My Unexpected & Joyful Journey on the Road To Publishing My Next Novel
Summer is wrapping up and giving way to cooler nights, the first falling leaves, and that undeniable smell of dewy earth that warns you of change. Fall is here.
I never know how to dress in fall because its chilly in the morning, warranting a cozy sweater, but by afternoon in California, you could be sweating your ass off. The swinging temperatures aside, I love fall because I really enjoy the comfort of knowing all things change.
If you’d have told me when I was younger, that eventually I’d enjoy change, I’d have said you were crazy. In fact, most people don’t like change. Being comfortable and having things remain status quo is what most folks like. Something dependable. Don’t move my cheese! Everything is exactly how I like it! Routine often gives people peace of mind.
Routine can be boring.
Of course, change can be scary as hell but when you are excited to do something different, it can also be exhilarating!
As many of you know, I’ve written a few books since I retired September 1, 2021, and the reason I haven’t had them published is I didn’t want to self-publish again. My first novel, AFTER THE FIRE, did pretty well for a book that was released just months before the pandemic occured, (being an Amazon Best Seller the week it released), but I want more now. I want to traditionally publish and although this may take me some time to knock down the doors required to get into this difficult industry, I’m going to do it. As the fortune cookie says that I have posted at my writing desk, my dreams are bigger than my fears.
Also, I am just a stubborn-ass and want what I want. Having said that though, I am not patient, as I explained in my previous post. So, filling the waiting-game-time-slot of looking every single day in my emails for even one reply from my loads of query letters I sent to agents over the summer, I had to do something to distract myself from wringing my hands in anticipation.
So… I joined a rock band.
Yes…you read that right. I joined a freakin’ rock band. My joining was sort of by happenstance. My brother-in-law is the drummer of this garage band that started getting gigs. It consisted of four fun guys, who later in life decided to get together and collaborate their talents and have jam sessions. I was invited to come sing a few songs with them for an up-coming event and although I hadn’t sang in front of people since high school, I thought…why not?
Getting out of my comfort zone and agreeing to perform was scary and I screwed up a lot during rehearsals, but the guys were amazingly supportive and helpful. Most importantly…we were having fun! Over the course of the summer, I got better, worked out my nerves, and now feel a lot more confident. We play classic rock and when we get together, I feel like a kid again. Who knew at fifty-six years old I’d join a band? They invited me to stay on with them and I said as long as it stays fun, I’m all in. Besides, it has been a welcome distraction from waiting and waiting to get that email every writer wants to get.
OFFER OF REPRESENTATION.
I’ll admit, the waiting has been getting me down a bit, and I really was missing talking with people about books, smelling books, (yes, it’s a thing), and being surrounded by books. So I did another thing. I got a tiny job working just two and a half days a week at one of my favorite indie bookstores. Copperfield’s Books in Calistoga, California is the most adorable and lovely bookshop you’ll ever see. I love it so much and again…I’m having fun!
My husband has been telling me that I should breathe new life into my first novel, and even though I got truly discouraged because of all that the pandemic stole from us authors, (no touring or in-person events), I need to work with what I’ve got. AFTER THE FIRE, is in a few northern California stores as well as online, but the gracious and lovely people I work with are supporting carrying it in the store and even are talking of hosting an author event for my book. YAY! I’ll keep you posted.
If you haven’t read my book, I can tell you it’s a story based on the 2015 Valley Fire, here in the community that I live.
Even though I hate to wait, and although I’m chomping at the bit to get my novels out to all of you that are waiting to read the new books that I’ve written, I am ever so grateful to those of you that have been following my journey. And as I said, we have to fill our time with things that excite us. To be surprised by what is around the corner and allow change to fill our cup instead of being too scared to take a chance. That’s where it’s at! That’s the magic. If we don’t get what we are looking for right away, we can’t give up, but we can find other things to bring us joy while we wait.
This fall season, be open to new experiences. If you are waiting for the life you dream of to begin, stir up some magic in the life you are currently living. Each day is a gift and we mustn’t waste it. Time is precious so fill it with things that bring you joy.
Xoxo ~ Patti
*PHOTOGRAPHS: The photos in this post belong to the author, me, Patti Diener, with the exception of the music room and typewriter ribbon. Those are courtesy of pexels.com.
