It’s happened. I am a published author. I can “honestly” say I’m a writer without feeling like I’ll be hit with a stack of books, even though EVERYONE says, if you write, then you are a writer. But now, well, the realness of it all has sunk in. And what a delicious feeling to see my name in print with my words under them. Lots of words I put together myself.

Well, not entirely… the prompt for Choose the Hammock came from Sue Reynolds … that first phrase when contemplating a photograph: In this one, you are… And I believe that prompt came originally from Pat Schneider

It’s a terrific prompt. I love prompts. They are like the first push on the swing, or the hands that steady you on the bike before you set out on your own adventure. Prompts rock. We had lots of those for the Novel Approach course and we have many offered in the day of Sanctuary once a month with Sue. So that when I look over my manuscript for Weather Vane, I find dozens of scenes that were inspired by prompts. It may take a village to raise a child, but for me this first go-round, it’s taken an entire community to get this baby raised.

I am so happy right now. Can you tell?

I sent my first chapter to a contest in the UK. I’ve sent a poem I wrote in Pat Schneider’s retreat to the Montreal Poetry contest.  And some other pieces have gone out. I think now that rejections won’t sting so badly. (Does everyone say that?)

I’m off to another workshop with Robyn Read about approaching publishers, and that just adds to my general happiness.