Two Great Things About Writing

Two Great Things About Writing

Before I became a writer I wanted answers to a life I had not yet lived. I engaged in a constant battle with myself. Physically, I lived in the present, traveling across the country in my twenty-four foot Winnebago motorhome with my cat, Sportster. As  the day  rolled on by my windshield,  my  mind reached down the road, around the bend and  into the next hour, day or  year, wanting to know about  my future, my  next adventure. How many times did I miss the awe of the picture-perfect scenes scrolling past? I didn’t cherish the softness of the pine scented breeze, brushing my face, which drifted into the open window.  No, I let it all pass me by.  I wanted to know what was down the road. I wanted answers to a life I had not lived.

Today I am an author. I write novels. My mind creates stories from the places, the people and adventures I have experienced on the road. I don’t wait for what is around the next curve.  I create my own answers to all those “what if…” questions as I cruise along a thousand, forgotten country roads. Feeling the warm hue of fluttering, falling leaves, or filling up my heart with the promises from the green sprouts of spring, I lean back in the driver’s seat. The steady hum of the tires sing their freedom song and glide along the ribbon of asphalt.

 I shout, “OK Google, take a note.”

 

I don’t need answers to the life I haven’t lived.

I am an author, I can make up my own answers.

 

 

Before I became an author, I suffered many failures. Two marriages, many relationships, and worst of all, I failed as a mother. And when I really examine my past, my role as a daughter was dismal, too. The disappointments and heartaches I suffered would have driven many into depression and even suicide. I admit, I waded in those dark pools. During those dark days of desperation, I shared the miserable details of my existence with a friend.  

My wise mentor responded. “That is good, “she said. “Now you will be able to tell someone else who is going through what you are now that you have been  there. And you will tell them how you survived.” Your failures will be their hope.”
I didn’t take the dive into the deep pool of eternity. Do you know why? The fear of failure. What if I failed the suicide attempt?  To me, that failure would be the ultimate failure, so instead, I pressed on.

So what is the second great thing about being an author?  

As an author, I enjoy the success of those failures.   In simplest terms, I can incorporate my tragedies into my books. The experiences of those dark days and the process of trudging through them have miraculously evolved into the success I enjoy today. They are threaded into my stories and have changed people’s lives.

For me, the future has been a scary, unknown place, and yet in contrast, transformed into an exciting and rewarding world beyond my imagination.

Contrast, tragedy, and overcoming great odds. Makes for a great story, a page turner, a BEST SELLER!!

Enjoy the success of your failures.

It’s great to be a writer!!