It’s that time again! It’s time for my writer’s update, where I inform you, the reader, about my comings and goings as a writer.
As everyone knows, a writer’s world is fraught with financial insecurities. Some of the lucky few either have a partner with a decent income to support their endeavors or have hit the big time with published works and a steady paycheck. But unfortunately, the rest of us are still paying our dues, and I am one of the unlucky ones who has to fight to write while earning income.
In our home, we support our dreams. If we have a passion for something, we all chip in to help each other accomplish our goals. Of course, some of us make sacrifices, but we continue to encourage each other; because we know the secret to happiness lies within our dreams.
My husband has had ADHD his entire life and was diagnosed with it only eight years ago. So he has spent over thirty years listening to people tell him that he would never amount to anything because he was stupid. It’s an atrocity to the human race to kill one’s dreams in such a self-deprecating way.
Ever since he was young, he wanted to be a doctor, but his ADHD got in the way. Lack of support and understanding from the family and community had crushed his self-esteem and dream of working in the medical field. When I met him eight years ago, he was trying to attend college for his Associates in Applied Sciences for Therapeutic Massage. It was evident that he struggled. Once he received the diagnosis, we worked to get him on the proper medication and encouraged him to continue his dreams. Through many struggles and feelings of wanting to give up, he persevered and graduated with his Associates Degree.
Now, he is back in college pursuing his Bachelors in Registered Nurse. One day, he will work alongside the other nurses and doctors in urgent care or the emergency room doing precisely what his compassionate soul craves. I couldn’t be more proud of that man for trying his hardest to see his dreams come true.
For my husband to accomplish his dream, I had to get one of those regular job-thingys. You know the one. It has a schedule with a weekly paycheck and unpredictable customers. All for my husband so he could have more study time when he enters the nursing program. It has been challenging for me to make this adjustment. After all, I am raising two teenagers, managing a consulting job for my private practices, and I just picked up this grant writing gig to boot. So what is a girl to do?
Much was sacrificed for the greater good of our family. There is no way I will be able to accomplish reading 50 books this year. Although, if I count reading the book I have been writing, I am confident I have read it over 50 times! Meditation consists of the five minutes it takes me to slip into dreamland due to the exhaustion of managing my household and life each day. This girl doesn’t do the dieting thing anymore, but standing on my feet all day long putting out those metaphorical fires at work each day has consisted of an astonishing 15-pound weight loss. (I need to buy new jeans.)
The good news is that I finished the first book of my new series that I began writing in February of this year, and National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) begins November 1st. What does this mean?
It means I will take a trip to Indiana next month to visit friends who shine in linguistics and grammatical comedies. And I begin my second book on November 1st. Now that my wonky work schedule has settled down, I will be able to carve out more time to accomplish at least 1,000 words each day for my second book of the series. It also means that once the second book is almost complete, I can start submitting it to agents and publishers.
This new series is a story that should be read. It’s full of mysticism, romance, drama, and action. It will keep you on your toes as it has kept my adrenaline pumping through my veins since its conception. I can barely contain my excitement for this series, and I eagerly await the day I can share this new project with you. In addition, the positive feedback I have received thus far tells me I am heading in the right direction.
Thank you for being a loyal reader. You have supported me in my dreams as I continue to encourage you in your life.
If you have a dream, go for it! Don’t let it slip through your fingers. You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it, no matter who or what tries to stand in your way. So hold on tight to your dreams, and never let them go!
Stacy N. Elliott 