Samhain Publishing Ltd Weblog

My November (and beyond) dreams

I’d always dreamed about being an ‘author’. It held a mystical allure, to be someone who’d actually written one of the magical, time-travelling, hero-filled haven that I’d retreated to after ‘discovering’ them in high school. I was a Goth before there was such a thing, reading fantasy (Anne McCaffrey and Robin McKinley were two of my favourites since sixth grade), dabbling in horror (a few Stephen Kings here and there), while sticking to the curriculum of approved Canadian classics (Alice Munro or Margaret Atwood anyone?) for school. But to actually be one of the people who’d made these worlds, wizards they had to be. Dare I ever try to enter their world?

I did try. All through school, I’d scribble my little stories here and there, keeping my collection of binders and notebooks, half-filled or overflowing with my character sketches, descriptions, plots and ideas. Some even contained prose. Oh it was bad. Back then I had this vision of writers just sitting down and taking dictation from God/the Muse. I thought it came out perfect the first time. So I junked most of what I wrote and never really considered myself a writer.

Still, I held the dream. It haunted me all through school, into university (where I had one professor politely tell me I should give up and do something I’m good at), and echoed into my first few jobs. I subscribed to magazines and bought books on writing and always felt like a pretender.

Then, in November of 2006, I signed up for Nanowrimo. I’d heard of the write-a-novel-in-a-month contest, from my magazines and books. I thought I would try it. I thought I would fail. I thought I’d never become a novelist. Then, on December 1st 2006 I discovered I was. Just like that. It was sort of like finding you actually could do something all along, like Dumbo without his magic feather. In the end, all I really needed to do to become a writer was to write.

As with everything in life, the simplest advice is rarely the easiest to follow. Writing a novel is hard work and don’t let anyone else tell you different. The trade itself (plots, characters, dialog, beautiful prose, the list is endless) takes years to master. Then there’s the fact that, for most writers of fiction, it’s a largely unpaid apprenticeship. People tend to think of unpublished authors as more of hobbyists than actual professionals and discount your pursuits. If not people, then life crops up in the little time you’ve carved out for yourself to write (most of us have full time jobs as well as writing) and tries to steal you away. But persevere, find whatever motivates you to finish that first draft and keep going. I’ll be right here, plugging away beside you. And we’ll both be writers.

Taryn Blackthorne is a writer and teacher, living and working in Northern Manitoba (that’s in Canada folks). To find out more, visit her at www.tarynblackthorne.com