Thanksgiving is next week, and that means our thoughts turn to all of the reasons we have to be thankful.
There is so much I have to be thankful for. A wonderful husband. Four amazing kids. A house that more than meets our needs. A fulfilling job and the same for my husband. This year I signed a contract with my dream editor at my dream publisher...a long process, but another reason to be thankful. I've had the opportunity to write two books for another great publisher with a good friend of mine. I've also seen a story of my heart, Shadowed by Grace, final and win some prestigious awards. Oh, and let's not forget that crazy MBA!It has been an amazing year! Here are a few writerly reasons I'm thankful.
- I'm thankful for the writing community God has placed me in. Writing can be a lonely job. It's me and my computer. This writer needs people. God has met that need through so many folks, including the Alley Cats!
- I'm grateful for all the readers who read my books and let me know when they enjoy them. A book is never really a story until others interact with the plot and characters. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my books. It's in your hands that all my hours alone at a computer gain meaning.
- I'm grateful that I get to live this dream and for each book that finds a home. Signing that contract on Friday was the culmination of ten years... yes, you read that right. I met this editor at my very first ACFW conference, and we clicked. We've been looking for the right project for a long time. I am so excited that this is it. There's a whole story in the journey, but that will wait for another post!
- I'm so grateful for computers and technology. Yes, it can absolutely drive me batty, but the thought of long-hand writing a manuscript is enough to make me break out in hives. Now, mind you, that can be an excellent way to break writer's block. But on a day to day basis, I want to type as fast as my fingers can keep up with -- my thoughts go so fast!
- Finally, I'm grateful for each of you reading this post. You know who you are. Thanks for being part of my journey. It's an incredible ride!
What are you grateful for this year?
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An award-winning author of twenty books, Cara is a lecturer on business and employment law to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana.
Good morning, Cara! Your post prompted a whole list of "I'm thankful fors!"
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful for the relationships I've built with other writers -- the people who walk the writing road with me. I'm thankful, too, for the ability to connect with readers through email and FB and to hear their thoughts about books -- not just mine, but all the different books they are reading. Community, whether face-to-face or virtual, is a wonderful blessing.
I liked your statement, "A book is never really a story until others interact with the plot and characters." That is really what it is about, touching lives. At least for Christian writers.
ReplyDeleteAnd giving each other hope. Ten years before you "clicked" with your dream publisher? Wow.
Kathy Bailey
Beth, I am so grateful for the communities of writers God has placed me in. So critical. Kristy and I were just talking about that today.
ReplyDeleteAnd Kaybee, I've worked with a lot of great publishers and editors. It just took 10 years to get to work with the one that has kept me writing and growing. I've had to dig a lot deeper to get here!