Here goes...

Welcome to A Writer's Progression. In this blog I will document my journey to become (hopefully) a published author. I will be recording my experiences on both the writing side as well as the publishing process. While I hope that it proves to be enlightening or entertaining for others, mostly I'll be writing for myself. That's why I write in the first place - I like it.

I have been creating stories all my life, and sometimes writing them down. But, truthfully, the writing wasn't the fun part. The creation is what I enjoyed. Creating worlds and characters, imagining conversations or adventures, controlling the future. But a few years ago I decided to work more on the writing aspect, to put my creations down on paper (or .docx files). To see if I could actually complete a whole story with sufficient skill and clarity to allow others to experience what previously existed only in my mind.

And I did it. I've actually written several short stories and two complete novels. And I've just started working on a new book. I've had no formal training, but I have spent time studying this craft. Reading others with a critical eye, finding advice from authors, agents, publishers, etc.  I've learned a lot along the way and I continue to learn as I go. And the best way to cement any learning is by trying to teach it to others. So I expect this blog to be a tool for me as much as for anyone else.

The writing that I had been doing was while working a full time job. And trying to live a life. But that's not what this blog will be about. I've now quit my job and given myself a year dedicated just to my writing. While it may take more time than that to achieve any real success, I expect this year will be enough to get me started on the path, regardless of how long the walk will be.

So I welcome you to follow along on my journey. I expect to share a lot about the writing process, as well as what it takes to get a book out there into the world. Feel free to share any thoughts or comments as I go, or just lurk in the background if you wish. I'll keep writing regardless of what the rest of world does.