Remember when you were younger and it was easy to get so excited about things? It may have been the joy you felt when you woke up Christmas morning or the dreams of what you would one day do, but regardless of how or why it came, it does not seem to come around much anymore. Or at least I know that's true of me, as time and experience have caused me to mellow out, and regrettably, become a bit more cynical.
Today I spent some time with some of my junior high small group girls. One of them overheard me talking to the other small group leader about me working on my novel. It's something I don't really discuss with a lot of people, but now that I am pretty far along into it and the end is actually in sight, I feel more comfortable doing so, though it's still weird to try to explain to people what you're doing and that it seems perfectly normal to you while they think it's super cool. Anyhow, so later the girl who overheard me asked me, "You're writing a book?" And then the four other girls who were right there were immediately asking me the same question, asking for details.
It was so weird, but it was sweet and neat how excited they got about it. They talked about how it would be a bestseller and become a movie and they'd be in it. The "grown-up" part of me feels it's silly to believe such things, but I can't say that I have never thought about those things or hoped they would be true. But I think the best part of their excitement was that they are the age group I am trying to target with this book. Now, they haven't read it yet or anything obviously, and I suppose them reading it and liking it would be the real test, but obviously they seem to think I could possibly write a book they would like. I guess it gives me a new wave of motivation and encouragement... a fresh perspective and a reason to get excited.
5 comments:
thanks! I am looking forward to Orlando. :) We did love it last October! I've also heard great things about Key West. Such a beautiful island.. i think it is.. :)
Glad the girls were able to cheer you up!
That's really exciting that they showed an interest! I remember that I-can-conquer-the-world enthusiasm and miss it, too.
I'll catch back up on the novel blog, I've been really busy.
Yay! That IS exciting, even for grown-ups. ;)
Letting them read your book (or a portion of it at least) could be a really good idea. My mother in law has self-published one book and is getting ready to publish another-- with both books she gave copies of the drafts to different people-- a couple of friends, her target audience, etc. Sometimes it was just nice because we would notice a typo she had over looked, and other times we would talk about a sentence that needed to be re-written. Granted, your girls aren't professional editors, but it wouldn't hurt to let one or two of the more English/creative writing-minded ones take a gander at it :)
*ahem*
http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=89075596&JobTitle=Editor+(Newspaper+Copy)&lid=17514%2c17636%2c17696%2c17794%2c17883%2c18176%2c18325%2c18411&sort=rv%2c-dtex&rad_units=miles&brd=3876&pp=50&vw=b&paygrademax=7&re=134&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&caller=advanced.aspx&jbf571=3%2c11%2c19&AVSDM=2010-07-08+08%3a07%3a00
I don't know you and Garrett feel about moving... but that could be a start.
Post a Comment