I’m incredibly proud of myself for having completed my first novel, a YA coming-of-age fantasy.
When I first started writing it in 2019, I had no idea how much research I’d have to do or how many YouTube videos I’d watch to hone my craft.
But here we are…finally!
My Story’s Origin Story
When I first moved back to my home state in 2019, I’d visit my sister in Boston when I could.
It was about an hour and a half drive. As my husband can attest, I get cabin fever within ten minutes of any road trip. So I’d always have something planned out, usually an audiobook or podcast cued up on my phone.
But one trip, I don’t know why – maybe it was God’s work – I had nothing. I was channel surfing the radio and settled on a classical station.
Listening to the crescendos and decrescendos, I started to imagine a story, an epic battle and heartbreak. I decided to record myself saying the story out loud so I wouldn’t forget it.
This would become the basis for my novel, which I dubbed Fortitude: The Battle Within.
Each drive to my sister’s house, I would piece more and more of the puzzle together, listening to that classical music.
A Long Writing Road
Over the next five years, I’d write when I could.
I remember writing parts after work in the parking lot of a Dunkin Donuts, waiting for another event to start.
During those five years, I:
- Got married
- Experienced the pandemic
- Had a son
- Bought a house
- Had another son
It’s been a long road since I first started my adult writing journey.
While I’d always had a passion for writing and reading, I still had to put in the work. I couldn’t just rely on my writing classes from elementary and high school!
Another degree wasn’t in the cards, but that didn’t stop me from learning.
My favorite resource ended up being an audiobook I got off Audible, How to Write Best-Selling Fiction by James Scott Bell, The Great Courses. It really made me take a hard look at my writing and rethink the start of my novel.
I also joined the Catholic Writers Guild, attending their annual conference to learn what I could.
Next Steps for Fortitude
After having several people read the novel, checking for grammatical errors and hilarious continuity errors, I heavily revised Fortitude.
Now, I feel confident that, while not perfect (because I could keep revising and tweaking until the end of time), it is ready to present before publishers/agents.
Wish me luck and offer your prayers up for me as I tackle the publishing process!
Neliana Ferraro 