Humble Beginnings So Long Ago

I haven't written here for a while. I've been doing other things. But as I sit here, looking at the rain, I'm feeling incredibly grateful and not just for the much-needed precipitation.

I'm also thankful for Vocal and the folks I've met here. The platform and I haven't seen eye to eye in the past couple of years. But I can give credit where it's due.

I was lured into Vocal+ by a challenge offering a $20,000 grand prize for a short story. The Little Black Book Challenge. I stared at the rules and regulations for days before entering.

I'd never shared my writing before. I was terrified. Although I'd been writing for my entire life, I was painfully insecure about it. I didn't know if I was any good or not. I erred on the side of "not."

It was my husband who gave me the final push. So I went for it. I paid my money and took my chances, as the saying goes.

And I was horrified! I joined all the social media groups and was instantly intimidated by the Vocal greats of the day, Mikey, Lesley, Cathy and Babs, to name a few. I felt so inferior. They were the cool kids with all the reads and here I was writing drivel.

I thought about quitting every single day.

But they encouraged me. They were welcoming and nice to me.

That was in February of 2021.

In a few months, I'd won my first challenge! It was the Boss Mom Challenge and I pocketed a cool $2500. That's AMERICAN dollars...to a Canuck like me, that's a good day's work.

But better than the money was the affirmation. It was the first time I felt like maybe, just maybe I could write. Maybe I could make something of my little words.

More wins and placement followed and my confidence grew. I was ready to move on. I was ready to spread my wings, to try other things. I was outgrowing the platform that created me.

And here we are today. I'm a different writer than I was on that cold February night in 2021. I've grown and learned. I've become more comfortable with my words. And on September 30, my novel will be available,

That's right kids, my novel, a work 2 years in the making and one near and dear to my heart is being published. I didn't get the big 5 publisher I wanted, but who gets that right out of the gate, right?

I Ran So You Could Fly (The Paris O'Ree Story) is a labour of love. It's a historical fiction novel based on the life of my real-life 6th great-grandfather, Paris O'Ree. He was a slave on a SC low country rice plantation back during Revolutionary times. And he ran to join the British army at 15. As a result, he gained passage to Canada.

What were you doing at 15? Not running from bondage or joining any army. I sure wasn't. I was crying about WHAM breaking up and trying to figure out how to get George Michael to notice me (yes, I know...don't judge, it was a more innocent time).

But none of that's the point. The point is, I am soon to be a published author and without this platform, it never would have happened.

It's here on Vocal I gained confidence as a writer. I developed my craft with the help and encouragement of a whole host of brilliant creators. It was a safe and supportive space for me at the time.

The site has changed. I'm not a huge fan of many of the changes. But that's the cycle of business and life. Things evolve. I've also changed. I came here a scared baby writer who thought her first win was a scam email. I've come out the other side proud to say I'm a writer without feeling like a fraud. I even have a book trailer:

I say all this not to brag, although I'm pretty damn pleased with myself, but to both acknowledge the platform and people who had a hand in creating the writer I've become and as a little ray of hope.

It can be done. You can do it. You lose nothing putting your work on here. You gain a community. You gain friends and mentors. You gain experience and development as a wordsmith.

I won't ever enter another challenge. I'm beyond that. Vocal's beyond me. We've both been there and done that a few times. That's just the way things roll.

If you're on the fence, if you're a closet writer, scared to take the leap, scared to share your work, or terrified of criticism and nasty comments, you needn't worry here. The community isn't like that. It's largely supportive. Sure there are jerks. They're weeded out pretty quick. And if they aren't, well, best not let me find them in your comments because I'm a beast!

Thank you, Vocal. Thank you, my writing pals. I've grown from a shaky-kneed baby scribbler into a writer. I suppose that was the idea all along.