Dreaming on the Five Year Plan

Had one of those great chats with hubby the other night.

I shared something exciting on the *writing front* with him and also shared my insecurities about this writing gig maybe taking several years to get going.

See, Dh and I both kind of thought I could pop a book out and get it published, no sweat. Embarrassingly naive, in light of what I now know about the publishing industry. Still, a common misconception among the optimistic masses!

Sweet man likened it to his debut into the saddle making biz. He started in 1990 (while still in high school) building his first saddle with no training whatsoever and in the meantime practiced his skills on other tooling projects, such as leather planners, photo album covers, barstool seats, headstalls and spur straps. By 1995 he’d finished his first saddle and in the process gained valuable experience. He’s built many more since then and has repeat customers who spread the word. It took him five years to finish that first saddle. He’s faced many setbacks, most of them related to raising a family on one income while trying to get a home business underway.

In talking to the friends I’ve made at ACFW, American Christian Fiction Writers, getting published in the first five years of writing is quite a feat. Yet, in the last year and a half, I’ve had this sense of impatience with myself. Wondering if I’m spending too much time fixing on this series, feeling guilty that it’s not “done” yet and being shopped around. Thinking it may never see shelf space.

Having an understanding spouse is so freeing. I’m being told in books on the craft, that every word written is a step progressing my journey. Nothing is wasted. Not even blogging.

According to fantastic writers like Deb Raney and Karen Kingsbury, the learning process never stops. And I’m loving it.

So is my husband. He’s hoping to add silver smithing to his list of skills. Being a “do-it-yourselfer”, he’d love to create every last piece of a saddle from the engraved silver conchos to the wooden tree at the saddle’s core.

Our *creative* hearts touched during that talk the other night. We understood each other’s dreams on a level that each could identify with.

And, yes. The saddles pictured in this post are 100% hubby’s work of art. Aren’t they beautiful?

Someday, I’ll have a writer’s nook in a back corner of my husband’s busy leather shop.

In five years? Doubtful, but we’ll keep dreaming!