Jeanne Charters

"What do you wanna be when you grow up, Jeannie?"

Question posed to my 3rd grade self.

Answer: "A writer."

But my mother said it wasn't secure, so I made my living writing radio and TV commercials. Pretty good stuff. I won some awards, most notably the New York Broadcasters Gold Medal for a campaign I created for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

But sometimes, dreams don't die. After I retired from a profession that helped me get my four daughters college educated, it was time.

Write that novel! So, I did. Between learning how through classes and workshops, writing it, editing it, stalking agents and publishers, it took nearly 10 years. It's called Shanty Gold.

You can do the same. Check out my blog at jeannecharters.com.

And keep writing.