Working on manuscript

For several months, I have been working on a novel. A very dear friend, who is an author, critiqued the first two chapters recently. I called her the other day and accused her of "butchering" my manuscript. Seriously, what she did was so good for me.

With her comments, I am more aware of how to write and how I can improve my manuscript. The publishing of this novel is my goal. I am not faint-hearted, but determined to do a wonderful loving manuscript. My characters are real to me. They are people I would like to have as friends, well, most of them are. You have to have a couple of characters in there that no one likes.

Each day, my husband will ask if I wrote today and how much, what chapter am I on now, etc. He is involved in pushing me a little farther. Sometimes if I have a problem, I can talk to him and find the answer to where the story is going. I also have friends and relatives that I can go to when there is a problem or I am stuck.

Writing, to me, is therapy. After a long illness and recovery, it helps me to get through the day when I write. A character can say things and do things that I cannot do or say, so I can use them as an outlet for my feelings.

There are several more things that I want to do and a couple that I have already started that were pushed back when I started this project. One manuscript is a pre-teen fantasy that my granddaughter is wanting me to finish. It may never be published, but I think it is cute. Granddaughter likes it also. It will be a little later before I get to it.

My next project, when I finish this one, is a historical novel. I need to do a lot of research before I even get started on it. I also need to go to the area that I will be writing about. There is a lot of research you can do on the Internet, but I feel I can do a better job if I am on the spot where these people stood.

Friends, I am determined to be a published author. I want nothing more than to see my book in print on a shelf in a store. There is a lot of satisfaction in writing for me. I know I have a lot to learn, but I am looking forward to learning all I can to be as good as I can be.

Have a wonderful day!