Mmmm, fun charity volunteering finds. I never know what awaits me inside the donated clothing sacks I rummage through, hoping to find gems for the thrift store sales floor. Sometimes it's used underwear, sometimes brand new Lululemon activewear.
And sometimes, little nuggets like this emerge and give everyone a good laugh. Well, "everyone" might be a stretch. Many of my fellow volunteers are retired teachers, so they got the joke—but not on the same level I do as an author.
Like most writers, I made a multitude of amateur mistakes when I first started taking writing seriously. For laughs, and as a testament to my own growth, I like to look back and see how far I've come.
This little excerpt is from chapter one of the first draft of Detours with Dust Bunnies, way back in 2011:
“You’re not helping at all, Dale!”
“It’s okay, Trish,” I finally sighed, trying to calm her down. If she went on one of her rants in the bar, they might possibly throw us out. “I’m not all that down anymore. I mean, now I have a lot more time to hang out with you two.”
Trisha grinned and held up her Jack and Coke.
“To being best friends since the beginning of high school!” I picked up my glass again and clanked it loudly against hers. Dale decided to sit that one out, knowing that no matter how feminine he was or tried to be, he could never come between me and Trisha’s girl time. When I looked over at him, I saw that he had returned to staring at me with his big green eyes which were full of curiosity once more.
Yikes, look at the filtering, adverbs, and exclamation points! ...See what I did there? (!) Nevermind.
The point is, the story had a rough start, but the basic concept was there. I wanted the main character to realize she needed a change after her most recent breakup. As soon as she decided, the story "clay" started to take shape.
And I finally finished Detours back in 2019. It took 8 years to complete and polish my first novel. I plan to do another round of querying on Detours soon, but for now, it's my first major accomplishment in my publication goal. Wow.
Looking back, the main reason it took so long to complete this story was my own personal growth. In those 8 years, I pulled away from toxic friendships, traveled to many new places, overcame bitterness toward my parents and ex boyfriends, got married, and left my twenties behind.
Needless to say, I wasn't at all the same person in 2019 that I was in 2011. Because I changed and grew, Lissie's journey did as well. And it's better as a result.
For my fellow authors out there, I just want to say keep going! You're growing and changing as well, even if it doesn't feel like it. Slow progress is the key. Step after step, we all evolve.
Keep on smilin'!
Comments