I Did It!

This month, I did something I have been wanting to do my whole life.

I wrote a book. 

A novel.

In one month.

I wrote a novel in one month!

I just finished less than an hour ago and now I am sitting here unable to leave my desk, not really believing it's true. 

But here it is right in front of me.  The Dream Thieves.  It's a ghost story (or a "gross story," as one person misheard).  It's a story about a war and the clash of cultures and generations.  It's a story about mothers and daughters and the memories that haunt us and redeem us.  And food, of course!  How food defines us, nourishes us, and holds us together.

Some people have compared writing a novel to giving birth.  Having given birth to three beautiful, healthy babies, the loves of my life, I can tell you, it's not even close.  Or maybe it's just that I know from experience, that conception and giving birth is the easy part.  The hard part is raising them and then sending your babies out into the world. 

That comes next.

But for now I am happy to just sit here stunned by my accomplishment, the fulfillment of a long overdue promise to myself. 

I'm am so, so grateful to my real-life daughters for believing in me and supporting my dream. 

To Tyler, who inspired me and is writing her third novel!
To Kelsey and Siena, who helped with dinners and the dishes and fed the cats so their mother could go out to her office and bang her head against the keyboard day after day:  I love you more than all the words in the whole "entier" universe!

And tomorrow I will answer all the email and pay all the bills and return all the phone calls and buy some groceries.  I promise.

Love,
your Mom, the writer

"Those who discourage your dreams likely have abandoned their own."

Sweet Dreams...

Comments

[carol rauscher]

Congratulations, Angie! I simply cannot wait to read it! did i see that "the haunting of hill house" might have been something you read recently? one of my favorite, all time scary stories! Keep writing! cousin carol

[Michele]

Only a word: WOW!!!
I hope to read it… (in italian… :( )

Michele

[Angie]

Magari! I have enough trouble writing in English.

But when I do get published, Italian would be the first language I would like my books to be translated into...