We're at week 26, the mid-point of the 2019 challenge. The official topic is "How getting the call (or acceptance) changes lives." My mind turned to beginnings and endings. First beginnings, which began with having to rewrite the entire post after a single keystroke resulted in the post being corrupted, negating all the saves.
Going with the intent of the call, a few thoughts on how writing became a career. My husband, who was the volunteer treasurer for a local history museum, asked for help with doing an inventory. That was step 1. Then he saw a notice about a state by state series in an antiques paper. The museum could use the publicity was the excuse, and you already are familiar with the museum’s collection. Since I already had a number of years experience working with words, even though the format was computer programs, marketing materials, and training manuals, a query was sent off and surprisingly an acceptance letter and contract arrived in the mail. Photographs were taken, film developed (this was before the days of digital cameras and scanners in every printer,) an article was written in more contracts. This endeavor lead to hundreds more in regional, national, and international publications and the addition of correspondent and feature story writer to my resume. The creation of several documentaries and three local history books added the title of writer. When the world changed, I returned to my first love, fiction, and became an author.
Now for endings. Two items triggered the counter to beginnings, namely two funerals in as many months. In that vein of thought, the latest round of review requests for Hatchling’s Mate, Hatchling’s Vengeance, and First Change: Legends From The Eyrie reinforced the realization that the series had truly ended and with it years of association with the dragon shifters of the Dragshi Chronicles.
To celebrate the journey, there’s an offer for some free reads at the bottom of the post or click on the FREE READS button in the sidebar.
~till next time, Helen
For romance with the science fiction, Recov.
If fantasy is your preferred genre, you're invited to search for artifacts on an alien world in Withym. But we warned, the volcano means to protect her treasures.
Are you sad to see your series end? Do you have a new project in mind?
ReplyDeleteYes, I think many of us mourn when a book is finished as we know we've reached an end point that can never be revisited. And it is even worse when a series ends. The tale continuing the next generation that resulted from the first two Windmaster Novels doesn't want to cooperate. So, since I do miss flying with dragons the short story Hatchling's Guardian is being looked at as a novel. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteGreat story!
ReplyDeleteYour background is impressive, Helen. I'm glad you went back to writing fiction. I feel for you ending your series. It's painful.
ReplyDelete