My Hippie Muse
Almost four years ago I found out that the women in my family, myself included, were all hiding something. Secrets that kept us emotionally apart from each other but unbeknownst to one another gave us so much in common and finally we were all ready to start talking about it. This epiphany became the premise for my first novel, "The Sister Within". It was then that I set a goal for myself to write a book about the trials and tribulations of being a woman, the experiences of motherhood for so many and the conflicts of my own heart in deciding to not have children of my own.
I had always possessed an ability to write. Whether it was creatively in honors English classes in high school and junior college or in my career writing police reports, business proposals or letters. It came easy for me and held my attention with enthusiasm. For whatever reasons, I never completed a college degree although my desire to do so is still strong. But one thing I knew, I was going to write and complete a novel based on the amazing women in my life and hopefully publish and parlay that piece into a fruitful writing career that fit my life with a retired firefighter to a tee. I just did not how I was going to go about it?
I started with journaling. A scene would come to my mind or pieces of dialogue and no matter where I was I would stop whatever I was doing, pull out pen and paper and write it down. It was my gut instinct that led me and I knew as I had been previously taught in law enforcement, gut instincts were meant to be obeyed. A few weeks in, a flyer from the local community college here in Scottsdale found me and I enrolled in a one day class on writing and publishing taught by an author named Tom Bird. Bird immediately held my attention and I bought both his books, read them quickly and put his method to work in writing my first novel. I finished the first draft of "The Sister Within" a few short months later. I even queried my story to several literary agents using Tom’s method and received a huge positive response.
I went on to attend two of Tom Bird’s Sedona weekend retreats for writing and publishing and eventually hired Tom as my personal writing coach. During my work with Tom on an individual basis I wrote my second novel "A Dark Place of Promise". My second book, a civil war novel, about two sisters orphaned at the end of the civil war outside of Savannah, was written in less time than the first. This book helped me to hone my craft and find my voice as a writer more than I could have ever imagined.
Now I find myself nose deep in editing and research with my life completely changed. My goal of being a successful published author is just around the corner thanks to Tom and the repercussions of the journey thus far are immeasurable in the peace that I now find in every day. I have faced the worst critic, which is myself of course and have silenced her with every new word I put to paper in one of my stories. “I can’t” is no longer in my vocabulary.
Tom now has a new book out which puts his easy to follow writing method at every readers fingers tips. "The Call of the Writer’s Craft" is brilliant in its comprehensive style and amount of resources all contained in one easy to read book. I have read dozen of books on the market for novice writers and nothing has come close to delivering the reader into the seat of the writer better than Tom Bird’s "The Call of the Writer’s Craft". It has been my pleasure to work with Tom and his guidance both in print and in person, invaluable to my work and pursuit of happiness. He is a writer’s guru, a hippie muse from way back but boy, does he have it “write on.”
Tom Bird has an intuitive gift for knowing exactly what writers need to succeed from the paper to print and everything in between and with "The Call of the Writer’s Craft", he leads us directly into the reality of writing and selling our work and becoming the accomplished author we have always dreamed of being.
Tom Bird shines a light into every dark and intimidating corner of the writing and publishing world proving there is nothing to fear but fear itself. All that is unknown quickly and concisely becomes known in this efficiently written writer’s handbook. He not only covers all possible topics relating to the creative process and securing book deals but shows the reader examples of what he is talking about in the appendix section and provides an index in the back for quick reference use of his book. Having read several separate books on writing, publishing, editing and finding a literary agent prior to reading "The Call of the Writer’s Craft", I can honestly say I have never come across a book as helpful and comprehensive as this one.
Jennifer Beichner
For more information about Tom Bird and his writing retreats and workshops, visit: www.writeyourbookin8days.com
"The Call of the Writer’s Craft" by Tom Bird is available online through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble book sellers.
