Fall is in the air, and with it comes promise.
Promise comes in many forms. For those who hunt the Rocky Mountains, there is the promise of harvesting organic, clean meat to feed family for the next year.
I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where the temperature this summer hit one hundred eighteen degrees too many times. For my family still living there, the promise of cooler weather gets them through the heat depression.
And then, there’s promise in my writing journey.
Two especially important writing organizations are holding their conferences this fall. Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW) is holding their 2025 Gold Conference in Denver September 26th through the 28th.
Women Writing the West (WWW) is holding their virtual conference October 16th through 18th.
I am attending both events this year. I am virtually attending the RMFW conference because I have obligations that I am committed to. The WWW conference is being held in a virtual setting for 2025.
I am so looking forward to attending these conferences! The promise they offer to me is limitless if I am willing to listen and pay attention.
Conferences are about learning and making connections. The relationship between writers is invaluable. Sharing experiences and learning from them is crucial to writing. Connecting with other writers is special, because writers tend to keep to themselves, busy writing, not socializing.
Most important to me is finding another mentor to guide me. My first line editor, Tim is a blessing. He mentors me in my writing and tells me when I’m like a hound baying up the wrong tree. He is invaluable.
I need another mentor to help me navigate an unfortunate conundrum that happens to all writers. The dreaded brain freeze has entered my mind. I have no idea how to work through it.
I know exactly when it happened, but I don’t know how to recover from it. It scares me. What do I do when motivation disappears? The novel is complete, but I am having issues finding the mental fortitude to flesh it out for publication.
I spoke with a friend yesterday. She is not a writer, so she doesn’t understand the writing process. Guess what? As a new author, neither did I.
Before I send this book to be professionally edited, I edit it. It’s about having pride in what I have written. I explained to this woman that I edit for continuity, add dialogue where it’s needed. I also remove what doesn’t fit after the dialogue is added.
The novel needs to be tight, put together, flow smoothly, but mostly, readable. Only then will I send it to be professionally edited before it is worthy of publication.
Right now, my brain is screaming, “I’m done! I don’t want to see what I created for you anymore…GO AWAY.”
What the hell do I do now? My brain is up in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, after a brutal day of elk hunting. I can clearly see it, sitting in front of the campfire, drinking good bourbon, making plans for tomorrow’s hunt, forgetting I even exist.
I don’t know how long my brain will be out of cell phone range, but I have serious business to conduct with it. It would be nice if it returned home soon, elk in the back of the truck, to get with the program of editing.
As writers, we all want to see friends, old and new. The experiences we share bond us, making us stronger. Sharing our experiences, talking about overcoming writing issues is important.
Brain freeze is my issue, and I desperately need advice to drag my brain back to the job, even if it is kicking and screaming.
I believe I’ve found my mentor to discuss this with. I’m meeting him in Denver during the conference. He is a Tony Hillerman award winner and a great writer.
Promise is in the air.
