The comments coming from readers of the BlissQuest who’ve read ‘Murder of Crows’ have been funny and fascinating, charming and encouraging. Thank you, everyone. Thank you.

My favorite comments and thoughts, however, are usually about Liam. Our longtime Avian companion on the BlissQuest, about whom many posts have been written.

Erisian said that as he was reading, he came across Liam’s entrance into the story and thought, “Oh! Liam’s in this book!”

And there was also a question from a longtime reader who sent me this text: So what did Liam think about the book?

Good question. I’ll ask him.

Me: Liam, what did you think about the book?

Liam: (shrugs his wings) You left it unfinished.

Me: Right, because it’s a series. The next book isn’t quite done yet.

Liam: Then why are you not writing it?

Me: Because I need a freakin’ break after this last mad push to make the book happen.

Liam: You slept yesterday.

Me: True. Soooo what did you think about the book?

Liam: (stands and makes for the back deck saying over his shoulder) I will tell you what I think of the story – when you have finished writing it. (then adds belatedly) And I think I should speak more in the next story, do you not agree?

Everybody’s a critic.

Even the spotlight hungry figments of your imagination.

Last year I attended the Summer in Words Conference hosted by my writing teacher, Jessica Morrell. The conference is held on the Oregon coast every year and last year we were in Cannon Beach.

I’d been struggling with the last 100 or so pages of ‘Murder of Crows’, debating whether I even had a legitimate shot at getting published and frankly, was wallowing in some pretty serious depression about having been let go from my job.

The conference is small, intimate, with lots of room for questions and interactions. It has excellent food and wine and company. But what it really did for me, was set me afire again.

It refreshed my love of storytelling, sharing space with people who love words, and gave me a rush of new optimism that my publishing dreams had a real chance. Summer in Words stoked my flame. I went home from the conference, immediately ripped out three chapters and did a partial rewrite, then finished my last hundred pages in the next two weeks and had a fully revised draft ready for beta readers two weeks after that.

Furthermore, Summer in Words introduced me to the idea of self-publishing for the first time. I admit, at first the concept was not appealing. But the more I thought about it, mulled it over in my mind and counted my agency and publisher rejections – the idea I’d been talking to folks about at the conference began to put in roots. Self-publishing offered the kind of freedom and license that traditional publishing could never allow. More control over the craft. More say in the direction of your own career. More fair pay for your trade.

I resisted through 77 rejections. Before something one of the speakers said at the conference began to really make sense. “No one will care about your career, no agent, no publisher, no one – as much as you will. No one has your best interest at heart but you.”

And so I jumped. Took the self-publishing leap of faith.

One year after the conference, I have a finished book, polished and scrubbed and artfully crafted available for purchase with my own name on the cover. How cool is that?

If you need a writing charge, a reboot, a new perspective or just a getaway with like minds. Consider signing up for Summer in Words with Jessica Morrell. You can’t beat the Oregon coast in the summertime and your inner muse will thank you.

Tags: craft of writing, Jessica Morrell, Muse, oregon coast conference, Summer in Words, writing conference