Reminders

   I started writing my first book when I was thirteen. It was a school project, and when I was seventeen, I published it, along with the next two books in the series.
    I have mixed feelings about The Adventures of Amy series. Part of me looks at it as my beginning, and I don't ever want to forget where I started. Another part of me is embarrassed.
    When I flip through the books now, I can tell they were written by a thirteen-year-old with a wild imagination. They're not perfectly written, or edited, and some of the scenes are . . . yeah. Very amateur.
      I've spoken with other authors who have quit selling their first books, because they don't want people to read them, and judge the rest of their writing by their beginning. I've thought about doing that with the Amy books. I've thought about re-writing them. Who knows, maybe I will someday, but for now, I'm going to continue carrying them as a reminder. A reminder to never despise meager beginnings. As a reminder that there is always room for growth, and as a reminder of all the things God taught me while I was writing them.
    So, yes, I know that they're not the most well-written books in the world, but I'm so thankful that God led me on this journey, and while I'm not where I'd like to be in my writing, I'm thankful that I'm not where I used to be.