As I sit before my computer reflecting on the past 6 months of 2014, I lift my hands in praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me the ability to remain steadfast in my writing career. The thought made me look back through my pictures and I stumbled across one that brought back a fond memory in my writing career. My first book signing party in 2009. I had a lively, well-attended signing at Magic Johnson’s TGI Fridays Restaurant and I sold cases of books. As I moved forward, my king of kings and savior has provided me strength to maintain a consistent writing pace. I try to write every day, and on most days my muse flows like a fountain, soars as smoothly as an eagle. There are rare occasions of writer’s block that involve trudging through word-by-word and wiping my brow if I can achieve several meaningful paragraphs.
Life is precious and at times it’s like riding a pendulum swing, but I gratefully attest to the Lord’s shield of armor that has warmly clothed and nurtured my careers as a registered nurse, educator, and author. Writing while working a day job has not been easy, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the nagging questions that pop up from time-to-time. Lord, is this really what you want me to do?
Do you want me to take off on 12-14 hour writing binges before shutting down my computer at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. in the morning, come home after 10-hour work days and open my manuscript to write for at least 4 or more hours, lock myself in my writing cave on Saturday and Sunday afternoons to reach my word count for those days? I’ve asked these questions many times over the years and long before my books had been published. But this is what writers do, right?
At times, I’ve also reminded myself that a writer’s life can be lonely although the rewards are priceless. We all love monetary gains, but the reward of readers who love my stories and are positively impacted by a character’s experiences is even greater. As a writer, I am committed to improving my craft for continued growth, promoting myself, networking, attending literary conferences and other events to remain visible and active, social media participation, reading, and so many other activities.
My weekdays require me to run at the pace of a marathon runner’s to get everything completed, and there are times when I lose momentum. This is when a standstill occurs to reflect on my achievements. Am I where I would like to be in my literary career and should I continue? Have I done enough research on future publishing opportunities or potential agents? No, I am not where I would like to be in my career, but my answer is “yes” I have done tons of research and will continue writing. Writing is a pearl of wisdom that God placed in my heart and mind 9 years ago, and I love this pearl too much to give it up. God has continued to give me strong motivation, strength and inner peace to pursue my everlasting love for writing. I’m so grateful to Him, my readers, family, and friends who have supported me over the years.
blessings!
Patricia
Patricia Ann Bridewell 