Wednesday, January 12, 2011

A JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES...(you know the rest)

My writing journey, these days, looks a lot like what's happening right this minute: it's almost nine p.m and I'm writing, crafting something (in this case, a blog post) that's due in the morning, after spending all day working on something (always, a novel) that's due in a few months or sometimes less. During breaks in my day, I'm checking in with Facebook, I'm learning to tweet, I'm trading emails with my agent, my editor, my publicity team, my marketing team, my husband, and our dog. Wait, no, we don't have a dog.

My writing journey used to look a lot like this:
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.
. (nothing)
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. (nothing)
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. (nothing, nothing, la la la la la)
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Because until I was in my thirties, I didn't see myself as a writer; I was a voracious reader who'd once imagined becoming a popular novelist, but never did much of anything to make that happen. Took one writing class in high school. Bought one How to Write Romance Novels! guidebook. Filled a spiral-bound notebook with a story about a young woman in a failing marriage while I was a young woman in a failing marriage.

At 30, newly single and with two young children, I put myself into college. At first I thought I'd major in psychology but, after a semester, saw that sociology was the better fit. While I'm fascinated by human behavior, I didn't want to spend my days with troubled people; I knew I had too much empathy, too much imagination. I knew that I'd never leave their problems at the office.

Sociology: the study of social systems, groups, dynamics, institutions. Race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, justice. My concentration was cultural anthropology, and I studied physical anthro, too. I loved it, and as I approached my final semester with a 4.0 GPA in place and my new membership in Phi Beta Kappa (not to mention a new husband and two stepsons), I had my eye on a fellowship for my PhD. This is when Fate intervened: my last semester included an English class taught by a Real Published Author who, upon reading the short story I wrote for my term paper, told me I had it. You know, IT, that thing (whatever it is) that enables some people to imagine a thing and write it down in a sort of interesting, possibly compelling way.

I wanted to believe him. So, with my husband's encouragement, I took a year off to write Mostly Readable: a novel. Tried to find an agent. Collected rejections. Revise, rinse, repeat.

That Real Published Author of my undergrad program said, maybe take a writing workshop. I said, maybe I'll go to grad school for an MA in English and a creative writing concentration! Maybe I'll get a teaching assistantship so that I can get paid (a very little, tiny amount of money) to learn cool things AND to write a novel! Fate said, "Sure, and by the way, the school may be getting an MFA program; you could transfer into that." So I did.

The other thing I did: write, write, write, write, read, read, read, write, write. Then my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Then my father-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. I dropped classes. My father-in-law passed away. Shortly after, my mom came to stay with me; radiation daily, chemo weekly, drugs, doctors; not much writing, reading only medical stuff, not much sleep. Three months into her stay here, she died, and everything really, really sucked for a while.

To be a novelist, to have a writing career, you have to be motivated by something more powerful than all the forces working against your success. Writing, even when you love it, is hard. Getting an agent is hard. Selling a novel is hard. Rejection is hard, bad reviews suck, deadline pressure is intense. What motivates me, foremost? Mortality.

Life is uncertain and, even when long, almost always too short.(This is my forearm; the kanji is a Japanese proverb that translates as, Each moment, only once.)

So, I finished my MFA program with a completed, defended novel in hand. I found a fantastic agent--but we didn't sell the novel. I wrote another novel (Souvenir) and my agent sold it, at auction, and ultimately to ten different publishers here and abroad. To quote a line from near the end of my second published novel, Reunion: "It was a good start."

I emphasize, however, that it was only a start. Review copies of Exposure, my third novel, are arriving in mailboxes this week. Will it be well-received, well-reviewed? My film agent continues to field interest; will someone make an offer? The topic is timely: teen love and sexting. The story, inspired by my own son's arrest, is very close to my heart. Will readers love it? Will it sell well? Will I make my next deadline? Will I figure out hashtags, re-tweets, Facebook Pages? Will that dog stop emailing me?

I don't know. You never know whether the future will bring catastrophe or grace. But if you have an ambition or dream, of any kind, don't let that stop you from trying to achieve it.

