Scattered Soul

Jan 07, 2008 - 00:06 AM PST
So, I'm 27. Married, no kids yet. I'm still trying to figure it out and 10 years ago, I wouldn't have thought this would be my life. I thought that I would be more accomplished by now.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian. At the same time, I've always been a writer. So, I felt like I needed to choose between being a writer or a veterinarian. Well, I chose writing because I thought it would be easier. Boy, was I wrong. I love writing. It is one of my biggest passions and probably the biggest way I identify myself. I write, therefor I am.

After high school, I enrolled into community college intending to get a degree in English Lit.
However, due to some intense personal problems at the time, I couldn't keep up with the classes.

So, I dropped out of college, got married and slogged away at crappy corporate jobs. I would write outlines for novels and poetry in what little spare time I had.
I made it my dream to be published by the time I was 30 or sooner.
Sadly, that dream was slipping away. Without an agent or a publisher to take me seriously, I knew that I would be screwed.
I set aside the pen and paper for a while and just threw myself into my job and social life.
Perhaps at that time I was feeling like I was failing without really trying.

Then, when I was 24, Hurricane Katrina roared into my life and destroyed virtually everything I knew and loved. I was fortunate that I didn't loose anybody I knew, but having to watch my childhood town and home, the homes of friends, business's that I would frequent swallowed by water, combined with the frusterations of an inept government (both local and federal) sometimes I still question how I haven't gone insane or wound up suicidal from the overwhelming sadness of it all.


Since writing was always a form of therapy for me, it was in those dark days that I turned to my journal again. All I did in my spare time was write down my feelings and memories I had of my life pre-hurricane.
During the two years that followed Katrina, my life has changed drastically. Some good some bad.
But the three best things was that my husband and I have gotten closer because of it, I met one of the best friends I will ever have, Gentry and I had an epiphany. And the epiphany was this: In order for me to do what I truly love, I must reinvent myself. So, I did. I created my own website and podcast, learned HTML, started writing again and learned how to create digital art.

Then, in September of 2007, my husband and I took our first real vacation since the storm. We went to Dragon Con in Atlanta, GA.
There, I met a wonderful lady. We got to talking and as it turned out she's a literary agent for a company who publishes historical ghost stories. She asked me if I would be interested in doing a book on New Orleans. Naturally, I jumped at the chance. I sent in a writing sample. And I sweated to the point of being nauseous over if they were going to like it or not. But to quote the email:
"We loved your sample and would be thrilled to have you write for us!"
They awarded me a contract and the book will be published in October of 2009.
My big dream is to make a living writing fiction, but, I want to finish this first and hey, you gotta start somewhere.

Granted, the money from my art has not started to come in yet, but it will. My actual job is
delivering newspapers 3 mornings a week and I am truly happy that my life seems to be on track in the art field.

Scattered Soul

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4 Comments

Feb 12, 2008 - 00:00 AM

Oyoko on
That is truly wonderful that your life is getting back on track. I too love writing. I actually just recently really got into it. I've always been interested, but I never pursued it. I love it. It's such a release. It's amazing that you get to write a book. Best luck, and congratulations. :)
Jan 13, 2008 - 19:53 PM

Staygold405 on
That is absolutley wonderful! Everybody dreams big when their trying to get their lives in place and you're actually living that dream! Good luck with your book and the rest of your life!
Jan 13, 2008 - 00:58 AM

KarmaliaPSC on
Congrats to you for living your dream! It sounds like you kinda have it made right now.
Jan 07, 2008 - 07:41 AM

Brunkster on
Congrats! Many artists just need a "break". Perhaps this opportunity is yours. Good luck!