One Small Writing Step Forward

I signed my first writing contract this past weekend. I’m trying not to make too big of a deal out of it until I ink the movie deal. I’m sure that will be coming shortly after publication.

I’ve been writing this wildly uneven blog for 4+ years now to hone my writing skills. I have tried anything and everything that has crossed my suspect mind. Some things have worked. Others, not so much. I mean, really, cartoons about mites and mulch?

But all the practice must have worked because the short story I submitted for consideration was easy to write, and it was accepted for publication in an anthology of short stories. Take a look …

Sure, it could be a fake. Don’t put it past me. But it isn’t. And it comes with some hefty renumerations …

Yes, you read that correctly. After 4 years of writing practice, I am being paid with 2 free copies of a book for my story. I wonder how much I will be able to sell them for on eBay? Will they sell for more or less if I autograph them?

But the big payday may still be down the road.

So next year at this time, I will be wondering what to do with my first royalty check. New car? Should I put in a pool? Add servant’s quarters to the house? I hate currently sharing a bedroom with the servants. Jeeves snores. Or maybe I’ll just buy a couple more copies of the book at my 25% off author’s discount, plus shipping. I’ll start saving now in case that royalty doesn’t come through.

In conclusion, for any aspiring writers reading this, my advice is to write often. Try new writing challenges. Submit your works. Get critiqued by family, friends, enemies. Learn by doing. It’s a process. This is one very small step forward for me as part of that process. I encourage you to put one writing foot in front of the other and get some words down on paper today, and tomorrow, and the day after that, ad nauseum.