Like many avid readers, I’d always dreamed of writing a book. It ranked third on my bucket list, just above witnessing the northern lights and skydiving. One quiet afternoon, while my son napped, I started to write. I had no plan or outline, just words that soon became a finished book.
Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with the process (maybe a little obsessed). I devoured everything I could about the writing and publishing industry, and searched for a community where I could share, learn, and grow as a writer. I was lucky enough to find it just down the road at the Main Branch library’s Writer’s Workshop.
Sharing my work for the first time was nerve-wracking, but that fear disappeared as soon as I felt the group’s warmth and encouragement. It didn’t matter whether someone was writing their first piece, writing screenplays, poetry, or novels– everyone was welcome. And every meeting left me feeling supported and inspired.
When I doubted my writing, they believed in me. They encouraged me through my first and second books and even pushed me to query agents, a process that came with nearly one hundred rejections before I finally received the email I had been dreaming of: an offer of representation. The first person I called was a dear friend and mentor from the Writer’s Workshop.
Now, as I work with my agent on the finishing touches of my debut psychological suspense novel, The Quiet Island, I am one step closer to the new item on my bucket list: Become a published author.
I am forever grateful to the Herrick District Library for creating such a supportive space where writers of all kinds can grow and thrive.
If you’d like to follow along on my journey to publication, you can find me on Instagram at @terinlarkinwrites
