As a first time writer, you can’t imagine the path that one must take to become a published author. 

First, I attempted to go the traditional route. I was excited that the pushing house I chose liked my story plot. However, the upfront expense required deflated me. Needless to say, that wasn’t a route I could take.

“Don’t let a single obstacle block your path.”

Then I looked into self-publishing. My oh my, the more I learned, the more I questioned if I could go this route?  

First, I needed to overcome limiting beliefs that have been drilled into me from childhood to my first years of college. All through grammar, middle, and high school writing was my weakest subject. Do to learning some known and unknown disabilities. I struggled with the written word and spoken word. College freshman year was when I was diagnosed with dyslexia. This on top of the speech impediment, I suffered from my entire life explained my difficulties. The combination led English teachers to harshly criticize my ability to write and my ability to grasp common knowledge. 

“Other’s perceptions don’t equal truth!”

I will never forget the harshness of both my seventh and eighth-grade teachers. In seventh, there were restrictions on books I could read. Claiming that I couldn’t understand the concept, ‘Dante’s Inferno’ was restricted. So writing a book report about it was definitely out. (I truly just aged myself there!) The funny thing, during that previous summer I wrote about ‘Dante’s Divine Comedy.’ See my godfather, college English professor, that taught us to read all levels and types of books. So come my junior year of high school, I fought Ms. Builder perception of my abilities. That year we battled with every project.

A later project, an accusation of plagiarism led to a zero for the assignment. I believe this set the course for a disdain dislike for me until I graduated. See I took this to the chairman of the English department and the assistant principal and proved her wrong. That day, in the assistant principal’s office, I rewrote the book report, without any notes and again without the book. Just like the original report, I left the text in class that weekend before the report was due. I practically wrote the exact paper twice. This proved two things, first,  I didn’t plagiarize, and secondly, I had a photographic memory.  

Building tough skin

The next year, was even worse, the seventh grade and eighth-grade teachers were friends. This year every project was ripped to shreds by her and many of my classmates in her little pack. Lets’ just say Ms. Strauss made my senior year a living hell.  Later, I was informed, both were determined that I failed my English regents. My paper had tobe rescored two additional times. But God, I passed with a legitimate 65. I walked with my class and received a Regent HS Diploma. The destructive criticism of young students by those meant to inspire and educate is a battle that will never end. 

He places angels to lift, teach, and inspire you.

Once a college would work with me without preconceived notion behind my low SAT scores, my goal was to graduate. I set to prove that I could obtain a degree in spite of everyone else’s limiting view of me. I enrolled in the Challenge to Achievement program at Pace  University. Here I was assigned two counselors that worked with me and spoke up for me. There I encountered a speech teacher that said, I will never get far by the way I speak. And an economic teacher that thought I didn’t belong in her class not alone the University. But it was here I receive the diagnoses of having dyslexia. It was Ms. Barabar, and Mr. Jimmy taught me skills to help me overcome this obstacle. Who designed my first educational plan (504) that would allow me the resources I needed to pass my classes. 

Pivoted Moment

Life curveballs didn’t allow me to graduate from Pace. But became a pivoted point that started shattering the glass ceiling of limitations over my abilities. Throughout my long collegiate travel, I was able to obtain ‘A” and ‘B’ in most of my classes. In my final college, I maintained a GPA of 3 or better in all courses. Most professors that required you to write an essay at the beginning of class based on the reading due for the day; or turn in five-plus page assignments twice week; or a dissertation like final report encompassing all business required courses listed in your syllabus. You think these accomplishments would shatter the perceptions of my youth. Unfortunately, not entirely. 

It was years later when I wrote my first short story. When I understood I had enough tricks that would allow me to forth pieces of writing polished enough to publish. Yet, when it came to my novel, I feared that my writing would hold me back. Even with the tricks in my hat, I still describe myself as a writer with dyslexia. I still limit my ability to be effective, based on something that I know how to overcome. To date, I have two published piece of poetry, yet my descriptive vocabulary still needs to change. 

Your gift will make room for you. However, first, you need to believe and speak life over yourself.

The only obstacle that stands now, getting thru the next steps now that I have written my novel. At this time,  I must trust and believe that all things will come together at the appointed time to produce my published work. 

Setbacks are an opportunity to ensure greatness in its time. 

Plans going up in smoke…What do you do when it seems the rug has been pulled out from under you?https://wp.me/p7KrcB-cW