"GONE BABY GONE"

                                      

                                       LETTING GO OF YOUR MANUSCRIPT

                         

MY MANUSCRIPTS ARE LIKE MY BABIES, FROM CONCEPTION, I LOVE AND NURTURE THEM. THAT FIRST FLUTTER INSIDE THE WOMB OR THE BRAIN IN THIS CASE, CREATES AN UNBREAKABLE EMOTIONAL BOND. FOR MONTHS THE EXCITEMENT BUILDS UNTIL THE DAY, YOU REALIZE IT’S TIME. YOU ARE FULL TERM AND THE IMPENDING BIRTH IS AT HAND.

I REALLY HAVE SOMETIMES COMPARED LETTING GO OF ONE OF MY STORIES TO BEING A PARENT. I REMEMBER WHEN MY CHILDREN WERE SCHOOL AGE, THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN, OH THE MEMORIES, OF CUTTING THE APRON STRINGS AND SENDING THEM OFF INTO THE MEAN CRUEL WORLD. ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS I’VE EVER DONE (FOUR TIMES) IN FACT. YOU’D THINK IT WOULD’VE GOTTEN EASIER AFTER SENDING THE FIRST ONE OFF. HOWEVER, NO, THE EMOTION OF LETTING GO WAS THE SAME, EVERY SINGLE TIME. MUCH LIKE RELEASING OUR CHILDREN INTO THE WORLD WRITING NOVELS AND TURNING THEM OVER TO PUBLISHERS FEELS THE SAME FOR ME ANYWAY. I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I STRESS OUT LIKE CRAZY, ESPECIALLY RIGHT BEFORE THE BOOK HITS THE AIRWAVES. YOU WORRY ABOUT THINGS LIKE, IS THE EDITING PERFECT, IS THE STORY-LINE INTRIGUING ENOUGH, WILL THE CHARACTERS CREATE AN EMOTIONAL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THEM AND THE READERS. NOT SO MUCH ABOUT WILL MY BOOK HIT THE BESTSELLER LIST ( THIS WOULD BE NICE) BUT FOR ME IT IS NOT THE GREATEST CONCERN. AGAIN, MY FOCUS IS ON WRITING AND PUTTING OUT GREAT STORIES. I BELIEVE IF THINGS ARE MEANT TO BE, THEY WILL COME TO PASS.

AS WRITERS, WE’VE ALL EXPERIENCED THE AFTER EFFECTS OF LETTING GO OF OUR BELOVED STORIES. THE DOUBT, AND FEAR OF DID I DO MY BEST, OR GIVE MY ALL? EXCITEMENT AND ANXIETY COURSE THROUGH OUR VEINS, AS WE REALIZE THE TOILS OF OUR LABOR IS FINALLY OVER. BUT, UNCERTAINTY OF SHARING OUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS WITH THE WORLD SOMETIMES OVERRULE WHAT WE KNOW IS A JOB WELL DONE.

THEN, AFTER WE GET OVER THE ANXIETY OF LETTING GO, (OR THE EMPTY NEST SYNDROME)  MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PHASE, WHICH IS NEW IDEAS FOR ANOTHER STORY. (ARE AS I LIKE TO TERM THINGS MORE CHILDREN)

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? AFTER WE’VE LABORED OVER A STORY FOR MONTHS AND SOMETIMES, YEARS. WE LOVE IT, BUT WILL THE WORLD LOVE IT TOO, WE HOPE.

THERE IS ALWAYS THE FEAR OF CARBON COPYING, CREATING THE SAME STORY OVER AGAIN. AS A ROMANCE WRITER, THE PREMISE IS THE SAME, TWO PEOPLE MEET, FALL IN LOVE, AND HAVE THEIR HAPPY EVER AFTER. BUT YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH NEW IDEAS TO CHANGE HOW YOU TELL THE STORY AND MAKE IT DIFFERENT.

THAT AS THEY SAY, IS THE RUB FOLKS. WE AS WRITERS ARE CREATIVE GENIUSES; WE HAVE THE GIFT DESPITE OUR ON SELF-RESERVATIONS OF THE FEAR OF RUNNING OUT OF PLOT LINES AND FRESH IDEAS. 

I LOVE TELLING STORIES BUT MOST OF ALL SHARING THEM. I LOVE DOING THIS WEEKLY SHOW AND COMING UP WITH CATCHY TAG LINES ITS EXCITING. I LOVE CHALLENGES, THEY ARE IMPORTANT AS WELL KEEPS ME MOTIVATED AND ON POINT.

THE IMAGINATION IS A POWERFUL TOOL, IT ALLOWS US THE FREEDOM  OF EXPRESSION TO SHARE IMAGES , INVISIBLE UNTIL WE POUND OUT THE STORIES BY WAY OF A KEYPAD GIVING THEM LIFE AND MEANING .

MY MISSION AS I’VE OFTEN STATED IS TO MOTIVATE, UPLIFT AND INSPIRE. I WANT TO SHARE MY IDEAS, ALL THAT GOES IN TO BEING SUCCESSFUL, NOT ONLY BY SEEING OUR DREAMS TO FRUITION, BUT BY PASSING THE KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHT WE HOLD ON TO OTHERS. IF I CAN LEAVE BEHIND ONE USEFUL THING IN THIS LIFE, IT’S TO HOPE THAT IN SOME GREAT OR SMALL WAY, I’VE INSPIRED SOMEONE TO NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER GIVE IN TO THE NEGATIVITY OF THIS WORLD.  BECAUSE WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS US, IF WE TRUST AND BELIEVE IT IS POSSIBLE.