The Road Less Traveled

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

So concludes Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken", one of my favorites.

Why do I want to be an author of children's books, of all things? When I tell people my plans, they often look at me and say, "Better stick to being a librarian" or "Yeah, maybe one day I'll write a kid's book, too" as though nothing could be easier. In reality, writing a book that will captivate a child's imagination is a daunting task. Trying to get one published seems nearly impossible. Where to begin?

Well, as I told my son when he began questioning the feasibility of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, you start at the beginning and take one small step at a time. If you stop to think about how long it will take to cover over 2,100 miles, you'll be overwhelmed and perhaps never finish. In my quest to become an author, that is, after all, what I do; I take one step at a time.

For Derek, the beginning started long before the drive down to the approach trail in Georgia. It began months ago with some background reading. He researched the history of the trail, read thru-hiker's journals, took notes on the supplies he'd need, where to camp, how to deal with bears and what obstacles he might encounter. To get in shape, he started running. He made certain he bought lightweight, water resistant clothing and equipment. And he boxed and stockpiled loads of food for us to mail to various towns along the trail.

Becoming a writer requires self-education, too. Even though I write almost daily, I also read a great deal -- children's books, books about characterization, dialogue, plotting and thematic development, books about where to submit and how to get published. I subscribe to a professional writing journal and attend writing conferences from time to time. And I belong to a wonderful critique group who has helped me immensely. Still, I'm not there yet. Neither is Derek. But, with every day he spends on the trail, he gets closer to his goal. He knows, as well as I, that a lot of people begin the journey but few actually finish. It is, after all, an arduous undertaking.

Each of my tiny successes brings me closer to my goal too. How's that? Well, without them, I'd probably never have the will to keep plugging away. Every time I get something else published, I know I must be doing something right. So, I keep at it, one step at a time. Despite the rejections, the occasional feelings of unworthiness and, at times, the long upward climb, I keep at it.