The earliest memory I have baking cookies was sometime in middle school. I had those pre-cut Pillsbury holiday cookies, the ones that look like howling ghosts or pumpkins. It should have been easy: Step 1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Step 2. Remove the cool, pre-cut dough from the fridge and onto a greased baking sheet. Step 3. Pop them into the aforementioned oven for no more than 15 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE, the box warned.
And yet, somewhere between steps 1-3, I’d fucked up. The scorched, spooky little things looked like they’d been to hell and back as I scraped them off the pan.
It took a lot of time (and friends who are better than I am in the kitchen) for me to improve my baking skills. I imagine this newsletter’s going to be kind of like that.
Welcome to No Big Dil, my bi-weekly blog on my journey to becoming a published author.
I’m not new to creative writing but I already know these first few posts are going to be rough once I look back at them. It’s been nearly two years since I’ve finished anything creative, be it an essay, short story, even a piece of micro-fiction. Now that I finally have an idea for a novel — one that I’m actually real excited about — I plan to actually go through with it. I might be a bit rusty at first, but if it means I can look back and see how much I’ve grown in the end, I’ll take it.
That said, I don’t expect No Big Dil to be a big deal to anyone other than myself. It’s mostly a way for me to blog about my life in short snippets, keep track of my novel writing progress, and highlight the articles/books that inspire me along the way. The idea is for me to see growth in myself and in my craft, and exchange ideas, tips and tricks with others who might be going through their own journey, in writing or elsewhere. But hey, if you’re just curious about what my deal is or how I’m doing these days, you’re welcome to stick around, too. (I’ll try not to make this too emo.)
Contrary to popular belief when it comes to online posts, everything I say here — my thoughts, feelings, ideas — probably won’t stay the same for the rest of my life. Hell, I can’t guarantee that I won’t totally change my mind on something the second after I hit “send.” The most I can do is be honest with myself in the present moment. What comes next is uncertain, but it’s all part of my evolution both as a writer, and as a young 20-something still figuring things out.
Every other week, I’ll highlight some of my favorite reads that taught me something about myself or something I can use in my writing. On the off week, I’ll actually work on my novel so I can fill you in with status updates in the next issue. I won’t be posting any specific details about my novel in this newsletter (sorry, not sorry), but I hope the little creative nonfiction vignettes I include at the start of each newsletter reveal bits of how my writing grows stronger with time.
That memory of me baking cookies wasn’t the first time I’d baked sugary sweets, and it definitely wasn’t the last. I like to think I’ve gotten better since then, baking warm chocolate chip cookies with a light crunch on the outside and soft, gooey center. It’s a satisfying feeling in the end, and my dream is that someday, that fresh baked “cookie” turns out to be a bestseller.
TL;DR: Everyone has to start somewhere, and if I want to become a published author, I might as well start now. After all, the best stories live in works in progress. Sign up now so you don’t miss the first issue.
In the meantime, tell your friends!