The Pursuit of Happiness and Writing

Hi Everyone!  My name is Jess and I have been meaning to write this blog post for a couple of months now.  You see, a few months ago I had an epiphany, a 'come to Jesus moment' when I decided that I wasn't living the life I wanted to live.  I was feeling unfulfilled in my job and needed a creative outlet. My overall discontent was taking a toll on my soul.  So, after hours of quiet meditation, some bitching and moaning and lots of tears, I decided if I wanted a change in my life than I was the only one who could make it happen and I had to do it now!  Essentially I needed to quit whining and start living the life I wanted to live.

This led me to assess my true passion in life.  Deep down I have always known what that is, but had buried it under the drudgery of everyday life.  My passion, my true calling is writing.  For some reason (which I will delve into at another time), I never realized I could actually make a life and career out of writing.  It was always a hobby, a guilty pleasure.  It was something I did but never really shared with people.  But, during my life reassessment I decided that writing is my sustenance.  It is the fuel to my fire.  I decided that I needed to pursue it at all costs. 

In order to transition from closeted writer to published author, I realized I had to do a lot of homework.  So I went to the library and feverishly started reading books about getting published, becoming an author, etc. etc.  One book in particular that served as a great motivation and virtual kick in the pants was "How to Become A Famous Writer Before Your Dead: Your Words in Print and Your Name in Lights", by Ariel Gore.  I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to truly pursue writing and to get published.  Her insights were eye opening and her advice invaluable.  

Anyway, I'm getting off track.  Basically after doing quite a bit of research about the path to getting published, I decided that I was going to chronicle my pursuits on this here blog.  It was going to serve as a platform to share the trials and tribulations of my journey to becoming a published author.  That was approximately three months ago and I'm only today writing my first blog post.  The reason?  Life and writing got in the way and I mean that in the best way possible!  I went full force sending out queries, book proposals, entered writing contests, etc.  And guess what happened?  People actually responded to me.   

When I was searching for publishers that would accept unsolicited book proposals for children's books, I came across an amazing publisher:  Quirk Books.  I'm sure you have read one of their books at one time or other.  Well, Quirk doesn't publish children’s books, but I did notice that they encourage unsolicited proposals and actually enjoy slush!  That led me to sending them a book proposal that I thought they might be interested in.  It wasn’t what I had intended on pursuing for my first foray into the publishing world, but I thought it would be up their alley.  Well, within a week I got a response and they said they were intrigued and wanted to see some samples. Hallelujah!  Amen, it's a miracle! 
I wasn't expecting any response, never mind one so quickly.  Fast forward a couple of weeks later... They ultimately weren't interested in pursuing my idea further.  However, their kindness and feedback gave me the validation I needed to continue my writing pursuits.  They helped me realize that perhaps people may in fact be interested in what I have to write.  They confirmed that I could actually capture the attention of a legitimate publishing company!

From that point on I have been feverishly pursuing other leads, ideas and projects.  Most recently I submitted a short story to the Spark Anthology Contest.  I entered the McSweeney's Column Contest. I sent poems to the New Yorker. I wrote a blog entry and pitched it to the Huffington Post and submitted a snippet to my local newspaper (which they subsequently published).  I'm now looking for an illustrator to illustrate two childrens' books that I penned last month.  I want to self publish them.

It really has been a whirlwind and amazing journey thus far.  I feel like I have the momentum that I need to keep persevering.  I may not have entered the big leagues of publishing but I now feel validated in my quest to pursue my passion.  It’s like I have been magically granted permission to pursue what I want out of life and it’s invigorating. 

I know it’s not going to be easy and there are probably going to be more downs than ups and more rejections than acceptances.  But that’s ok.  So come join me on this wild ride and help me avoid the slush pile!

*Note:  This blog is not a showcase in editing.   It is mainly a place for me to record my thoughts about my writing pursuits and therefore I'm going to try not to stress about or put overemphasis on proper punctuation and grammar.  I'll save that for my submissions.  Thanks!