Jan 7, 2011

Friendly Friday - Michelle Argyle

Michelle Argyle is a mother, artist, and writer who lives in the Rocky Mountains with her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She writes contemporary, literary, and fantasy fiction. Her first traditionally published novel, Monarch, will be released September 2011 by Rhemalda Publishing . You can find Michelle on her blog, The Innocent Flower.

Your Day Will Come

"If you don't enjoy where you are at now you won't enjoy where you're heading."

A long time ago - and I mean a long time ago - I was sitting in my 6th grade class and squealed with joy when I found out that our huge assignment was to write a book and "publish" it. We would be doing our own artwork and the teacher would bind it for us. I went all out, of course. I still have that book. I love that book. That was when I decided to be a writer forever.

And, well, here I am.

I think it's important to know what we want. I've known what I want for a very long time. Some of you might have known for less time. It doesn't really matter. What matters is that you realize you'll get to your destination when the time is right. In the meantime, you must enjoy the journey.

Why do we write, anyway? If it's just to pump out stories and make money, I suppose the journey doesn't mean much. But for most of us, they journey is everything. There's no feeling quite like typing the last sentence of a book and knowing the work that went into getting to that point - and knowing the work you have yet to do on the book. If you're like me, that's really exciting. All that time to revel in the fun of your story, your words, your project. It truly is amazing.

For everyone who is searching for an agent, don't forget why you're looking in the first place. Try not to get discouraged and understand there are so many factors which go into it. Even after you get an agent, your writing path isn't set. The one thing to remember is that no matter where you are in your publishing career, there won't ever be just One Big Day. More than likely it will be a lot of Big Days and many Smaller Days and lots of Blah Days in between. Rarely are things set in stone, and there can be a lot of comfort in that.

Rejoice in the small success, and there will always be a Big Day around the bend.

19 comments:

  1. Thanks for hosting me here, Christine!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey! Great post Michelle. Writing, for me, has always been cathartic. Whenever life got too much for me, I could turn to a scene in the novel and get so lost in the words that my problems seemed extremely insignificant. Now that I've developed a stronger, more tangible interest in getting published, my dreams have switched over to finding success in the realm of publishing.

    Also, nice blog Christine! I'm now a follower. =D

    ReplyDelete
  3. Michelle, thanks for so many of your posts along the vein of 'what do you really want from your writing journey?'. You have helped me figure out a lot of my motivations and I'm a happier writer as a result :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm a huge advocate of knowing why you're on the path! And making sure you enjoy the journey, because it's not just one high (or low) day - it's a marathon. We must be synched, because I'm talking about The Equation for Writing Happiness on my blog today! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wonderful post! Thanks Michelle and Christine!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Something that has kept me going over the years is to remember I have something unique to say and my writing can only get better if I keep working on it.

    This has gotten me through countless rejections and has made those big moments even more important (as I remember the hard work that has gone before).

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tiffany: Thanks for stopping by! And this is a blog worth following, for sure. I highly suggest you read the post below that Susan links to, by the way. :)

    Bridget: Awww, thanks for reading them! I always feel like I'm scolding or something, but it's good to know it doesn't come off that way. I just get really frustrated that it takes me so long to realize things sometimes, and I like to share what I learn about it all.

    Susan: Wow, we ARE in the same vein! Marathon is right. I love it, though. I know you do, too. :)

    Shari: Thanks for stopping by!

    Caroline: Oh, that is such a good point about having something unique to say. So true. Keep going! There is always something great to be learned in the journey. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nice post, Michelle! It's a good reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for being my guest today, Michelle. And for your wonderful post. It inspires me not to give up on my writing. It's been a life long passion of mine and I've been so close to publishing it hurts. I had a contract with a publisher but was then dropped along with another author right before my ARCs were due to be printed. So sad. Thanks again for the pep talk and for being my guest.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Davin: Thank you! I have to write these things all the time so I remember them. :)

    Christine: Oh my gosh, seriously???! I think I'd die if that happened to me. I'm so sorry.

    On another note, thank you for having me here!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks, Michelle. What great thoughts. I am a big fan of celebrating the little victories and enjoying the journey. I am so happy for you getting your novel published!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Beautiful picture Michelle! And great advice, too.

    Thanks for hosting Christine!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh yah. This won't add to any particular insights in the writing world, but my sister saw your picture when I was reading this blog post earlier and said, "Wow, she's really pretty." =D

    ReplyDelete
  14. Also, also, the above post is actually me. >.< My sis was on my laptop and logged me off, and I had no idea until right now.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Angie: I love the little victory celebrating, too. It's so important to savor the good things and not look past them!

    Ali: Thank you for stopping by! :)

    Tiffany: Hehe, love your sister's online name. Tell her thank you for the compliment! That seriously made my day. :D

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great post, Michelle! I'm currently working on turning a whole wall in my "office" into a magnetic chalkboard. Because of this post I've decided to add a section where I can record the WHY I'm doing this... pursuing my writing dream. I face this wall as I type at my computer. Now it won't be just a wall to track my current WIP, but a wall to inspire me to keep pushing through the hard days. Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete
  17. P.S. Very nice to meet you Christine! I'm glad Michelle pointed me over to your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Deborah: It's lovely to see you here! Your wall sounds absolutely fantastic. I wish I had an office to do that with. Someday! You've inspired me to go magnetic. :D

    ReplyDelete
  19. LOVE the magnetic part! I've been printing pictures like mad and keep them up on the wall for inspiration. It's also awesome for story boarding with index cards. Lots of visual organization, no holes. I'll get some pics up soon!

    ReplyDelete