I plan to share with you my process of getting from the kernel of an idea, to how it came about, and how I organized the process leading to the finished product. I’d like to reveal that, but the fact is, getting to this point has been filled with words tumbling over themselves to make it to paper, voices of people who I come to feel as friends chattering to have themselves heard and at times them deserting me as I tried to force things to happen.
For years I have referred to myself as a wanna-be writer. I would get frustrated because I didn’t know how to do the process so I would buy books to educate myself that would lead to me even becoming more frozen as I let self-doubt interfere, and all the critical voices of my past would rear their ugly head to say, you don’t know what you’re doing. Why do you think you can write a book, especially a book someone would want to read? It’s ironic how one can let all the negative block our desires. Another problem is writing something I wouldn’t be embarrassed to have my mother or children read.
But thankfully, despite all the angst and self-doubt I followed the words of Stephen King, who to me, wrote the best book on writing out there. He said if you want to write, write. Once more the words began to flow, and I felt hopeful. I began writing, not with the idea of it being the great American novel, but simply for the joy of writing. I shared chapters with a good friend I’d met online in a writing group and her enthusiasm and encouragement spurred me on. I shared with a few more people and they too said, more, so more I did. I hope you will follow my blog to learn more about my writing journey.
Gayle Parish - Author 