I’m tired of “living for the weekend.” There was a time in my life when I’d fire up the car on Friday after a long work week and scream at the top of my lungs, “IT’S THE WEEKEND, BABY, WHOOOO!!!” . I’d blast my car stereo with whatever feel good music I happened to be listening to at the time to celebrate the week’s glorious end. Then I’d burn rubber (in my mind) while I carefully cruised out of the employee parking lot driving a respectable 10-15 mph.

I’m tired of having to cram the things I want to do into a 48-hour window called the weekend. Activities like spending quality time with family & friends, enjoying a bar-b-cue, hitting the many lakes in MN to whack some Large or Smallmouth Bass or writing to my heart’s content while sitting under a tree at the park. We work and work and work, then work some more and work one more day for good measure until finally, YIPPEE It’s the weekend, 48-hours of play. Yet, it’s not really a full 48, is it? We may enjoy ourselves on Saturday, but sometime during that Sunday our minds slowly drift back to thinking of the tasks we need to accomplish at work on Monday. That’s right, Mondays-a-coming, faithfully, without fail.

Does our life have to be this way…waiting for the weekend to come? It’s not that I’m ungrateful for my “day job.” For the most part, I’ve enjoyed a long career in social services. Yet, there is something I love to do more. So, I had to ask myself, “Are my Mondays through Fridays spent on doing what I love to do?” It wasn’t, so I had to take the plunge. I had to step out on Faith. It was time to stop chasing my dreams but to catch them. And you can too. Conquer your fears. Accomplish your goals. Pursuing what God put you on this Earth to do just might inspire others to do the same. Find what you love to do and do it for the rest of your life. That’s what I’m doing…even on the weekdays.

Let’s Go Get It!

D

This is it. Today is the day that I’ve waited over a decade to celebrate. The release of my very first novel. I am humbled, grateful, and thankful that something I’ve written is now available for the world to see.

I am humbled because I know what it’s taken for me to get to this point. I first began writing in the early 2000’s. I remember my Business of Screenwriting class had ended, and I was one out of three students chosen for a 1:1 meeting with the Director of the Screenwriting Program to discuss my script. He asked me where I attended school. I told him where I went and of my Psych degree. He promptly stated, “No, I mean, what school did you go to for writing?” I informed him that I didn’t go to school for writing. When I was going to University, I didn’t even know I had the talent to write (If I had, my college career would have been extremely different than it was) . He told me that I had a natural talent for writing, specifically in writing dialogue. From that point on I had the confidence to pursue my dream of becoming a screenwriter. So, the obvious irony is, today I am celebrating being a novelist. Will I ever become a working screenwriter as well? I believe I will. Can I do both? Absolutely! Why not? I became a novelist in part because I was tired of people telling me what I couldn’t do. Instead of staying in the small boxes that “others” felt I belonged in, I decided to DREAM BIGGER! Incidentally, this has become the “tag-line” that I’ve written in the few books I’ve signed for people. Dream Bigger.

I’m grateful that there was someone willing to take a chance on my writing. Obtaining a traditional publisher is a very hard thing to do, let alone an agent or manager who believes in you. It took me over 7 years to get a publisher (when I started looking for one). I’m not afraid to be persistent. I’m not afraid to try, try again. I’m definitely not afraid of the word “No.” All I needed was one “yes” and now you’re reading my blog. I once asked my publisher why he decided to contract with me. He stated, “I knew I wanted to publish your book after I read the first four paragraphs.” What did he see that hundreds of other agents, managers and publishers didn’t see? I like to believe he saw my heart. Whoever’s reading this, I hope and pray you also have eyes to see.

I am thankful for all the wonderful people who have already bought my book and for the many others who will in the future. Out of all the books you could have spent your hard-earned money on, you bought mine. Thank you. I’m also excited for you because I know the roller-coaster ride of emotions you are about to embark in reading my first novel, Mendel. I’m confident you will enjoy the ride.

Let’s Go Get It

D