Meriam Wilhelm
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  • Home
  • About Me (Bio., Sewing projects and photos)
  • Blog
  • The Witch of Bergen
  • Murder By Magic
  • Morning Magic Chapter One
  • Night Flight Prologue & Chapters One & Two
  • Midnight Madness Chapter One
  • Sunset Spells Chapter One
  • Sea Dreams Chapter One
  • Free Book of Spells
  • New Page
  Meriam Wilhelm

give up..give in...get real !

11/24/2017

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I hit an unexpected writer's block this past year. I sort of lost my way and it had me really wondering what to do next with myself.  I have always been a goal driven person who needed to be reaching for that next carrot in order to feel good about myself. Yes, I agree that may not be the healthiest way to live, but I guess it’s just how I’m wired. The other part of me is that I expect that dedication and hard work will more times than not – result in success. But it’s the definition of that word  - success - that suddenly had me paralyzed, and more than a little uncertain of my writing future.
 
It all started three and a half years ago. After thirty-five years in education, I retired. I had loved being an elementary school principal and there were still a thousand stories, strategies and recommendations racing through my head. I wanted to share all that I had learned and decided to try writing parenting books. I poured out my heart and soul with strategies on bullying, homework issues, parent/teacher relationships and more.
 
Six books later I realized that I was getting bored talking about the same old stuff I had for the last thirty-five years. I needed to do something different. I took a chance, deciding to throw my hat into the world of fiction writing. And I had a blast creating my first fictional series The Witches Of New Moon Beach. I created a welcoming - albeit quirky, action packed world filled with witches, magic and love, all at the beach.  
 
Although I was happy with how the series did, I guess I had hoped for more. After all, I felt like I had worked really hard, spending endless hours in front of my computer. Suddenly I was wondering what the “more” was that I was looking for?  More sales..more exposure more…more what?
 
A couple of my friends gently suggested that I might consider giving up. Why spend so much time if it wasn’t truly productive. “I mean are you even making any money?” one asked.  Others said that I should give in to the fact that the e-book market may have shrunk. Maybe I’d missed my chance and I’d never make it big. Maybe I just wasn’t good enough. It left me considering - who was I to think that I might actually make it in this gigantic world of publishing?
 
It was my husband who caught me feeling down one day and said something rather life changing - Get Real! What the heck did that mean, I asked – not really wanting to know the answer.
 
 Then he asked me four powerful questions.
  1. Did I still have a passion for writing?
  2. Was I having fun?
  3. Had I done all that I could to improve my writing skills and publishing opportunities?
  4. Was I really ready to throw in the towel and walk away from writing?
 
After dropping these atomic bomb like  questions on me, he calmly reassured me that whatever my answers were – he’d still have my back.
 
I spent a lot of time thinking about his queries. And in the end, it was the answers to those questions that helped me to redefine my idea of success and happiness.
 
I do have a passion for writing. I love creating fictional worlds over which I have total artistic freedom and control. My mind is constantly spinning with new themes and plot lines.
I love creating new characters. It’s fun. In fact, I wake up at night to jot down new ideas that just popped into my head while I was supposed to be sleeping. I carry around my Book O’ Names with me so that when I hear an unusual name I quickly jot it down for later use.
Ouch! No, I hadn’t done everything that I could to improve my writing skills. So I got moving - I listened to writer podcasts, read articles by other writers and secured new support software. I knew that I needed to do a better job editing my books. I’d been zinged for it in the past and recognized that it was one of the areas I could strengthen.  I secured the help of a fab editor - Jenny Jensen. She has been a godsend and has made all of the difference in the world in helping me to tighten up my story lines and confirm correct grammar usage. Most importantly, I feel better about my work with her support.
Hell No! I am not ready to throw in the towel. I love writing and even though I still hit bumps in the road; writing makes me happy.
 
So what did I do with all these newly found answers? I put my head down, recognized that this was what I’m meant to be doing right now – and wrote. I reawakened by imagination and had fun creating a new story – one that I am ready to share with you.
 
Murder By Magic is my first cozy mystery and I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
 
And should you feel stuck along the way, you are more than welcome to borrow my husband’s four questions to get you headed in the right direction – right for you that is!
 
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