As you can see from my first "About the Author" page, I've been a writer for a long time. Most of my early books were collections of short stories. Very short stories. I also did all the illustrations myself (I am not an artist).
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Fast forward a few years. After several attempts to write picture books (I'm now convinced picture book authors are the most amazing writers on the planet) I signed up for some writing classes, joined Pacific Northwest Writers Association and the Society for Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, formed a critique group with some local writers, and began churning out novels (adult, young adult, and middle grade) along with a few essays and short stories.
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An essay, “Whupped” was published in My First Year in the Classroom (Adams Media, 2009) and a short story, “The Return” won fourth place in the Stone Thread Publishing Contest and was published in their science fiction/ fantasy anthology (2012).
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But those novels....I'd write a draft, attempt some revisions, and ultimately decide it was too much work. Too many holes. Too much that needed revising. The idea of querying seemed overwhelming.
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So the books stayed in their files on the computer, or in binders on a shelf, or in a box in the closet.
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And I kept dreaming about a day in the future, when I would have a book I was proud of. That day is now.