I’d given up on my dream of ever publishing a book.
I’d swallowed the lie that I didn’t have what it took to join the ranks of published writers.
Although my writing ended up in the trash for fear someone might read it, the dream of publication lived on. The impossible haunted me, stalked me, and kept me awake at night while one story line after another filled my hours. I tried to chase away the characters and their problems, but they always crept back unbidden, like a persistent old boyfriend. I loved them and despised them while not wanting them to ever leave.
My husband and I had been married for less than three years when he challenged me. “Stop telling me you’re going to one day write a book. Do it now. Quit your job. I’ll give you a year to get anything published. And if you do, then you’ll never have to go back to your job.”
I’m a small person, and the cliché that dynamite comes in small packages hit me hard. The stubborn side of me accepted his challenge. That was in 1996.
I started my “new” job with determination, organization, and a do-or-die attitude.
Various tasks filled each eight-hour day:
- Prayer
- Writing a definite word count. Then it was 500 words a day.
- Reading the how-to books.
- Reading in the genre I wanted to write.
- And I continued to dream.
During that first year, I wrote and published a short story, devotions, and an inclusion in an anthology while completing my book. The more I explored the writing and publishing industry, the more I saw the need to attend respected conferences that taught the craft, become involved in a writers’ group, and network with other writers.
So I invested in my career: attended conferences, networked with other writers, and started a critique group in my home. That group lasted ten years and, recently, I initiated a new group with some of the old members.
Family and friends said it was “nice” and “sweet” that my husband let me stay home and pursue a hobby.
No one told me I could be writing for years before anyone took me seriously. But, in 1997, it happened!
My first book was purchased and published in 1998. Additional contracts followed. Along the way, I developed a deep need to help other writers move forward with their goals. I helped a small team establish American Christian Fiction Writers. Mentoring is important to me; it allows me to personalize a plan according to a writer’s strengths and challenges. A few years ago, I accepted a position alongside Edie Melson as directors of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. We’ve since added more specialized events: Mountainside Marketing Retreat, Mountainside Novelist Retreat, and Mountainside Speakers Retreat.
Story ideas continue to keep me awake at night.
I never returned to the day job. My husband? He became my nightmare editor and best cheerleader. That was 78 books ago. He definitely knew something I didn’t. In fact, he now helps me full-time.
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author whose titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. She is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Retreat, and the Mountainside Novelist Retreat with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, or any of the social media platforms listed at diannmills.com.
To learn more about Mills’ most recent novel, click HERE.
