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).
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.
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).
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.
So the books stayed in their files on the computer, or in binders on a shelf, or in a box in the closet.
And I kept dreaming about a day in the future, when I would have a book I was proud of. That day is now.