Today we’d like to introduce you to Wendy Terrien.
Wendy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always loved to read, and in fact, received my first library card at age two. My mom loves to tell people how impressed the librarian was when I picked out my own books, so much so that she insisted I have my own card. Three cheers for librarians! I’m sure her action made me feel pretty darn proud and in turn fed my love for reading.
As I grew up, I started writing stories. I have old notebooks and folders filled with my scribblings. But becoming an author was never encouraged, and in fact, I don’t remember it even being on my list of “when I grow up I want to be a…” Though I do have the message in my head that you can’t make a living as a writer, so perhaps there was a discouraging conversation with someone somewhere along the way. I did take creative writing classes in college but those courses were more work than fun.
I graduated, entered the corporate world, and abandoned my writing. I dabbled here and there, writing personal fairy tales for people as gifts, where I incorporated real aspects from their childhood into stories of adventure and excitement, but I never gave writing any serious consideration. At least not consciously… A number of years ago, I was laid off from a job and received career coaching in exchange.
Most might think that was a sucky trade-off, and I certainly was not motivated to accept the coaching offered to me. I attended my coaching appointments, I participated in the workshops, but I didn’t follow through with any of the assignments given to help me find my next great job. After a few weeks of this, my exasperated coach said, “Wendy, what do you really want to do?” And out of my mouth came, “I really want to write, but I can’t do that.”
It’s important to note that during the weeks of not working, I had not given one iota of thought to the idea of chasing the writing dream. It hadn’t crossed my mind, it hadn’t tiptoed through my mind, it hadn’t even drifted lazily through my mind followed by a quick dismissal. But now I’d blurted it out. And it baffled me.
My career coach pushed on the writing. I deflected and deflected and deflected, certain it was a bad idea until she finally convinced me otherwise. I wish I could say I then discovered an outstanding and natural talent for writing stories that simply flowed from my mind and onto the page, but no.
I started signing up for classes and workshops and conferences. And I was sure I’d dazzle these teachers of writing. But I soon discovered I had much, so much, so very, very much to learn. I dove in and chased the dream, and it wasn’t easy. I wasn’t working, so money was tight. And I received critique after critique that told me I wasn’t good enough.
It’s never easy to hear that something you’re doing, especially something creative that carries with it pieces of your being, isn’t good enough. But I kept chasing, and I kept learning. And my writing improved. And I learned the publishing business. And I found myself enmeshed in a whole new tribe of creative and smart and talented authors. And I’ve loved every minute of it, even the painful parts.
I now have three award-winning novels, and a fourth novel is in the works. I’m a proud member of the writing community in Colorado, one that I believe most residents might be surprised to learn is quite large. We have a significant number of talented authors in our state, with a number of great organizations who support writers, from Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers to Pikes Peak Writers, Northern Colorado Writers, Lighthouse Writers, and more. Colorado loves authors!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
1) Spending time chasing my dream when I heard I should have a “real job,” and “no one earns a living as a writer,” and “writing is just a hobby.” And writing anyway.
2) Investing time and money in learning and improving my skills when there was no guarantee of ever earning back that investment.
3) Hearing critique and learning from it rather than being wounded by it. I asked for critique so I could learn, and I had to let it in to reap the value.
4) Choosing writing over other activities can be tough. But my love for writing stories, and the joy it brings me, helped me overcome all of the challenges that came (and still come) my way.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I’m an author which makes for a rather unique “business.” I spend a large amount of time writing, editing, and researching, as well as working with my critique partners, but I’m also busy doing marketing, book signings, visiting schools, and making appearances.
One of my favorites is Denver Pop Culture Con (formerly Denver Comic Con) where I’m one of the guest authors this year. (Big shout out to Pop Culture Classroom–a local non-profit doing amazing things using pop culture to inspire learning; Denver Pop Culture Con is a primary revenue generator for them.)
Things I’m proud of:
I didn’t quit. I heard a ton of feedback when I started writing seriously, over the course of years, that I easily could have used to validate quitting. But instead, I accepted the feedback and every new thing I learned, and I rewrote my first novel over and over again until the story was ready. It took me five years to write (and rewrite) The Rampart Guards.
I have been ecstatic at how well the novel has performed. The Rampart Guards has received numerous accolades and awards, including earning a coveted Kirkus star from Kirkus Reviews (which knocked me on the floor when I learned about it). Kirkus also named The Rampart Guards to their Best Books of 2016 list. The book also became an international bestseller in 2017.
I was chosen by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers as the Independent Writer of the Year, 2017-18, an honor I’m especially proud of. And I currently serve as president of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have asked more questions early in the process. Don’t trust that the first supposed expert you encounter is truly the expert you need. Regarding publishing, stay open-minded and learn everything you can. There are many paths to publishing, and what may work for one person might not work for another.
And if I could, I would have started chasing the writing dream earlier in my life. Then again, I probably needed to learn other things before I could embrace the writing thing, so the timing was probably perfect. But I love telling stories and wish I’d been doing this all along.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.wendyterrien.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyterrien/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendyterrien
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/wendyterrien
- Other: click this link – to get a free download of the first three chapters of The Rampart Guards
Image Credit:
Trevor Gass
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