Valuing my words by Leanne Dyck

"dogwood--I think" photo by ldyck

I finished writing my first book (Novelty Yarn) and thought...

I'm brilliant; it's brilliant.

I re-read it...

It's not bad.

I re-read it again...

Well... Hmm

Again...

This needs work and this and this.

Again...

I can't write. I don't have any talent? I'm a joke. This is a joke.

Listening to this negative self-talk paralyzed me, preventing me from submitting my work to any publisher. I didn't elect to self-publish Novelty Yarn. I hide in self-publishing.

But then came the reviews...

'Novelty Yarn contains a collection of small, tasty morsels that will continue surprise you right up until the last bite... Ranging from childhood memories about 4-H knitting and lessons from Grandma to night dreams about wild women knitting in the forest, each segment evokes a different mood. Many of the stories made me laugh out loud, while others made me pause...to mediate for a few minutes. The stories are separated by brief interludes of acoustic guitar music... The guitar intervals are just long enough to let your mind rest between the stories. The sensation is like cleansing your palate after sampling each vintage at a wine tasting. The total experience was delicious.' Donna Druchunas (Ethnic Knitting Discovery)

This review--and others like it--slowly began to transform me.

Today I submitted a manuscript to a publishing house. Will this publisher validate me? Will they accept my manuscript? Maybe, maybe not. That's not the point. The point is, by submitting my work, I'm validating myself.

*Revised from some a piece written in April 2007.

"blue sky" photo by ldyck

Next post:  Blue Skies (short story) about coping with anxiety and depression. Published on Sunday, May 6th at (approximately) 5 PM PST

"dog and wood--I know" photo by ldyck

Sharing my author journey...


This April I...
Submissions...
11 picture books
1 YA novel
2 short story collections for adults

Working on...
a middle grade novel
a short story collection
and spring cleaning my writing to find treats to share with you
and... Last week, I wrote a poem (In the Wind) that I can't wait to share with you. But I'll have to wait (until Sunday, May 27) because I've filled the month of May with cool stuff. 

Check this out...

Sunday, May 6 Blue Skies (short story)

Sunday, May 13 A New Reality (short story)

Sunday, May 20 Moving to an Island (short story plus tips)

Sunday, May 27 In the Wind (poem)