A Need to Write

From a very young age, I have had stories swimming in my head. Stories of fantasy, adventure, and happily ever after. These stories play continuously in my mind, day and night. In grade school, my favorite place to go was the Book Nook. This was our elementary school’s own “Publishing Company”. With so many books published from the Book Nook, I knew that one day I was going to a writer. However, to my own disappointment, I put my dream on hold to pursue the path that was expected of me.

Upon entering college as an English major, I was constantly asked what in the world was I planning to do with a B.A. in English. Of course I couldn’t say I was going to be a writer…That just wasn’t practical. So I settled on teaching elementary school. Since most of what I write is geared towards kids, this was an opportunity to get a front row seat into the minds of the children that I would love to write for. By working in an elementary school for 5 years, I was able to get a good idea of what children loved to read. I was ready to write my masterpiece, except for one small perfectly beautiful problem. The week before the last day of school, I gave birth to my first beautiful baby girl.

At the time, I honestly didn’t even think about my writing. I was so in love with my little girl (and busy), that everything was focused around her. It wasn’t until I was 5 months pregnant with my second child that my writing itch came back. During my second pregnancy, I was on bed-rest for about 3 months. During these 3 months, thanks to my mom helping out with my eldest daughter, I was able to write my first children’s novel. But again, another beautiful daughter was born and my writing was forgotten.

My youngest daughter is now 4 and my lonely novel is tired of collecting dust. So begins my journey to find an agent and get my book(s) published. From all the research I have gathered, this is not an easy task to accomplish. Many great books have been passed over, simply because the market was not right at the time. Some agencies only take a few new clients a year. And most agencies are not big fans of representing children’s chapter books. Even with hundreds of factors working against me, I will try to stay positive throughout my journey. All it takes is one yes!