I saw this quote in a couple of Facebook posts today and thought it was appropriate for me to borrow as I set my sights on 2018. Beginning tomorrow, I will be staring at blank pages that I need in two weeks for the introductory chapter of my novel. I know I won’t complete this novel in 2018, maybe I won’t get beyond a chapter or two, but it’s a start and I’m excited to turn the page into this next chapter.
I am grateful that I had this past week completely off from work, the first time ever. My company gave us the entire week paid time off rather than using vacation days. I am fortunate my sons were able to spend much of the week with us, celebrating Christmas and getting ready for New Year’s. I am proud that I took the days and spent my time NOT catching up on work projects.
Instead, I ate too much, finished Dan Brown’s newest thought-provoking novel, Origin: A Novel (highly recommend, even it is a bit formulaic Dan Brown/Robert Langdon), launched into a mini-binge watch of “The Crown” on Netflix, and outlined notes for my first draft. I also spent some time thinking of the authors who have inspired me in my journey to become a historical fiction writer with a focus on a strong, female protagonist. Three authors lead my list: Anita Diamant, Kristin Hannah and Alice Hoffman. I checked out their websites to see what has inspired them in their writing and was most impressed with a note from Anita Diamant, interviewed this year for the 20th anniversary of her blockbuster, The Red Tent 1st (first) edition Text Only
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Why do you love to focus on the relationship between women in your books?
“I believe that women’s history and women’s stories are still under-told, which means that there’s a hunger for them.”
I hope there will be a hunger for my novel. Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy, Mindful 2018.