The Learning Game...

Writing has been a learning experience for me. A couple years ago I decided I was not only going to write, I was going to sell myself some books. I sat at my computer for several hours a day, at least six days a week. I wrote so many short stories, I lost count. However, there was this one story that played in my mind, ad nauseum, over and over again. It would not go away, that story was entitled “Whose Baby”, the premise was, what would happen if a man called his friend, who was married to his best friend to tell her he was in love with her and always had been. What would happen? Well that eighteen page story turned into well over four-hundred pages. So I decided I would write a trilogy, the first part was my 288 page baby, “Black’s Obsession, Book One of Black’s Trilogy.” I didn’t have a clue. I wrote it, found a vanity press, plucked down my money and January 25, 2006 I was a published author. I hadn’t been as thrilled with something that came from me since giving birth to my sons. I must have danced and cried with joy for hours. Then I read it. When I read it I was shocked, there were many mistakes, editorial issues. I wanted to crawl under a rock. Surely no one would buy it. But, I was dead wrong, while I was drying my eyes and trying to cancel my contract people were reading it, asking me to do book signings, telling me how my words had inspired them. Woo Hoo Hoo! Wait a minute, hold up. There were other opinions, folks in literary groups and the like were saying “Oh no, you shouldn’t have done that, what you did is the kiss of death…” I was petrified because surely they knew better than I. But… my readers continued to buy, to read and talk to me, asking me for the next book. I made a decision right then, I wouldn’t hide my head or cancel my contract, I would hone my craft. I would learn how to work this thing. I knew I could write and tell stories people wanted to read. Now I would learn how to get it done properly. I would give my loyal readers more than something good to read I would also give them my best. My second book is better than my first, my third will be better than my second…you feel me…see where I am headed. I am still learning and my goal is to simply get better…my friends…readers…might I say my fans have proven to me they will be there for me…so…I owe them my best….and please believe the best is yet to come…Look out now…

acVernon Menchan