Getting Started

Beyond being a ghostwriter I am also a wannabe historical fiction writer. The plan is for my first novel to be about a woman that has fascinated me since childhood...Cleopatra VII. Now, I know there has been a lot written about her over the ages, but I haven't found a work of fiction that has left me satisfied. So, obviously I think I have a different perspective and something interesting to say.

I'm still in the research phase because I don't want to automatically use the commonly accepted stories. I'm teaching myself Ancient Greek, Hieroglyphics, and Arabic so that I can read the primary documents myself and do my own translations. I think this is important because just having one word that can be translated in a few different ways can greatly impact the meaning of the statement. The trouble is that while Cleopatra is widely known, there is not a lot of documentation out there about her life and accomplishments (well, other than the conveniently negative writings composed by Romans). It's odd that almost everyone knows her name and thinks they know her, but actually don't. It makes me wonder how many historical figures and events are like that.

Anyway, even though I'm still gathering the information necessary to truly create her character sketch, I decided it was time to start writing. While I have been working on this project for a few years now (most of my time is dedicated to ghostwriting) I didn't have anything on paper yet. For whatever reason, the idea of actually starting frightened me. Taking the novel from idea to reality was a bit nerve wracking. I'm not exactly sure why I was scared, but I knew that I had to break through those fears and just get going.

Oddly enough, it was a day-trip I took with a friend of mine that inspired me to get writing. She is an extremely talented and creative person and I always come home with tons of energy and inspiration after being around her. So, I decided to take that creative energy and go for it. I didn't think too much about it. I knew that if I stopped to think I wouldn't actually get anything written. So, I ran to the computer (yes, I really did run) and just started getting things down. I wasn't sure if I would start in the beginning, middle, or end but I knew that I had to get something done. As fate would have it, I was able to write the perfect opening paragraph (when I say perfect, I mean that it says exactly what I want it to say. I'm sure I'll reword it during editing).

So, if you have an idea for a book and have been waiting for the perfect time to start, just go for it! You'll never find that perfect time that you're looking for. There are a lot of people who dream about renting a cabin in the woods somewhere and writing that great American novel. But how many people actually do it? Not many. Some of the best literature ever written was composed at an inopportune moments; during times of war, economic crises, or even simply when a son or daughter finally went down for a nap. So, if you have an idea for a book that you've always wanted to write...go ahead and write it!

I can tell you that I feel so much better now that I have that paragraph written. I no longer have to face that blank page, and that is a very good thing.

District Council

Wow! What an experience! The last time I wrote I was unsure about whether or not my time at the Disctrict Council meeting would be successful or not. I purposefully went in with no expectations. I thought that if there was no interest in my services I would just consider my time spent as a nice vacation to Appleton. LOL. Well, I'm happy to say that my time in Appleton was very fruitful! There was an incredible amount of interest in my booth and I walked away with fifteen (yes, fifteen!) possible clients! I got home on Wednesday and have already been contacted by two of those potential clients and things are going very well! One needs to talk with her leadership in order to make sure that it is acceptable to them that she write her book while she is still working as a missionary. The other client is thinking everything through and getting funding for the project. Of course that is all I can say about them and their projects.

This was the first time that I have purchased a booth at a conference like this and I will absolutely do it again. I highly recommend it to anyone out there that is looking for clients. It may not pay off every time, but it is clearly a fantastic way to spread the word about what you do and plant a seed. There were many people who came to speak to me even though they did not have an idea for a book or writing project. By the time we were done talking I could tell that the wheels were churning and they were considering what they could write about.

The only thing I will handle better next time is the food situation. There were many meetings going on at the Council so there were times where very few people (if any) visited with the exhibitors. In the future, I'll plan this out so that I can make sure that I can eat or sit and rest during these down times. It wasn't a matter of not having time to eat, it was that the options readily available were not exactly healthy. You know the whole "I have 10 minutes...I guess I'll get some pizza at the clubhouse" thing. I think I'll bring along some sandwich making goodies and keep them in the refrigerator in my hotel room in the future. So keep that in mind if you plan on getting a booth at a convention or conference!

I have no doubt that I will do this again. I met so many nice people and just had a blast. So, while word of mouth is still the best way to find clients as a ghostwriter, don't be afraid to step out and invest in a booth at a conference or convention some time. It'll be worth it!