A.H. (Augie) Scott has been a writer all of her life. In grade school she rewrote Charlotte Bronte’s, Wuthering Heights and Shakespeare’s, The Taming of the Shrewd, for classmates to perform in a play. Writing has always been her passion. Currently she writes Victorian Thrillers, Mysteries, Westerns, YA and non-fiction. Today, she writes about the thoughts of a first time published writer.

Wow…being a first time published writer is so unbelievably delightful. The disappointed letters of rejections filled a file in your desk drawer or boxed on a shelf is the beginning of feeling rejected, almost worthless. Will this thing ever be read by more than your family and friends? Is this story worth continuing? Maybe, the critics are right…”you need more honing.”

That is exactly what you do. Hone the craft of writing into each page and painfully remove words that fill space. Determination becomes the essence of completing a readable product for future posterity. You no longer weigh the words, but their content.

Holie baloney…an editor likes the concept of your story. Not only do the editor like the concept, but really like your story. You are offered a contract…what the heck. Now comes the work of lessons previously taught of honing ones craft and marketing, and being scared out of your head begins. Is the word laying or lying? You are no longer writing for yourself, but really for others. Did this sink in…sure you told a selected group of people…have this sunk in…like a thunderbolt across Mount Saint Helen.

Contract is signed…this is happening. You are contacted by the person who edits your work…sure enough, this is serious. Edits received, art director sending proofs of cover selections, and the galleys…goodgooblygoo. After a time of editing which can take up to a year of approving, the release date is upon you.

It’s all plausible. Hang in there and keep writing. 

Here is a blurb from her new book,  Fanaman Curse.     

She only knew that something was dreadfully wrong…

Charlotte dressed with haste behind the brocade dressing divider in her bedroom. “I need to get out of this cabin before he comes back. I’ll walk along the deck. It’s important that I be around other people instead of being alone. I really need to find deGraffy. Who do I trust?”

The ship docked, but Charlotte was not going ashore.

“deGraffy will tell me the truth—if he’s really Papa’s friend.”

He was number one on her list of things to do. She had to inform him that someone had been in her room, twice. She would tell him about the strangeness of the cabin steward, how he treated her and the splash that awakened her. She tried to blink away her tears as something blew into her eyes.

“Now I remember…the outer lights in the corridor were on. But when the intruder was in my room earlier, the outer corridor was very dark. That was why I could not make out who was there. The flash of light I saw appeared to have come from the corridor, maybe a torch. I’m not sure. Perhaps there was more than one person working together. What did he want…all I know for sure is that it was dark.”

Charlotte searched her handbag for a handkerchief stopping below the stairs that led to the upper deck in hopes of finding deGraffy