My road to publication has been a long one. Now that it’s here, I can say that it is everything I have ever dreamed of and more. Being a writer has always been a dream. Through the years I doubted my dream and wondered if I should have taken a different career path. It’s tough when you receive one rejection letter after the other. Eventually I gave up hope, and walked away from writing. I replaced my story writing with poetry for a brief time, before the voices started again in my head, leading me to believe, it was time.
The most challenging part of my journey was finding the time to write. And the reason why I want to talk about this is because since getting injured at work, I am home every day. Can you imagine? It’s every writer’s dream to be able to write any time they want. Wrong. I found since I stopped working, I wrote less, stating there weren’t enough hours in the day. I took a step back and realized it was to make some changes.
By this time I was all over the place. Running around for my kids, cooking, cleaning…yuk! I needed to find time for myself, being able to get myself into a solid writing mode. Sitting back and reflecting, I came up with my own plan.
My life as a writer has been a long one, with so many ups and downs. The ups when I completed a manuscript, the downs when I received the rejection letters. (And yes, I have enough of them to wallpaper my living room.) But through the good times and the bad, I never gave up my dream. So you can imagine my surprise when I got the call. When I say I was at a loss for words, believe me that’s something which never happens.
I want to leave you with the same advice you always hear. Don’t give up. Keep working on your manuscript and don’t be afraid to submit. I have waited for this moment for over twenty-three years and I’m glad that I didn’t give up. Go after your dream, imagine the outcome and know it’s everything you ever dreamed of and more.
Karen Cino is an author, poet and former journalist. She’d been writing since she was fourteen years old. She started her career by writing poetry, short stories and articles for her high school newspaper and the Staten Island Register. After reading Jackie Collin’s Lovers and Gamblers, she knew she found her niche, writing women’s fiction.
Her daily walk down at the boardwalk is what gets her muse going. It clears her mind and helps her find realistic plot ideas and characters, boosting her muse. She loves writing about local places that people can relate to.
Karen is a single mom living in Staten Island, New York with her two adult children, Michael and Nicole, and three cats.
Website: www.karencino.com
Okay, I think I’m back to being me again.
This is weird. My post (above) came up as from “Chicklit” rather than from Jeff Salter.
And I think I’ve figured it out. When I logged in to vote for something a few weeks ago, this site evidently “remembers” that I’m “Chicklit” rather than Jeff.
Hmm. Wonder how long my posts have shown up like this?
I think the three most important words in this business are “Don’t give up.”
Great blog!
Anne 🙂
I worked in journalism for several years also, Karen. But it was back in the old manual typewriter days. A small town daily and a small weekly. Later on three base newspapers in the Air Force. Along the way, there were experiences with high school, college, and grad. school publications.
And I’ve spent most of my live writing poetry. I’m only fairly recent to novels … but I’ve completed seven in these 5.5 years.
Karen,
I know how you feel, having been there for some of your journey with you. Yes, the R’s were tough but most importantly, you have persevered.
Congratulations!
Tanya