When you enter the world of writing, you assume that you write a book, you correct it, and then you put it out there with the help of an agent who will fawn all over your descriptions and your plot. That’s not the case. For all you new writers, the greatest piece of advice I can share with you is wait before you publish. Your skill will flourish with experience and time. Your characters will spring to life. Your plots will disentangle and yet seem complex. Writing is a waiting game, and the more you wait, the better you get at this game.
I have written four books. Louisa’s story — which will see the light of day within this year — is my fourth.
The first book I wrote was a Young Adult fantasy about Greek gods living in modern-day New York City. It was fun but not structured properly and poorly written. I will always have a soft spot for it, because it was the start of a great passion.
My second book was a political thriller, a story of love and revenge. It was so different than my first one, so raw and so sad that I halted several times. This book remains unfinished.
My third book was another Young Adult fantasy about the descendants of Greek gods (I do love supernatural humans with powers) and their quest to recover the River Styx, which was the source of their ancestors’ immortality. It’s a good read that still needs a lot of polishing. Perhaps one day, I’ll get back to it.
My fourth book is Louisa’s story. The working title (which hopefully will remain the title) is THE BLOOD RINGER. It’s about… well… you’re going to have to wait to learn what it’s about. 😉
I have two more novels in the works: a psychological fiction around a lost painting; and an adult fiction based on a short story I wrote about loss and aging.
I’ve been playing this writing/waiting game for 5 years now, and through agent rejections and reader criticism, it has stayed thrilling, which is how I know, with unwavering certainty, that writing is my life’s passion.