TPV:  Lisa Lane’s my guest today and she’s going to take us on a trip which has markers along the way…milestones, in the travels of a writer…

I have learned much since I first embarked on the journey from writer to author.  It has been an interesting ride thus far, humbling as it has been inspiring, and I’ve enjoyed the process.  As a celebration of that process, I thought I’d share with you some of my thoughts through the years as I reached various writing milestones:

Milestone #1: Finishing that first manuscript

Wow—a whole novel, and it was all mine!  I felt like I had just grasped the peak of Mt. Everest.  I felt certain I had in my hands the next great American novel.

Milestone #2: Rejection

Of course, I was indignant.  My hastily written query was brilliant, and yet editor and agent interest was poor at best despite my flood of submissions.  I began to collect rejection letters like holiday cards, continuing to send them out just as readily.

Milestone #3: Finishing the second book

I could tell myself now that the first novel wasn’t just a fluke—I had it in me to write a second one!  This really meant something.  No one could deny that I had that deep creative well now.  Of course, I noted this impressive achievement on every query I sent and could not fathom as to why I still had not caught anyone’s interest.

Milestone #4: Finishing the fifth book

I reread my first book and realized how terrible it was.  Mortified, I halted all queries and immediately began rewrites.

Milestone #5: The first sale

It was celebration time!  I felt certain I would find a readership immediately and that very quickly, my books would simply sell themselves.  How blissful was my ignorance.  I started a blog.  Sadly, it did not immediately attract thousands of readers.

Milestone #6: A few sales later

I was now regularly blogging, posting on social networks, and getting to know many other talented authors out there who are also writing because they had to and struggling through it all to prove themselves to the rest of the world.  I came to realize I was not as rare as I thought I was.

Milestone #7: Returning to college

As I went through some of my older works, I realized I needed to complete my education before I was going to be able to write at the level I sought.  I immersed myself in literature and earned my degree—and came out with a better understanding of what I needed to do with my writing.

Milestone #8: Finishing the tenth book

I looked back on the difference I could now see between the first draft of my first book and all the others between this one, and it was humbling to see how much my writing had changed and strengthened with each one.  What was most important, however, was that I realized something in me had also changed.  The process had given me perspective on my tiny place in this world.  Yes, I had a couple of really good books under my belt (and a few mediocre ones)—but so did every other author out there who had written a handful of well-inspired books.  It was time to get over myself and just … write.

Now, as I sit here taking a break from writing my twelfth novel, I contemplate the milestones that still lay ahead and everything I still have to learn and experience in this journey.  I’d love to hear about other authors’ milestones.  What have you learned along your writer’s journey?

TPV: Even now, I go back and re-read the ones published and spot many places I feel I could do better, although I thought it was the best at the time.  Got a ways before I reached novel 12, but I’m trying. 

For more on Lisa and her books, , go to http://www.cerebralwriter.com.

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