Every writer has their own personal journey toward whatever goal they set forth when it concerns their writing. What I’ve learned is that the journey itself has taken place of the goal for me. I have learned far more on my personal journey as a writer than I think possibly achieving any certain goals may have taught me.

My journey began when I was about nine-years-old. I always loved to create and imagine stories in my head, and then I started writing those stories down on notepads. Eventually I wrote my first “novel,” when I was thirteen or so. Of course, most of my stories had to do with my other passion—horses, and many of the books I now write incorporate horses in some way.

Writers need support. We tend to live in our heads most of the time and in many ways it can be isolating and even lonely to be a writer. I have always been lucky to have found support from my parents. My dad is the one who had enough faith in me to tell me at a young age that I was a writer. His encouragement and words have stuck with me, even through the difficult times—actually, especially through the difficult times. It’s amazing what one person’s belief in another person can do.

After graduating from college with the intention of becoming a journalist, I found myself wanting and needing to create stories. Writing fiction is a passion and I had to follow that passion. My first year out of college I wrote a full length manuscript, and I read all that I could about the writing process and the business of writing. I submitted that first manuscript to a handful of agents, and received back a handful of rejections. However, one agent was kind enough to write me a note detailing the areas I needed to work on with my writing. I listened and I learned and I wrote four more books. With each book, I sent them out to agents and with each book; I felt I was closer to becoming a published author. It took almost a dozen years and six books and almost as many half written projects before an agent fell in love with my work and signed me. A couple of months later, my agent had sold a series of three of my books. I now have twelve published books and many, many more ideas brewing, waiting for me to bring their characters to life.

Being a writer isn’t always easy. You find that some days the words fill up the page and some days they are hard to come by. You discover that rejection is just part of the writer’s journey. However, like my dad believing in me at nine-years-old, and then later on my agent believing in me as an adult, it only takes one person on your side to help you achieve your dreams and goals. Just remember that it’s the journey and not the goal that you will likely find the most fulfillment as a writer, or in anything you are passionate about.

www.michelescott.com