This is the day I will point back to.

Not as the launching of a dream; that happened a long time ago. Maybe the fall of 2010, when I actually wrote the story. Or even March of this year, when I finally took my story to a writer’s conference and heard the tiniest bit of encouragement about it, which gave me enough fuel in the tank to actually try and send it out into the world.

This day, May 26, 2016, is the day my dream became validated. I just sent in a signed publishing agreement for my story to be published with TouchPoint Press. PUBLISHED. With cover art and “by Victoria Kimble” and page numbers and a copyright date. Of course I’ve had strong encouragement along the way, but there is something special about the affirmation from someone who doesn’t know and love you. It’s like the final “let it be so” needed to be purposeful in this harsh career path.

I’ve been participating in The Creative Way: A Course in Transformational Fiction by Ted Dekker, and one of the thousand takeaways I’ve come away with is start before you’re ready. This was in the module about marketing and getting your work out there. I like to do things the right way; but there are some things that just need to be done so you can learn whether or not that was a good way to do it. My exhibit A is this website. You who see this now see the raw, unfinished newborn. You who see it later will hopefully be looking at something polished and professional. Just know that I didn’t start out that way. But the point is to just start.

So I start. On this day, May 26, 2016. I am a writer. Not an aspiring one, an actual one.

What will you start today?