The Writer's Journey

When I received e-mails from my writer friends, I always wondered why they ended their notes with phrases like, “enjoy the journey” or “good luck with your writing journey.”  At that time I didn’t even know I was having a journey.  I thought you just write and when you are done, well…then that’s the end.  Big sigh of relief at that point.  But I was wrong.  I really wasn’t sure what the phrase “the writer’s journey” meant until I was almost done with writing, editing, and searching for answers regarding my book, A Rose for Sergei.  A year and a half ago I would have said the journey obviously means there’s a beginning and an end to a book, and the time in the middle.

That time in the middle was a journey I never expected to encounter.  It was a very important part of the writing process.  It was also a time of discovery.  The journey was full of surprises and moments of joy.  Most importantly, I had come face-to-face with reliving the day Sergei died.  It was something I had always avoided.  It was a difficult day of writing for me because I had never discussed Sergei after his funeral.

So what else did my journey entail?  When I was almost done with my manuscript I had an overwhelming feeling that I needed to track down my former boss whom I hadn’t spoken with in over thirty-six years.  In doing so I reconnected with him and his now-adult children.  Sharing stories about Sergei with them was important to my writing and I felt like I was a long-lost family member.  Our talks reaffirmed that I needed to write this story.

I was also inspired along the way by the works of other authors.  One of my favorite writers is Orest Stelmach, author of The Boy from Reactor 4 and The Boy Who Stole from the Dead.  Great books by the way!  In the middle of reading his second book I decided to contact him, even though I was sure I would never hear back from such a busy author.  I was thrilled when he wrote me back.  His words and encouragement were uplifting, “I’m so happy for your literary journey – it’s easy to say one wants to write a book, much harder to actually do it.  I wish you great success with the publication of your book….”

During my writing journey I tracked down old copies of Sergei’s book which was published under three different titles (The Persecutor, Sergei, Forgive Me Natasha).  I even found a forty-year-old newsletter tucked away in one of the books.  Was it put there for me to find someday?  Serendipitous?  Perhaps.

My editor daughter said that I would become a better writer by the time I got to the end of my book.  I would like to believe she was right.  And the “middle” of my journey was unexpected—yet, it was everything I could have ever wished for.