I’ve always admired writers. I escaped through pages, loved storytelling, and dreamed of writing non-fiction someday, maybe something rooted in my professional life. But fiction? I believed that was for creative types, and I never saw myself as one of them.

That all shifted a few years ago. I started writing in my 50s and now I have four published books, one on preorder and one translated. I am a bestselling, multi-award-winning author. It still feels a little surreal.

I’m sharing my story because I know I’m not the only one who ever felt that way or held back. Sometimes, all it takes is a few unexpected aha moments to shift everything.

The Breakthrough Moment

The breakthrough happened at a seminar. 

Picture this: 2022, my husband and I walking into a Robert McKee seminar in LA. McKee is the storytelling legend behind the Story Seminar, the course that transforms how writers think about narrative.

I was there as a sidekick. My husband, who's an author, wanted to repeat the seminar, and I tagged along. I wasn't there to become a novelist.

But then McKee was on stage, sharing STORY. And something strange happened. I started scribbling notes, faster and faster. For four days, I was transfixed. 

I started writing my first novel as soon as we returned home from LA. It felt like I had been waiting my whole life, preparing to become a writer. I finished the first draft in four weeks. 

Here, I summarize seven critical AHA moments that shifted everything for me. Maybe one will resonate with you, or maybe you'll just enjoy reading about my journey. I'm not here with a blueprint or a system and I know successful authors who follow an entirely different process. This is just what worked for me.

AHA #1: "I'm Not Creative Enough"

Sure, I can take a decent photo. But write a novel? That felt out of reach. My background is in logic and problem-solving. Writing felt too nebulous.

But then McKee broke down storytelling and outlined the principles behind it. My logical mind loved that. It clicked. I also realized that creativity isn’t magic. It’s discipline, effort, and constant improvement, over and over again. Tenacity over talent. That realization unlocked everything for me.

AHA #2: "What If I'm Not a Good Enough Writer?"

Well, no one starts off good enough. You learn. You practice. You rewrite. Again and again. It's a cycle of growth. I’m also an avid reader of the genre I write in, which helps me when I shape my stories. 

Most of what I write early on doesn’t make it to the final version. Not at all. But that’s the point. It gets better.

AHA #3: "The First Draft? It Feels Too Messy to Show Anyone

I never share my first drafts. Not even with my editors... especially not with them! That raw beginning belongs only to me.

Robert McKee said the first draft is only for the eye of the writer. That simple truth gave me permission to write freely. I wrote my entire first draft fast, knowing I could tear it apart later. It was liberating.

I only send my third or fourth draft to my editor for the first round of editing. And my first reader, my husband, doesn’t read the story until the very end, after I’ve gone through fifteen to twenty drafts and worked with three rounds of professional editing: developmental, line, and copy editing.

I know writers who work with writing partners and share scenes or chapters as they go. It works for them. I also know authors who say they write a very clean first draft. There’s no one way to do it.

AHA #4: "What If My Story Structure Doesn't Work?"

You work with someone amazing called a developmental editor. In my case, her name is Jodi. They’re like architects who notice when you’ve forgotten a wall in your house or built a bathroom with no door.

They help shape your story. They spot the holes. They ask the right questions. You don’t have to figure it all out on your own. And ultimately, you decide whether that wall belongs there or not.

AHA #5: What About Readability, Grammar, and All the Technical Stuff?

That’s where the amazing copy editors come in. For me, that’s Rachel. She’s worked on all three of my books and brings a level of polish and clarity I could never achieve on my own.

I revise, tweak, restructure, and rewrite, of course. But I’m not an editor, and I know where I would get stuck without help.

Does it add up financially? Yes, it does. But their input has been invaluable to me as a new author and essential to the quality of the story.

AHA #6: "What If No One Likes It?” 

That fear never fully disappears. But unless we try, we’ll never know. Not everyone will love your story. And that’s okay.

But someone out there might need to read exactly what you’ve written.

AHA #7: "Still, I Don't Want to Put My Name Out There"

You always have the option of not using your real name. A pen name can become your author persona. Mine is GT London. Those are my initials, I’m from London, and I wanted something memorable. Something playful. Go To London. Ha!

You get to decide what feels right or safe for you.

Looking Back on This Journey

This journey has been raw, challenging, and at times overwhelming. But the joy overtakes it. 

When a reader tells you your book inspired them to start a fundraiser for foster kids...

When someone says they laughed and cried through the story...

Or booked a trip to London, Istanbul, or Hawai‘i because of the world you created...

I remember every single one of those aha moments, and I’m grateful I listened.

So if writing a book has been sitting quietly in the back of your mind, maybe this is your sign. It might be time to begin. Or time to finish.