By
Sandra Wilkins
Recently, a friend complimented me on having three published books. I
tried to blow it off—after all I’m only a home schooling mom without a
college degree to my name—but she stopped me. She was fascinated and even
slightly daunted by the fact that I had actually begun a story and completed
it. That made me wonder what makes a published author different from a
wanna-be author. The only thing I could come up with is that I wasn’t
afraid to try. I wasn’t scared to write it. And, I wasn’t put off
by the rejections that came my way when I first tried to find a
publisher.
The empty, white, first page of a book isn’t unnerving for me. Instead,
it’s a blank canvas on which I can create a new world. I’m not one who
has the entire story plotted out when I begin, but I know my characters and I
have thought of scenes here and there. As I try to connect the dots, more
and more ideas surface. I won’t say that every day these beautiful scenes
unfold effortlessly. There are times when I have to take a break from the
story to regroup and get more ideas. It does take determination and
dedication to keep plugging along.
I want to encourage anyone who wants to be an author, to just get
started. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It won’t be. Get your
ideas written down. Edit later. Add content and take away what
doesn’t work. You might be able to use it another time. All you
have to do is begin…and polish your little gem until it shines.
Sandra Wilkins is busy writing another series while home educating
her two daughters. Ada’s Heart, Rose’s Hope and Gwen’s Honor
are her first three published wholesome historical romances. Go to www.sandrawilkins.com to find out more about
her and her books.
