Next week, my fifth book will be in stores. I’m going to repeat that. My. Fifth. Book. And even after five books, it still feels completely unreal. It feels unbelievable that the little girl scribbling stories in spiral-bound notebooks became me. It feels inconceivable that the girl with some fanfic and half a dozen first chapters of romance novels on her hard drive in her college dorm room became me (especially because that girl was dating some loser at the time who — in all seriousness — told her that writing romance novels would be injurious to his political aspirations). It feels impossible that the young woman with dozens of rejection letters to her name, with mean writing contest scoresheets telling her that she’d never make it, with well-meaning family and friends wondering if maybe she shouldn’t think about a real career became me.
And then again, maybe it isn’t. Because I did write all those stories. Because I didn’t give a damn about some dude’s political aspirations (as far as I know, he never did go into politics), found a much better guy to date — a guy, who, I might add, actually sent me to my first RWA conference as a birthday present one year, which was one of the most special, most romantic birthday presents EVER — and finished an entire manuscript. Because I finished that one and several more, and sent them out, and racked up all those rejection letters, and shrugged off all those scoresheets, and kept on trucking. When I started in this business, I didn’t know a single solitary writer in the entire world, except for my one college creative writing professor (who I wasn’t a big fan of, since he hated “genre”). I didn’t have anyone to point my well-meaning family and friends to and say “look, this is totally a career plan.” But I soldiered on, anyway.
[Edited to Add: Actually, my family was very supportive (even if a few of them were skeptical). My mother sobbed over my first rejection letter. I had to comfort her. My very awesome brother bought me a COMPUTER so I could write. They are and have always been tres cool.]
And I sold a book! Actually, two! (Not any of those romance novels, but oh well.) And then I sold two more. And two more. I’ve been living off my writing for more than three years now. I have a whole series out. Next week marks the launch of a new one. Wow.
I kinda wish I could go back in time and whisper in all those younger mes’ ears: Keep going. You’ll make it.
But who knows? Maybe I did. After all, I’m here now.
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So next week, to celebrate the launch of RAMPANT, I’m going to be blogging all over the place. In fact, it’s started already. Here I am being interviewed over at Presenting Lenore. She asked some really interesting questions. Check it out.
August 21st, 2009 at 10:04 am
Your story was lacking the incredible family support you got along the way regardless of the lack of obvious career path.
Whether it was going out for a pressed cuban sandwich at a Greek restaurant (NUM NUM!), or giving you what basically became a new appendage you wrote that first book on.
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August 21st, 2009 at 10:55 am
I cannot wait to read this book.
/So excited it’s finally coming out!
And one of the many reasons you inspire me, Diana, is how you pursued your dreams — and from such a young age. Me… I fell into the trap of believing all the people who said i needed “a career” to fall back on. Damn you dream killers. (dream stiflers?)
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August 21st, 2009 at 11:30 am
So inspiring. Thanks for pursuing your dreams and writing about it! I will unfortunately be in Florida when my pre-ordered copy of Rampant comes trucking in, but I’ll try to stop by a Boca Raton bookstore to take a picture of one in the wild!
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August 21st, 2009 at 1:32 pm
It seems to me that whenever a writer mentions a creative writing professor from his/her college days, it’s always someone who hates genre writing, and is usually not remembered fondly.
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August 21st, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Tiff, it’s too bad you’re all the way down in Boca. How long are you there for? I do have some events in Florida at the end of September…
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PR, my instructor was not my type, but I know my friend Carrie Ryan LOVED her college instructor, and I have two other friends who in college took writing classes with David Foster Wallace, so they just lucked out. My dude hated genre, hated women (except Flannery o’Connor) and was not amused when I wrote a ghost story for my final project in retaliation of his rejection of one student’s work for being “children’s fantasy” (in 2001! ’cause NO ONE was making ANY money at all in that genre in 2001, lord knows!). He had a short story collection deal with RH, and I think it was very well received, and an MFA from Iowa, and was currently, as if going around collecting degrees, enrolled in yale Law. I kinda wonder what happened to him.
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August 21st, 2009 at 2:47 pm
I’m only in Florida for the week for vacation, unfortunately…I’ll just have to read Rampant when I get back (or buy another copy if I’m feeling desperate!).
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August 21st, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Congratulations Diana, I’m very glad your pursued your dreams so we get to read about both Amy and Astrid. Can’t wait for my copy of Rampant to arrive!
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August 21st, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Bravo, Diana! Maybe you could’ve written a better happy ending, but you lived a pretty darn good one. Will keep my peepers open for Rampant in the wild.
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August 22nd, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Now that was wonderful. Brava! And seriously I can see how you knew SB was the one. What a wonderful gift. I’m so happy you soldiered on and so pleased for you now.
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August 24th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Wonderful vignette! Something we should all tape up over the computer to remind ourselves to keep on keeping on. Am about to put in a purchase request for Rampant at the Greenwich Library (as I’ve done for all your other books, natch!).
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August 25th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Thanks Diana. More than anything thanks for sharing that with us. Tears. Yep, you brought tears to my eyes on that one. It’s one I’m going to print and read every time I think will I ever get the call.
You inspired me and I thank you for that.
I also can’t wait to read Rampant and so excited for this new series.
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August 26th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Vicki Lane sent me here, and I’m glad she did. I needed this.
Thank you, Diana! xoxo
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August 26th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
That was the loveliest post ever.
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August 27th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Love this post! Thank you for the inspiration and incredible reads!!!
So happy I got a gift card in the mail for Borders today! I know what I’m picking up this weekend.
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January 30th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Well, as I have just finished reading “Rampant”, I’ll say I’m glad you carry on in your writing ! I really enjoy that great book. I cannot wait for “Ascendant”!
A reader from Belgium
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