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Therese Fowler is the author of Souvenir, Reunion, and, coming May 3rd, Exposure. She has worked in the U.S. Civil Service, managed a clothing store, lived in the Philippines, had children, sold real estate, earned a B.A. in sociology, sold used cars, returned to school for her MFA in creative writing, and taught college undergrads about literature and fiction-writing -- roughly in that order. With books published in nine languages and sold world-wide, Therese writes full-time from her home in Wake Forest, NC, which she shares with her husband, four amiable cats, and four nearly grown-up sons.

24 comments:

  1. Your honesty and humor come right off the page and settle down in a comfy chair in my living room. I hope "Exposure" has raging success. No hormone pun intended. I have a psych degree, three teenaged sons and loved my Literature for Intermediate Grades grad school class. Pour me a lemon drop martini, will you?

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  2. Oh, Therese, I love the story of your journey (and your books. and you.). I can relate to so much of it (from the "nothing. la la la" to the "write write write" to, oh, um a "son's arrest" . . . and you do it all so well, with grace and humor and flat-out amazing writing. Can't wait to hold EXPOSURE in my hot little hands!

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  3. And what I love most, above all the rest of it, is your ongoing generosity. Your willingness to share your experience in a way that helps others. Wonderful post! Can't wait to read Exposure....

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  4. The cover is amazing! Great premise. I think the best books are those which the author cares deeply about the topic.

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  5. WOW! What a post! Thanks for your honesty, for letting us see a little of you. I will definitely be tracking down a copy of "Exposure" to read.

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  6. "Modern Day Molly Brown," you are a gal with a knack for names. ;-) Thanks for commenting here!

    Judy: xox

    Karin, thanks for the feedback about the cover; it's a departure from my first two, no question!

    Jonita, thank YOU!

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  7. Kristen, I was thinking of you while writing this. xox

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  8. Beautifully written post, Therese, and all the best to you on the upcoming release of EXPOSURE!

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  9. Therese, all I can think is, "Wow!" What a powerful post. "Life is uncertain and, even when long, almost always too short." My heart leapt to my throat when I read that. You go, girl. May EXPOSURE explode. I can't wait to read it!

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  10. You wrote that LAST NIGHT? THREE published novels in nine languages?? AND you have FOUR SONS. Sigh. BUT...you don't have a dog. I have a dog. I have TWO dogs. That's my excuse and I'm stickin with it. (I LOVED Souvenir! Can't wait for Exposure!)

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  11. Wow! What a story!!! If your real life is that riveting, I truly can't wait to get my hands on your fiction!!

    I hope EXPOSURE is a huge hit.

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  12. Thank you, Marilyn!

    Susan, "from your lips..."

    Cindy, yes, last night; I find deadlines motivational. :-) And not ALL my books are out in nine languages (yet). And, you have a novel coming out soon, which is a tremendous accomplishment!

    Brenda, thanks a bunch!

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  13. Thank you so much for sharing your journey. It gives me as an aspiring writer juggling many tasks (marriage, family, work, and school) hope and encouragement to stay the course.

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  14. YBM, thank you for reading and for commenting. As you can tell, I am very happy to have persevered, and I know you will be too, so hang in there!

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  15. Therese I totally get the mortality motivation - it's what finally put the fire under me last year. I have learned so much in 12 months (with lots more to go I know) but when successful, published writers like yourself, write such honest and inspiring posts, I feel like that elusive goal is one step closer.

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  16. Elissa, I'm glad to hear this, thanks. There's always room for another good book/author, so keep at it! Persistence pays.

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  17. This is going to be your breakout. You watch. Loved this post!

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  18. Carleen, you're giving me goosebumps... (!) Hope you are prescient. :-)

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  19. Hi Therese! As I've already said, I can't imagine folks missing Souvenir or Reunion! I hope your break out book is the high tide that raises all boats! Blessings for a wonderful journey. Enjoy.

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  20. Karen, I so like the way you put that, "the high tide that raises all boats." Thank you again!

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  21. What an inspiring real read!
    Thank you for such positive words...
    to write (and I identify w/so many things you spoke of in your past)...is a need it seems..one simply sometimes must and wait to see how the seed does grow. Loved this blog post!

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  22. Cheryl: sorry I'm only just seeing your comment--just want to say thank you, and wish you the best with your own work!

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  23. Amazing topic and its give us good moral i really like this thanks for share it timeline web design .

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