Barri Bryan Guest Blog - Learning to Spit

Learning to Spit

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple...
and learn to spit. -- From the poem Warning by Jenny Joseph

I grew up during the 30's in a small town in West Texas. I can't remember a time that I didn't want to be a writer. By the time I was ten-years-old I was writing poetry. When I was in the seventh grade I wrote a story that was published in the school newspaper. During my teenage years I wrote several romantic stories. I never thought about trying to have them published. That's probably just as well. They were terrible.

I married, had children, went to college, taught school and, except for penning an occasional poem, or writing an essay now and then, pretty much forgot about writing.

I didn't start to write seriously until after I retired from teaching to care for my aging mother and father. It was my father who encouraged me to write my first book.

I protested, "It would take at least a year for me to get a book ready to send to a publisher. By that time I'll be sixty-five-years old."

He grinned. "You're going to be sixty-five in a year even if you don't write the book."

He had a point.

I completed the book in less than a year. That was the easy part. Six years passed before my first book was published.

During that time I joined a writers' group, acquired a critique partner, learned some basic computer skills, took several classes offered by the adult education department of my school district, and enrolled in on-line classes to improve my writing and to learn how to market my books.

During those years I learned so much about writing fiction, getting my books published, and advertising them once they were available. I learned even more about myself as a writer. Some of it is worth passing on:

I learned to hold onto a positive point of view. I try to live each day now as if it were the first day of my honeymoon and the last day of my vacation.

I learned to set my own pace and make my own goals.

I learned that serious writing requires hard work, dogged determination and steadfast dedication.

I learned to accept changes and expect some adversity.

I learned that I can still accept new and different ideas; I may not always agree with them. I don't think like most other people do, but then, I never did.

I learned that I still have a zest for living and for learning.

I learned to never settle for second best in my writing; to always strive to excel, and then improve that if I can.

I learned to take every day as it comes. Life is daily and negotiable. I can start over every morning.

I developed an attitude and I mean that in the nicest sense. I learned to wear purple and I learned to spit.

Along with that comes my love for writing, and I’m thrilled to share my latest release, A
Second Splendor, with CRR Publishing…

Blurb:

Julie Anderson is not happy that her ex-husband is coming home to attend their
daughter’s wedding. Max has broken her heart in the past - not once, but twice. Thank goodness she’s too wise to fall under his spell again, or is she?

Max Anderson has some reservations about his daughter’s coming marriage to the son of his ex wife’s business partner. He shows up early and walks into a situation that begs him to intervene. When he does all hell breaks loose.

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Barri Bryan's blog tour is part of CRR Publishing's promotional events for their authors.  You can find the full blog tour menu here.