As a journalism teacher, I would tell my students that writing is a craft, one that can only be honed through constant practice. 

That they shouldn’t expect to sit down at the keyboard and immediately create Pulitzer-prize winning works. 

That ego must be sacrificed in the pursuit of greatness.

How I hate when my own words come back to haunt me.

They’re not just my words, of course. They are based on thoughts and wisdom passed down through generations of writers. And the fact that they percolated in my subconscious as I started my journey as a writer certainly helped me keep going when my mind tried to tell me I couldn’t cut it.

Last week, I outlined things I could have done differently. But not all my efforts were in vain. 

What I’ve done right:

Given grace to my perfectionistic nature. Being a perfectionist can be crippling. Those of us who suffer from the malady are prone to extreme thinking: Either this comes easily, or it’s not meant to be. Either my first effort is fabulous, or I’ll never be any good. Either I get rave reviews, or I’m a dismal failure. The magnetic pull of perfectionistic thinking might be my partner forever. In some areas of life, it even serves me well. But when I find it hindering my progress, I’ve learned that, like Voldemort, I must call it by name to defeat its power over me.

Studied the craft and my chosen genre. I’ve been a student of writing and writers for as long as I can remember. I love to watch the interplay between words, phrases, sentences. I love the way beautiful prose and poetry can flutter around my soul like butterflies. But I never took the time to decipher how this happened—what the wordsmith did to create language that brought me to laughter or to tears. Nor did I spend significant time studying fiction writing in particular, or the cozy mystery genre. Diving into that analysis enables me to first mimic, then fashion my own original perspective. 

Joined Sisters in Crime. This is a no-brainer. Anyone who wants to write mysteries should immediately join this fantastic organization. I’ve also joined the sub-group called Guppies, geared toward new writers like myself. Within that sub-group lie even more sub-groups for help with the agent search, self-publishing, writing cozies, and so much more. The support I’ve found in this group has been beyond compare. Many places also offer local chapters, such as Sisters in Crime North Dallas, of which I am currently secretary.

Used a top-notch editor. When I completed my first book, I sought out beta readers, people who would read my manuscript and provide feedback. That was extremely helpful, and it also helped quell the nerves associated with actually putting your baby out there for critique. Then, as suggested by my Sisters in Crime friends, I procured the services of a professional editor. I got incredibly lucky when I found Lisa Mathews of Kill Your Darlings Editing Services (www.killyourdarlingsedit.com) Her guidance and suggestions are giving my revised work a polished, professional status I couldn’t have gained on my own.

Just kept swimming.  Not literally, of course. Last time I put on a bathing suit, well…I won’t go there. But I’ve discovered anew that persistence is the answer to almost every moment of lingering self-doubt I face. When I start to question my talent, my ability, even my willingness, I simply write my way through it. The more I persist, the better I seem to get. 

This new life, this new pursuit—it’s just so much fun when I let it be!