It is truly hard for me to contain my smile when I see those words in large, impossible-to-miss letters on someone else’s website! I have wanted this for years and for years I wasn’t exactly sure how to even get to this point.
Asha was published by Five:2:One magazine for their #thesideshow series. When they sent me a message stating they had accepted the piece, I was beyond excited. I can’t even describe how it felt, but it still didn’t feel quite real because it wasn’t available. My friends and family were asking for the link, but I couldn’t share one because I didn’t have it yet.
So I waited. Then I waited more. I didn’t receive any word from F2O on when it would be published so I just kept checking their Twitter and Facebook feeds. I started out checking them daily and then my hype slowed and I would forget to check. Yesterday I decided to check again and discovered they had posted my story on Friday!
I jumped out of my seat, freaking out #PrincessLily and #KingGus in the process. They had no idea what was going on as I jumped up and down and in a circle in my living room. “It’s published! I’m a published author!” I said over and over to myself and to my pets. My husband wasn’t home from work yet so the pets were the first to find out.
I called my husband and asked him where he was and he, of course, asked in return why I was “talking like that and out of breath”. “Because I’m a PUBLISHED AUTHOR! They posted it!” I said barely able to contain the adrenaline inside my body.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude to my husband for how much he has supported me. He has never tried to interfere with my writing time or events. When I mention I want something to make my writing life more productive, he gets it. He pushes me to attain this goal of becoming a full-time writer—that’s what it is now: a goal, not a dream. It’s attainable and not the far-fetched idea I thought it was in high school.
I appreciate the support and encouragement I have received from my friends and family, but even more than that, I appreciate my local writing community. Lit Youngstown’s Third Thursday Writer’s Circle helped me workshop this piece and I believe their critique is part of the reason it was accepted.
I’m writing this like I got some sort of giant book deal, but even though this is a super small, unpaid acceptance in the grand scheme of things, this is a major step for my writing goals/dreams. I never, ever thought I would actually get something published.
Trust me: this is the first of many pieces you will see from RW Franklin.
- To read Asha click here.
- To find out more information about Lit Youngstown click on one of the links below.
- To see cute pictures of #KingGus and #PrincessLily check out my Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
This is wonderful! I remember talking to you when you were still dreaming of this day and here it is. I’m so happy for you and I know this will be the first of many publications for you. You have true talent!
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Kevin! Sometimes it’s weird to think I’ve never met (in person) some of the most supportive of my fellow writers – such as yourself!