How my story started

I was thinking about how many people have inspired me. When I realized that the list could go on forever, I decided to write this instead. I search the internet for other authors. Stories of success and stories of failure, but most of all, stories of hope keep me going. Here's my story.
I love to read. I always have. I was shocked to look at my third grade transcripts and read that my teacher thought I would have trouble with reading. If I came to a word I couldn't pronounce, or didn't understand, I would skip it and keep going.
It's a good thing I never knew what my teacher thought of my reading all those years ago. I inhale books. I eat them. Well, not literally, but I devour books and then long for the brand new unread pages of another book as soon as I'm done. Yeah, I'm addicted.
When you've read so many books that you can't even begin to keep track of how many, certain lights start to dawn. For me, I knew that I wanted to write a book. Not just a book. I needed to write the book.
Too late at night, after we were already in bed, I was telling my husband how much I wanted to write a book, but that I couldn't. He asked me what I needed in order to write one. I told him I had to know what it was going to be about. I had to know the story before I could write it. Five seconds later he was snoring.
And then the story spilled into my head. I could see everything. The characters, the plot, the story. I spent another week researching and writing down the ideas. Then there was nothing else for it, and I had to start writing.
At first, everything I wrote sounded wooden. It wasn't until I was really warmed up, sometime in the middle of the novel, that things started to flow. I had to go back and fix the first half of my book literally a hundred times.
I worked with a fabulous guy from Berkely who helped me format the story and keep everything more consistant. I had some help with writers conferences. Along the way, I even found a writers group- which ironically enough, I got a contract for my manuscript with the version of my story before I met my writers group. Kind of proof that you can do it alone if you have to. But now that I am so blessed to have a writers group, I don't think I would go it alone anytime soon.
I won't say I was never rejected. I've actually had my fair share. I try not to dwell on it. It doesn't inspire me to revisit my failings. What I find inspirational is all the people out there who move on in the face of rejections.
And, above all, I admire the ones who have said it directly or indirectly to me... There is more than one story to be written. The only limitations to you have are the limitations you create. You have as many opportunities as you give yourself. Writing is not a one-time thing. There is more than one story.
And so, with faith in my pocket, I write more. And believe more. And hope more. And I know there is more than one opportunity and more than one story. And I'm even happy to tell you that the first story was the only one that fell into my head before I went to sleep. The others came randomly, often a sudden thought that I let myself follow until it became more. So if anyone out there reading this needs a little lift- let me tell you from my heart- don't give up. Even when it's hard, you can do it. It might take time, lots of work, tears and frustration, but you can do it if it is your will.