Happy Saturday! Well, I was supposed to have this post up last month, but I had a brainfart and it didn’t happen. So I’m bringing extra showy tell today! LOL.
As a writer I (along with all of us, I guess) get asked about my inspiration. Well, rather than answer that question, I’m going to show y’all – meet Ba’al.
This is the guy mentioned in my author blurb as it appears at the end of IRONHAVEN. Isn’t he yummy? And yes, he is as much trouble as he looks (worse, actually, but I digress)
Incidentally, he – or rather the actor that played him – is responsible for my being published. No, really! See, what happened was that back in February I listened to an interview with the very lovely Cliff Simon and during said interview, he came out with something rather profound:
“Without someone watching us, we’re not actors.”
What I realised was that the same thing applied to my writing – that while it sat on my hard drive, it wasn’t being read. As a writer I wanted people to read my words, to share in the worlds I created, to have my story live in their imaginations.
So I determined that 2011 would be The Year I Got Published and I started to look for submission calls. The one that caught my attention was for an Apocalyptic Romance anthology – that closed at the end of the month. I knew I had a backburner WIP that could be reimagined, so I wrote a synopsis and began to write. It was insane, but I am crazy at times, and somehow I wrote, edited and submitted that story on time.
To have it rejected.
That happens, and I’m strange enough that rejections don’t bother me. I think it was just eight hours later that I resubbed the story to Decadent Publishing. Just over a week later, I had an acceptance sitting in my inbox.
It made me do this face:
(Yes, that’s a weak excuse for more Ba’al. Bite me.)
Where was I? Oh yes – publication. It’s only six months since I heard that interview and got the kick on the rear needed to get my stuff Out There. Part of it is down to luck. Part is down to the fabulous people that supported me.
But a little part is down to a very good looking South African with a sexy accent and the most devilish grin on God’s Earth. My story is now getting into people’s heads. It’s living.
And that makes me very happy indeed.
9 comments:
Congrats, Misa!! Great post! Thanks for sharing your inspiration:)
Thanks, Kathleen. I'm always happy to share a little Ba'al :D
Way to reach your goals, Misa! I had some nudging from another author, but we all have our stories that led us to this point.
Congrats and I look forward to reading more of your work!
Congrats, Misa!
And . . . wow . . Ba'al is smokin' hot! Just sayin'
@Jeassica; yes, everyone's path is different. Fun, isn't it? :D
@Ryssa; thank you! And yeah, he really is. Very inspiring ;-)
I have to say, he is pretty darn yummy! Good for you getting your stories out of hard drive hibernation and out into the world! So many people never have the nerve to do that, and I'm glad you had such a sexy inspiration. ;)
Congrats, Misa!!! And you're okay about rejections!!!!! You wonderkid-you. I made the mistake of keeping my rejection letters - when such things existed in paper form- and looked at them the other day when I was tidying(something I usually avoid at all costs). One I remember in particular - my enquiry sent back to me with 'reject' written across it in pen. No other letter with it. Bloody agent!
Barbara, I won't talk about agents. Because I may someday have one.
And if I do, I can guarantee you the *ONLY* blog comment they would ever read would be the one that I'm not going to post!
'Nuf said.
Barbara, I think it was realising that a rejection was only one person's opinion on my stories that stopped me feeling down about them. So what if one person doesn't like Ironahven? They're entitled to feel that and the next person might love it (as they did, heh). The rejection you got sucks, though.
Ryssa, yeah, probably truer words were never said. You do have to watch yourself some times, because you never know what'll come back to bite you!
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