Tuesday, December 12, 2017

When you dream, dream big.

Pamela Tracy here.

Roughly twenty-three years ago I decided to really try my hand at writing.  I set up my computer on a card table in my bedroom and I started writing a Star Trek novel.

I typed merrily for quite a few month before admitting to myself that there had to be some kind of guidelines for actually knowing what to do.

I've always loved school.  I've taken sign language and even a math class just for fun.

Signing up at my neighborhood community college was a no-brainer.  I was so excited my first night of creative writing class.  I felt like I'd arrived.

Clearly, a few of the other students had arrived earlier than me.  Some were taking the class for a third or fourth time.  I, quite frankly, was jealous.  Why hadn't I thought of taking this class sooner!!! I was behind!!!!

There were a few other newbies.  Sitting across from me, much younger and prettier was a woman named Stacey Connelly.  We exchanged pleasantries and soon friendships in the class formed.

A year later, Stacey and I were in the class for the third time because we WERE going to become writers.  

From that class, a core group of six formed a critique group, including the creative writing teacher.  We stopped taking the college class and once a week, we met at a restaurant and exchanged chapters.  The group ebbed, flowed, grew, shrank, but stayed cohesive with five - yup, count em - five of the original core members.

Stacey and I were the romance writers.  We went to conferences, joined RWA, and strove to perfect our prose.  We dreamed, and we dreamed big.

Last week something bearing Stacey's name arrived in my mailbox (ordered from Amazon!)

Nope, not a book.  She sold her first many years ago.

It's a movie.  A Hallmark movie.  Taken from one of Stacey's books!!!
Look, her name is right there!
Under the photos of the actors and actresses.  

I want to cry when I think of that long ago day.  It was before I married, had children, had wrinkles!  There I was in the hard, wooden classroom chair with my spiral notebook ready.  I was in a room with other people who had stories to tell.

Stacey was across from me, as she would be for many years and up until today.  We still room together at Nationals and such.

See, when you dream, you need to dream big.
Stacey's cover

Stacey did.

Tonight there are five of us meeting for a Christmas party.  Three are from the original six. The dream hasn't ended.  I wonder what will happen next?

Pamela Tracy, who sat across from Stacey Connelly, is still waiting for her Hallmark movie.
In the meantime, her most recent release is from Harlequin Heartwarming.



14 comments:

  1. What a special moment! The bonds we form as fellow writers are priceless. So glad you and Stacey have both dreamed big and stayed the course.

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  2. It's true. Extraordinary dreams come true for ordinary people.

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  3. You had me at "Star Trek," Pamela! When I was a gullible teenager, my best friend and I wrote and submitted a story we were certain they'd pick up for an upcoming episode--NOT!!!!!!! Oh my goodness, were we naive!!!

    Many years later, though, my novel writing dreams did come true. Now I'm dreaming of that Hallmark Movie deal! What fun for Stacey, and I'm pretty sure I saw her movie! She sounds like a wonderful friend to share the writing journey with.

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    Replies
    1. I love Star Trek, Myra. I still think about brushing it off and doing something with it :)

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  4. What a fun post. We've all been in those classes. It was a college professor of creative writing who gave me my first Harlequin and pointed me in that direction. As a charter member of RWA, I know how valuable those early connections can be. God bless you, Pamela, and Stacey, as well.

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    Replies
    1. Arlene, I've always appreciated your wisdom, clear back when we were on Lovelink!! Yes, I'm lucky to have Stacy.

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  5. So kewl! And I would cry too. What a fun accomplishment.

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  6. What a lovely story! Congrats to Stacey! I love Hallmark movies and will be watching for her's to air! (Isn't that everyone's dream now? Even though I write suspense, I would still love to have a Hallmark movie! :) )

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  7. What a great story, Pam! Congratulations to Stacey and thank you so much for sharing. I wish I still had a local group like that. The one I belonged to so long ago is broken up - pretty much everyone moved far away. But while it lasted, it was such a wonderful group.

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    1. I married and moved to a different city, so no longer meet with that original group. I'm in another now, which is great fun.

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  8. Great post, Pam. Dreams do come true. I love that you had a group of author friends who you shared dreams with and friendship. Congratulations to all.

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    1. And, I count you as one of those friends. We had such fun at the Harlequin party in CA. I'll be in Denver.

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