Regret is not something I
do very much – what’s the point? I try to learn from my mistakes, not always
successfully, or I bury them deep where they can rest in peace. On the other
hand I do believe in having a dream – something to work towards and give your
life meaning.
Most of us need goals to
take us step by step in the direction we want to go. For me, trying is even
more important that attainment because as long as you’re trying the hope of
success is alive, and if you’re trying, you’re certainly closer to your dream
than if you made no effort at all.
The end of the year
seems an appropriate time to review how near I am towards achieving my dream – to
write and be published.
This year I ventured into
the world of social media and started a blog last February. I'm finding it a
good writing experience. Blogging is immediate, it’s out there as soon as you
press the button, and it’s all you, the writer – no narrator or character
between you and the reader – so you're more exposed. I’m gratified I persevered
and found the discipline to post once a week, and I’m definitely going to
continue blogging.
I probably could be more
active on Google+ and Twitter (which I joined later in the year), but find it a juggling act to
balance the rewards (support from others, alerting the world to your existence)
with the effort and time it consumes. I’m hoping to continue creating friendships
and links with other writers in the coming year.
I managed to collect enough
haikus to epublish a short book, Gold Dragon Haiku, on Amazon. Success
has been small, and I have no plans to publish any more poetry – other than the
weekly haiku on my blog, and the odd one on Twitter. However, the experience of
preparing, formatting and uploading the work - dipping my toe in the ebook ocean - was invaluable.
Writing Update
The more I learn of what it
takes to be a writer (silly me, I thought you just had to write) the more I
respect those who have achieved publication. This past week I’ve had the
pleasurable experience of writing a synopsis – a skill worth honing, because
reading what the agent/publisher wants is vital if you hope to get more than
your subject line read. Next on the list is the cover letter and trawling those lists for agents and publishers.
I find it hard to believe
but my novel is almost at the point where I feel confident enough to send it
off for consideration. I’m making the choice to try traditional
publishing first, partly because they have the publicity, printing and
distribution chain in place. And I guess having a book accepted for publication
by the establishment still feels like a worthwhile acknowledgement. My
next step towards achieving my dream is to pursue this route first, and if unsuccessful, I will epublish.
Although I started several
years ago, the last two years of planning, writing, redrafting, editing and
proof reading this story has occupied so much of my inner self that now it’s
almost finished I may be suffering from empty nest/book syndrome. There's sadness and a
sense of emptiness where the story lived. Writers invest not just
their head space, but their heart and emotions in their writing – they live
their stories. Without doubt, the answer is to start the next one (plans are simmering), but
letting go of the current one isn’t the same as closing a book someone else
wrote.
I do believe in my story
and I do want it out there for readers to discover and enjoy. This novel may be as ready
as I can get it, but the journey is far from over, and I'm looking forward to
seeing what 2014 brings!
Today’s
Haiku
NEON
half lit sign glows red
sends sporadic messages
in alien code
Useful links:
mslexyia provides great links for lists of agents, publishers
etc.
Writers & Artists website and book are still good
places to start a search.
My haiku ebook Gold Dragon Haiku can be found via
the following link:
To all the lovely people who've supported me on this writing adventure, on New Year’s Eve, 2013, I wish you all a
brilliant 2014! May all your writing dreams – and your other ones – at least
come closer to fruition!
Join me on Twitter at: teagankearney@modhaiku
To all story lovers out there, good reading, and to
those of you who write, good writing.
