The first clue that I wasn’t ready to be a writer, despite my BA in English, had to be that I started “my novel” with pencil in a tiny spiral notebook. I’m talking, TINY. I abandoned the project primarily because it read like a Narnia knock-off. That was probably thirty years ago, and for a good many years following, I gave up the idea of being a writer.
As I reflect on all that has transpired since, I see God’s hand in bringing me back to writing. One summer I awoke from a vivid dream and decided to write it down so I wouldn’t forget it. The writing-it-down process got me to “imagining,” and I ended up creating a map for a make-believe country. For the next several summers, I worked on a story to go with the map—just a fun hobby. Until I attended the Biola Writer’s Institute.
On the second day between workshops, when I was asking God what He wanted me to do with my writing, He impressed on my mind the need to write the fantasy story that was rattling around in my brain. I wrote book one and started the process of trying to get it published. One wise mentor told me to go ahead and start writing book two while I waited.
That was longer ago than I care to remember. All the while, as I dabbled in writing, my desire to write grew. Finally, God engineered a sequence of events that led me to change careers from teaching to full time writing. I decided to see what God had in store for me in this new, challenging, fun venture.
Since that time, I became a newspaper correspondent, covering high school sports for a Los Angeles area newspaper and a freelance writer, with feature articles in Victorian Homes. I also do some freelance editing, notably working for AMG Publishing (as the editor of four Bryan Davis books). But more importantly, I’ve become a student of fiction.
In 2005 I sold my first short story, “At His Table,” to a Canadian publication, Fellowship LINK. I also won the weekly contest at Everyday Hogwash for a humorous piece posted on this blog, and finaled in the ACFW Genesis contest. Later I sold a short story to the Christian science fiction and fantasy webzine Sword Review (now Mindflights). Then in 2007 I finished in the top twenty-five in the Writer’s Digest Short, Short Fiction Competition with a 1500 word story entitled “Haj.”
As a first priority, I continue to write the fantasy story, The Lore of Efrathah, which developed into a quatrain. Books one, two, and three—Against Blood and Fire, Journey to Mithlimar, and The Stone of Surrender—are completed. Book four, The Battle for the Throne, is ready for rewrite.
And believe me, I’ve left the tiny spiral notebook behind. 
To learn more, visit my Facebook, Linked In, ShoutLife or Writer Interrupted pages.
For editing service or self-editing tips, visit my editing blog: Rewrite, Reword, Rework.
To contact me write to rluellam at yahoo dot com.
