel genre, it was a no-brainer for me.
life. About the writing process. About my journey to publication. And about the feeling I finally had holding a printed copy of my first book, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis. Let me tell you that was a bitter-sweet moment. Bitter because I didn’t realize the amount of work that lay ahead of me to continue on with my journey as a published author. Sweet because all those years—seventeen to be exact—I’d worked so hard to achieve getting published, had actually paid off. Perseverance, they say, truly wins in the end.
So, you want to write a book? It begins with INTENT. Back when I started blogging, I was so green and didn’t have much to offer writers or even knew what to say. I was scared, insecure, and filled with tons of self-doubt. BUT I moved forward with tenacity and embraced the desire to be a published author, and dare I say, Bestselling author. I’ve built my blog, and my writing career brick by brick, word by word until I’ve amassed quite a collection of helpful and heartfelt content to assist anyone who is remotely interested in delving into the murky, yet exciting world of writing and all the challenges a writer might face. Today, I still have a long way to go, but I’m definitely on the right track with my goals and aspirations as a young adult author.
It is my hope that you find my free PDF ebook Tips, Tricks and Tools for the Tenacious Writer insightful, inspiring, and illuminating as you begin your writing journey or just need some tips, tools, or tricks to help you shine in this crazy publishing business. All the best. All the success.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.