So Friday was a really … really … really … really tough day for me. No ‘first’, lots of ‘lasts’ and loads of stressful conversations that ended with … “if only.” On the verge of those many … many … many conversation, I came to a realization about what *I* want in my writing ‘career’. First, as most know, writing is my passion, and I write for corporate america, but I when it comes to novels, I am ‘unpublished’.

I ask myself, on a regular basis, if pursuing publication is really what I want … and the answer is always “I want other people to read my stories.”

But do you know that I’ve write 5(!) yes, 5(!) complete novels and two got somewhere with agents, only to be filed and tucked away on my computer after they final rejections came in. I’m just starting the process with novel #4 and #5 is still under serious version. Just so you know, #1 will never see the light of day. 🙂 Ever.

So that leaves 4 complete novels that have been read by a select few, a number of writers (for critique purposes) and sit, gathering digital dust.

Along comes Friday the 8th, and my head spun with the latest batch of rejection, stresses at work and at home, etc. My wonderful writing partner tried to ‘console’ me via email (and did a wonderful job I should add). And then I info-dumped on my hubby who asked me one most poignant question…

Hubby: “What do you really want to do with your stories, Aimee?”
Me: “I just want them read. I want them … out there.”
Hubby: “Then just put them out there. For free. In a blog. On a website. Or put them on Amazon. Just do your best and put them there.”
Me: “Oh, no. I can’t do that. That’s just frowned upon in the industry.”
Hubby: “Then you aren’t really doing what you want to with your stories, are you?”

Ah the voice of reason (to a point)! 🙂 So what did I do? I took a new tact in my goal to publication and apparently, I’m not the only one. Read about Johanna Harness‘ latest thoughts, which I am ::bowing:: to!

In an email to my writing partner, I said my new resolve was to do this (and this is a QUOTE from my email! — I’ve left all the bad spelling, capitalization and punctuation errors in so it proves how I made this decision!).

1) write, edit, get read,
2) enter a contest
3) edit based on contest feedback
4) query agents
5) let sit while querying
6) write something else (LOL which may also become a step between 1-5 above as you know)
7) query epubs
8) edit more
9) self-pub

No, it’s not the model for everyone, but do you know how much of a weight lifted from my shoulders when I decided on this path for my career? At least 20 pounds. Maybe 30. Now if only I could lose real weight that fast. 😉

So you tell me … agree? Disagree? Have you decided on where your path will take you?