Tell Us Your Story

Have you ever thought about sitting down at your computer to write a story that's bouncing around in your head? Maybe you have, but convinced yourself that you'd be the only one who would ever be interested in it. You may have saved what you wrote for another time, but never actually went back to it, leaving it in the dust pile of your memories.

If this applies to you, then you are probably one of millions who share the same dream. People who, just like you, have a story to tell, but remain silent because they lack the confidence to put their ideas on paper. I was one of those people; I moved to Sebastian, Florida, almost twenty years ago and started formulating a story in my head based upon hidden treasure and adventure. I published Serpent's Curse, my first book, last October, because of a couple of friends who liked my idea. It just took me eighteen years to make the jump.

I went to Grammar School and High School in the 50's and 60's. Most of the history we learned back then has since been rewritten. Why is that? It's simple; men and women of the time wrote and recorded their version of the story and it became history. What we took as fact became nothing more than someone's biased opinion. But if people who came before us didn't take the time to tell their stories, we'd have no clue whatsoever what really happened before we burst upon the scene.

Tom Clancy has been one of my favorite authors for many years. He has an interesting quote that I'd like to share. "The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense." And so it does! The history of mankind is full of people just like us who had a story. The difference is simple: they took the time to tell theirs! All your story has to do is make sense to the reader. If someone can read your work and enjoy it, you've crossed over into being a storyteller,.and everyone loves a good story!

I have a friend who is an avid angler; he spends so much time fishing I wonder how he gets anything else done. We talked about his yearning to write what he had learned about fishing; he wanted to compile an angler's guidebook from his experiences. Two weeks ago I received a sample of a fictional story that he's decided to write instead. The beginning was strong enough to get my attention, and that of a few others who read it. I encouraged him to continue, and I hope he does. It sounds like a great story!

So, my friends, tell your story! Talk to your friends or family to see if they think the tale is worth the trouble, and if they think it has merit, then you should charge forward and start writing. Don't worry about the spelling and layout; that's why you have spelling and grammar check in your Word program. There are people (I am one) who will take a rough manuscript and polish it until it's all cleaned up. You don't have to be perfect; you just need to have a good story.

In summary, I should say that it's not an easy thing to get a book launched. Selling and marketing a book takes a tremendous amount of time and effort; more work sometimes than writing the book in the first place. But if you're committed to your work, the results might be the most rewarding time of your life. Your story will become your legacy, read by other people who follow us on this beautiful blue marble. And wouldn't that be pretty cool?

Have a great weekend everybody!


Mark


Your "Veggie of the Day:"

Two cows are standing next to each other in a field. Daisy says to Dolly "I was artificially inseminated this morning." "I don't believe you," said Dolly. "It's true, no bull!" For a FREE sample of my book Serpent's Curse, click on the ink below:                            https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/1456c9f6ce6cc2b2