Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately…..

Writing is one of the most exhilarating and frustrating things I have ever attempted. It feels so good to get my thoughts down on paper, but being a perfectionist (I guess you could also call it being a Dittmer or OCD), I have done so many rewrites, editing sessions, cutting out major portions only to put them back in, doubting myself, doubting the project, trying to find an illustrator, trying to find a publisher, self-publishing. It’s been a roller coaster ride. 🙂

I spoke with my uncle, Tim Dittmer, who is a great writer and his advice was “Do your very best and go with it.” I think this is great advice, especially for a new writer like me. It is easy to become so overwhelmed by the mundane details of writing that you get distracted and lose sight of the important details, such as publishing timelines. In the midst of going back over the story again and again, and getting excited about finally publishing the book, I forgot how much work goes into the actual publishing. So, now my publishing date has changed. Looks like I made a Big Mistake by underestimating the work that goes into publishing a hard copy book.

I hope my friends and family will be forgiving and understand. I will announce the new publishing date soon.