Don't Be Afraid to Tweak Your Dreams

Someone once told me that when it comes to choosing whether or not to do something, time will pass whether you do it or not, In other words, when debating whether or not to follow a dream, time will pass whether you go after what you want or whether you don't.

I confess, I didn’t start my writing career with romance. I wanted to be a screenwriter, so I moved to Hollywood, learned the craft of writing screenplays, and dove headfirst into the film business. Time and life passed while I chased my dream. I gathered up a lot of great experiences, however, I fell a little short of reaching my goal of seeing my name on the big screen.

As a result, there came a day when I had to admit that perhaps, just maybe, it was time to change course. I still wanted to write, but maybe screenwriting wasn’t the right genre for me. I started examining my interests and thinking about what the next step in my writing career would be. I loved romance and I loved history, so maybe I could write a historical romance. I’d read romance for many years, but I was sixteen the last time I thought about actually writing one. Back then, I’d even checked out a library book on how to write romance. What I thought a sixteen year old could bring to a story, I’m not sure, but I give myself kudos for trying. Now, I needed to try again.

It wasn’t easy changing course because, in many ways, it meant starting from the beginning. Thanks to my screenwriting background, I knew a great deal about the craft of writing, but not as it applied to narrative. During the first drafts of my first novel, Lady's Wager, I struggled with moving characters through scenes, description, and even the proper use of speech tags. I hadn’t discovered RWA yet, so I stumbled through these early, self-taught lessons with the help of some brutally honest critique partners. Once I did discover RWA, I began to learn the business of writing romance and found new ways to hone my skills as a novelist. Like the pursuit of my screenwriting dream, it took time and effort to learn the craft and business, but unlike screenwriting, I began to see success. With each accomplishment, I gained more confidence and the encouragement to keep going. 

Making the change wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. I now have nine published novels and a handful of published novellas under my belt. I didn’t give up on my dream to write, I just changed it. If you’re thinking of tweaking your dreams, I encourage you to do it. Don’t let fear of the unknown or going back to the beginning stop you. After all, what do you have to lose?

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