Ten years ago, in 2009, my first book was published.
It was a quirky take on the legend of Santa Claus, complete with drunken elves, five rambunctious brothers, and romance under the Christmas tree. It had won a couple of awards, and was picked up by a small publisher who offered holiday options.
Here I am, 10 years later. A decade has passed. How did that even happen?
I have now published one children's book, all five installments of the Klaus Brothers Series, an award-nominated short story with "seasoned" characters in their sixties, a rated G snowbound-in-a-cabin quickie, a novella about a treehouse designer, and an award-winning women's fiction about a reality cooking show.
In the meantime, I survived a heart attack, raised two kids, a husband, and a wiener dog.
I've been in three critique groups, attended countless conferences, offered workshops from Florida to Maine, co-hosted an indie publishing symposium, won a bunch of awards, sold a bunch of books, accumulated reviews--the good, the bad, and the ugly--mentored other authors, befriended many readers, ran a review site, and learned more about the publishing industry than I really ever wanted to know. I even had a film company express interest in one of my books. This amounted to nothing, but it added a bit of excitement to my author journey.
Yesterday, I spent some time thinking about what lessons I've learned over the last decade. Yes, I've learned a lot of lessons.
But when you really get right down to it, I can sum up a decade of learning into two points...
1. Focus on the writing.
2. True friendships are the golden nugget.
The Writing: I started my writing journey as an eight-year-old, lugging around a dingy white notebook with my first story scribbled in extremely feminine cursive.
I was eight. I didn't know anything about marketing trends, agents, or conferences.
All I knew was that story I could not stop thinking about was growing and expanding and becoming something exciting. I had discovered the "thrill" that a writer experiences with the birth of a novel.
And, after a decade of publishing bullshit, I now know that the "thrill" is still the most important thing.
Really, the only thing.
It's true. I see a lot of authors get caught up in the other stuff--dollar signs in their eyes, and awards season, and so bent out of shape when they get a bit of criticism. But the truth is, if you have the heart and soul of a writer, that "thrill" is the reason you're doing this.
As it should be.
True Friendships: Doesn't matter who or what you are. Teacher, social worker, stay-at-home mom. Scientist, author, Hollywood actor.
Pretty soon you figure out those true, loyal friends are the golden nuggets of your life.
They deserve your time and energy and love. And you learn to push the backstabbers, who are sometimes dressed in sheep's clothing, off the proverbial cliff.
Those true friends are with you every step of the way, whether you're rich or poor or depressed or useful. Long after you write your last book, you'll be laughing together at the nursing home and listening to 1980s Madonna songs.
Hold on tight to those people.
✯✯✯
That's it.
Those are the lessons.
I expect those same two lessons will still be appropriate years from now.
I find it interesting that over the last twenty years of writing, I've come full circle. Started as an enthusiastic writer, became fully immersed in the publishing world, and then found my way back to this basic place where writing is the focus.
It's a good place to be.
Love and good wishes to all the storytellers out there,
Nina/Penny
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