Let’s talk about where it all began for my writing journey.
As I think about Memorial Day weekend, I am always reminded of where the inspiration for writing my first manuscript came from. It was found in a short story I wrote during a spontaneous trip to a B&B in Duluth, Minnesota on Memorial Day weekend about twenty years ago. This manuscript was my start to writing a novel but it wasn’t part of The Way Series.
How did I start writing?
I always wanted to write and publish a novel since I was a teenager. What it would be about or even if it would be a series I had no idea at that point. In my writing archives, I have the diaries I wrote in as a preteen. They look like the one pictured below. Did you have any of these growing up?
My parents got them for me and I found them in my stocking on Christmas morning. The first one was a five year one that had about an inch to write everything that happened in that space. I quickly found out that an inch of space wasn’t nearly enough. So then I asked for the one year variety so I would have an entire page of space.
Also in my archives, are two pocket folders with stories and plays written on loose leaf notebook paper. These stories and plays are what was in my imagination as a young girl.
The writing goes on hold
I continued to write funny stories and plays through high school. I also liked to share some of these stories with my friends. My imagination was running wild with creativity.
When I got to college, my writing went on hold for a bit. I would journal from time to time to sort out my thoughts, but I wasn’t writing as creatively as I was before. I am sure the college life and having a boyfriend was keeping me busy.
After college, I started working in retail to gain some work experience and then decided to go back to school to finish an accounting degree that I started. With that degree, I was able to work for a business college and start living on my own,
The writing starts up again
After settling into my career in accounting and administration at the business college, I started to pick up on my writing again. It was during this time that the spontaneous trip to a B&B in Duluth, Minnesota on Memorial Day weekend took place.
Duluth on a holiday weekend wasn’t a place you travelled to at the last minute. So, when checked on available B&Bs, I expected that there wouldn’t be any available. I did find a room available at Manor on the Creek. I called and confirmed the reservation and started the two and a half hour drive to get there.
The weekend away was a relaxing one. It allowed me to take it easy, enjoy one of my favorite cities and be inspired to write a short story. That short story led to writing my first manuscript called Mentoring A Dream. It is about a woman who mentors a young girl to help her achieve her dream to fly an airplane. This manuscript remains unpublished, but may be published some day.
Where it all began
When Memorial Day comes around each year since then, I remember the last minute trip to Duluth and how it inspired me to write a novel length manuscript. That manuscript eventually led to writing and publishing my first novel, The Hard Way, the beginning of The Way Series.
Do you know about The Way Series?
Have you heard about my coming-of-age series for teens and young adults? It is called The Way Series.
Book #1 – The Hard Way – is the story of Paul Jones and his starting his freshman year of high school and how he must navigate dealing with pressure from his peers to do things to fit in.
Book #2 – Shawn’s Way – is a continuation of Paul’s journey from The Hard Way but now we meet a new freshman, Shawn Townson, who is forced to navigate being the target of a bully. An upperclassman at his school is taking out his frustration on Shawn.
Book #3 – The Street’s Way, is a continuation of The Way Series and introduces Mikala Kalani to the storyline as a runaway and homeless teen. To be released in late 2023!
Follow this link to my books tab to learn more about the series and to pick up your copies! You still have time to get caught up on the story line before the release of The Street’s Way later this year. Selma’s Books
