Three years as a Diva

Three years ago, I was thinking about my dreams.  Mostly, my dream of writing.  For years I’d dreamed that one day, I’d be a published author.  That other people would enjoy my writing enough to want to read it.  But I’d made only one half hearted attempt at pursuing that dream, an attempt quickly abandoned in the busy days of early marriage (and the pregnancy that soon followed).

Then three years ago today, I found Romance Divas.

There, I found hundreds (hundreds that have grown to thousands) of other women with the same dream.  We come from every corner of the world, and cross many genres and cultures in our writing and in our lives.  But we share a passion for words, and the need to push ourselves every day to be the best writer we each can be.

It was at Divas that I entered my first writing contest (which I finaled in!), received my first request for a manuscript (through that first contest), began to learn how to defeat my own writing bugaboos – especially a god-awful mangling of Point Of View I didn’t even realize I had a problem with.  I’ve met some of the most generous, warm hearted people in the world, each more supportive than the next.  And in that three years I sold my first manuscript, and had the encouragement of the Divas every step of the way from contract to celebration of best seller lists.

Thank you Divas.  For the encouragement and laughter, hugs and tears.  For the chat room when I need a challenge, and the goals threads when I need a kick in the ass.  For the workshops presented by old heroes and new favorites, and the chance to learn from writers who have walked this path before (and alongside) me.

So big, wet, sloppy hugs to all the Divas.  My writing wouldn’t be the same without you!