Blogger: Etta Wilson
Location: Books & Such Nashville Office
Weather: 30 and snowy
When did you begin writing your first book?
What made you think you could do that?
Was it reading another book?
Knowing someone else who read a lot?
Was it a life experience?
How old were you when you started that book.?
I started writing my first book after a tip from a longtime friend and author who knew I had some time on my hands and he had had a call from a publisher wanting someone to fill in a title in a series. I discovered that writing is work!
Eager to hear about your first experiences.
I started a couple years ago just for the fun of it.
I had no idea if I could do it, but wanted to try. Never did I believe it would ever turn into a second novel, then a third, and so on.
But hey, I’ll go with it as long as God’s wanting me to. 🙂
Happy Friday!
What a fun topic! I started writing my first book a year ago and finished it over the summer. My inspiration was a combination of difficult life experiences and a novel I read during my recovery period. When I put two and two together, I thought, “Why can’t I write something like that?” I won’t say I can live up to that author’s abilities yet, but maybe some day…
I wrote my first book in high school. I kept a notebook and wrote almost everyday. I had some terrible experiences in HS and a lot of it was in that book, so when I was getting ready to leave for college ( a journalism scholarship winner) I BURNED that entire book. Burned it in a barrel, page-by-page.
Talk about severe editing.
Snowy and blowing, 25 F. Seven inches expected in NW Arkansas
I began my first book in Dec 2000 at the age of 48. It came from some study of the gospels I was doing. I wanted to tell a story about the writing of the gospel of Luke. I finished it at 155,000 words in Jan 2003, though I didn’t write on it for over a year during that time. Then I began researching the market and discovered it was unpublishable.
Oh, Crystal, I did the same thing–burned some writing after a very emotional episode. I thought it was cathartic at the time, but now I’m sorry I destroyed it. It was good fodder for a novel, if nothing else.
Etta
Yes, David, it may not be marketable at this time or in the form you have it, but I bet you know a world more about Luke, his writing of both the Gospel and Acts, and his care for Mary. And who knows where all that can lead! Stay open for new possibilities.
Etta
I began writing my first book when I was 18. Didn’t make it past chapter 3.
I thought I could do it because I LOVED to read books, and it was my dream to write. I’m not one to just dream about something without giving it a try.
That book sat for years and years… I’d add a few paragraphs, maybe a scene, then quickly delete the last chapter.
Then I realized about, oh, eight years later… that I am more of a “funny” writer and the book I was writing was a serious, tear-jerking drama…
After that revelation, write my first COMPLETE book in three months.
After selling business #2 and hitting the big 5-0 I set out to FINALLY get this story on paper (or on screen or whatever we say).
It never occurred to me that I couldn’t do it – suppose that is how I was raised, and I thank my parents for it.
What I’m finding is, writing the book is only 1/2 of the battle, figuring out how to get it out there is another thing entirely. There are so many changes right now in the publishing world, it’s bewildering.
I’m still plodding away though and when it’s God’s timing, it will happen, unless He “says” otherwise.
That is interesting about others and “book burnings”. I didn’t burn a book but set alight 18 handwritten pages entitled “The Other Woman” awhile back. It felt REALLY good. And I’m very glad I don’t have it. Ick.
David, perhaps it could be a series or a study guide in a different form.
Surely there is someone who would benefit from all that serious study and work!
I wrote my first novel when a daydream got out of hand. It wasn’t publishable, but it got me thinking, “I can do this”, studying books on writing for children and teens, going to conferences, and my next efforts were published. I call it my learn-to-write book.
The first book I wrote, Mother Earth Father Sky, was also the first book I had published. It became an international bestseller, which sounds like a dream come true (It was and is.), but the first version of Mother Earth was horrible. Worse than horrible. Rewriting and editing and some very good advice from a very good agent made all the difference.
Sue Harrison
Q:When did you begin writing your first book?
A: I wrote my first story in 1978, and while it can’t count as a book, it was the first piece of fiction I ever wrote (and I still have it). I started my first novel in 1991.
Q:What made you think you could do that?
A: In 1978, my best friend wrote a story; it was a revelation to me that I could do so too. So I did.
Q: How old were you when you started that book?
A: In 1978 I was 9 years old. In 1991 I was in my early 20s.
-2 and sunny in Wisconsin.
I started writing for writing’s sake in high school. My best friends had been books growing up in a family that moved a lot. I started writing my first book in 2000 when I dreamed a great story.
I was almost 30 when I started that book and it is still in la-la land but I have now finished two others. My hubby has been my biggest fan and I never would have even tried without him.
What a great topic! I love reading the experiences of other writers.
I am a storyteller who tells a lot of the tales from the Appalachian oral tradition. As I researched for that program (“Jack’s Mama), I fell in love with the area, the people, and the culture of the eastern highlands, so I wrote a PB ms set there. An editor from FS&G liked it, but asked if I would rewrite it into a mid-grade novel. She rejected it, but with a nice personal note. I asked if I could re-sub the revision. She graciously agreed and again rejected it with another personal note. (I know because I wet my finger and smeared the ink!) I revised again and took the proposal to a conference, where an editor asked to see the whole. She left the publishing house to start a consulting firm before I could get it to her, however. That’s okay. God is in control. That motivated me to join ACFW and participate in a wonderful small critique group. Now, I’m seeking an agent and/or publisher, working on my second MG novel, and planning an MG fantasy adventure series for girls. Life is good, the writing is better, and God is the best! Yes, Etta, writing is work–hard work–but worth it. Thanks for asking.
