Today, I am looking for inspiration. I am busy working on an assignment and putting together a portfolio for an editor at my local newspaper. To top it off, my kids are out of school early, so Mommy duty is in full force.
How am I looking to get inspired? By hearing of your first time published stories. What was your reaction? How were you informed? Did you feel like it was a long time coming?
So, go-ahead fellow writers inspire me. Sometimes we need to hear other’s successes to believe that we can do it too.
Leave a comment and inspire a fellow writer 🙂
MOMENTS AND MEMORIES 
2 comments
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February 14, 2008 at 6:12 pm
cjwriter
Well, the first time I was published was strange because it happened so quickly. I was sixteen and it was just the second story I’d written. I had no idea whether it was any good or not or whether I could even write, so I decided to send it away to get some feedback. It was rejected by the first places I tried and they were very critical, both of the story and my prose. Harsh critique doesn’t bother me now but at the time it shook me up a lot and I stopped writing. Then about a week later I got an email from the editor of a leading science fiction website. He really liked the story; he said I had a long way to go but that he saw a lot of potential in my work and published it as one of the site’s featured pieces. Hearing just those few words of encouragement made everything else drop away and it came at just the right time… if I hadn’t heard that, I don’t know if I’d still be writing today.
The story ended up being featured for over six months and I received a lot of feedback from people all over the world. It also enabled me to gain access to more mainstream markets and I’ve learned a lot from their suggestions and had a few small publications. It all happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to adjust or let it sink in, but I still remember getting the email… it felt like something from a dream and I kept rereading it to make sure it was real. I still get that feeling now, actually. I’d be worried if I didn’t!
For me it was a matter of luck, that out of all of the places I could have sent it to (and did) I found one with the right editor to see through my inexperience. It was just a small publication and I’ve had more substantial ones since, but it still brings a smile to my face thinking about it now… it was one of the happiest days of my life. 🙂
February 15, 2008 at 3:56 am
marnini
Thank you C.J. for providing me with some inspiration. That was truly a great story and I’m sure a fantastic moment. I would love to see it some time. Thanks again,
It’s all about finding readers who understand the points you are trying to convey.