I wrote my first book when I was eleven–I think I was just bored. I was (still am) a serious bookworm and that had translated into a lot of writing. It was a mediocre concept and a terrible storyline (it sounded like… well… an eleven-year-old), but hey–I was pretty proud of those 98 pages!
These days when I get stuck writing, I just try to remember how much fun I had with that first book–that’s how writing should be, in my opinion.
I started small by writing and illustrating a picture book for a little boy I babysat for when I was in High School. I made a copy for myself and still have it. Maybe someday I’ll see if I can get it published.
Regarding Etta’s response to David’s comment:
Wait a minute! Back up the wagon! Luke’s care of Mary? I don’t know about that. I want to know more. (All I need is another something to research.)
Because of Christ,
Sharon
My first book was rewriting “Cinderella.” I dictated it to Mom who wrote it all down for me since I was too young to know all my letters. In my version, the Prince comes down with the measles and the ball is delayed.
Amazingly, my first attempt at writing fiction as an adult was published by Kregel after severe editing by Leanne Hardy and a contract negotiated by Etta!
I don’t remember a time when I didn’t dream of being a writer.
I finished writing my first book when I was fourteen. I was a voracious reader and a slightly lonely teenager, so I wrote and wrote and wrote. I’ve got several novels still sitting on my computer from those years, though they need varying degrees of editing before I’d even try submitting them anywhere!
I had this story in my head since I was 15, but didn’t know what it was. By the time I realized it was a novel, I was 30. I wasn’t a very good typist, so I thought if I ever get a computer, I’ll write that book. About 3 years later, my father-in-law gave me his old computer and as soon as it was hooked up, I was writing that book.
It was very badly written, but I didn’t know it at the time. I set out to write a clean romance because I couldn’t find any at the library. But God kept popping up in my story and I realized I couldn’t leave him out. When I finished it, I went to the library to learn what I could about publishing. The librarian pointed me toward a Market Guide and that’s when I realized there was an inspirational market I’d missed at the Christian bookstore, because I always went straight to the music.
Ten years later, that book is still really badly written, but my 7th attempt at a novel will release in a few months.
LeAnne, you’ve certainly proved “I can do this” and set a great example in persistence. Keep that learn-to-write book.
Very interesting, Krista. BTW, authors who write humor need to be especially skilled but nearly always catch attention from editors. Glad you found your genre.
I started my first book in 1984 because I’d always felt good writing and because my dad had just died. I thought “Hey, I write. I’ll write his story and he’ll live forever.” Seven years later, I stuck it on a shelf and started number 2. That one, Dead Witness was published in 2008. My next book will be released in 2011. I’m working on its sequel, 2 series, 2 other thrillers, and a children’s book. I love writing!
I began my first book, a MG novel, as a gift to my children, and discovered in that 64,000 words, that I loved writing. I was nearing the age of 40, (which of course sounds *ancient* to kids) and I now tell students at school author visits that you are never too old try something new, nor too old to find something you love.
I guess I should clarify… *grin* I write romance regardless… just found that tickle-the-funny bone romance was more up my alley than the more dramatic kind (although I read either kind!)
You’re right though, humor can be difficult at times… what one thinks is knee-slapping hysterical, another says, “Hmmm, I don’t get it.”
I think the key to writing funny is to let it come naturally and not try to force it. Nothing worse than someone TRYING to be funny!
I wrote a three page novel when I was nine, and was struck by how long it took to handwrite that many words and then the story just didn’t seem to work . . .
I wrote my next novel at 32–forcing my two year old to watch Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers so I could get something on the page. I was reading Little House on the Prairie aloud to my kids at the time and was struck by how long it took to type that many words on a page . . .
I’ve now written three family histories, three travel stories and five novels and I can type 120 wpm.
Now I can get it on paper, but . . . .
I began writing my first book over a year ago. I had always written Christian drama and devotions for churches up until that point. It was after some conviction and suggestion from others, along with inspiration from local color, that I began a contemporary book. 5000 words in, I started another book, a historical one…and I’ve been writing it ever since.
There’s a lot of learning in this business. I’m almost finished with the book…but know I have a lot more to do.
I’m currently in a great critque group and that’s been a big eye-opener.
Maybe somebody should pull all these wonderful replies together and publish a book! Seriously, it’s great to hear all the reasons for writing and the timeframes in which we write and what gifts it brings. Keep that pencil handy and that computer wired up! Etta
I wrote my first book about 1 month ago and have written 3 more since. They are geared toward children. I am a stay-at-home-mom with my 3 little ones and am often found with a toddler on each knee and a book in the middle.:) As a result, I have been exposed to many children’s books and have found myself thinking, “I can do this.” Small pieces, of each book I have written, would just “pop” in my mind and off to the computer I would go! It has been so fun and exciting! I know each one has been inspired by the Lord and by the love and passion I have for my children and watching them grow. I am 31 years old and my writing journey is just beginning. Precisely why I’m here responding to this post as I am exploring and learning about a new world…publishing! Thanks for the opportunity to share and also for making yourselves available to learn from.
Sincerely,
Lori
Good to hear your passion for both reading to your children and the writing that inspires. You may be ready for a critique group soon!
Etta
Sometimes I think – Can I really do this? When my thoughts go there, I think, – I am doing this!
My fist children’s story was the result of an illustration project in art school about 15 years ago. I jotted it down always thinking of how it would ‘look’ as a picture book and put it on the shelf. After all these years I finally figured out what was wrong- it’s not a picture book! Now I am rewriting it for YA.
In the meantime, I have written a few picture book manuscripts and realize while writing this that they all come from images in my head. I guess my ideas come to me as pictures that have stories to tell.