My most recent, “nailed-it” moment was when I typed The End on my first fiction novel—book one in a suspense/thriller series. After fist-punching the air, I burst into happy tears.
I wasn’t alone in my writing effort. At last year’s UW-Madison’s Writers’ Institute, I was honored to promote the Pathway to Publication program and signed up for it myself. My coach was Christine DeSmet. She figuratively held my hand through the new-to-me fiction territory, taking the fear out of it and making it a distinct pleasure.
Now I’m working on book two in the series.
What’s your most recent “nailed it” moment?
© TuesdaysWithLaurie.com
Tuesdays with Laurie 
Hi Laurie
Well done.
Mine is replying to Bhatta on ANG.
Ted — Please enlighten me, I have no idea what that means.
Congratulations!! It is a good feeling, isn’t it? Doing the final edits on my next publication.
Darlene — Final edits on your next publication? That’s great news. Woohoo! 🙂
Yes, book 7 in the Amanda Travels series. She will be in Holland this time. SCheduled to be released September 1, 2019. On to the next adventure!
Hi well done. I’m working on book two Curse of Time haven’t quite nailed it yet but getting there albeit slowly!
Marje — Congratulations! Slow forward motion is better than no forward motion 🙂
Very true Laurie. 🙂
I can see how that would have been a momentous event for you, as it doesn’t come without its troubles and tribulations.
I’ve recently entered a local writers short story competition (my first ever serious one – I’ve done a couple of horror ones for fun). I hope my story will be selected for publication, regardless of winning. Publication would be a prize all of its own. Happy writing! ✒📠
Fatima — I’m excited for your submission. Please keep me posted. Woohoo! 🙂
Will do. Writing another! 😉
Congratulations, Laurie. I am doing very small projects these days. Travel, reading, practicing with my choir, leading and planning worship, writing one blog post per month. I have a speech to give in April. When I finish it and pour out my best thought and find a way to really thank a room full of volunteers, I hope to have that nailed it feeling.
Shirley — Your “small” projects add up to BIG irons in the fire. I know that you speech will be wonderful. I just know it. And once it’s in the rearview mirror, I’m utterly confident that you’ll fist-punch the air and enjoy the “nailed it” feeling.
(I’m giving a speech in April, too. On the 27th, I’m speaking to the board of World Citizen about BEing Peace).
Congratulations, Laurie!
Merril — Thank you 🙂
Behind you all the way! You keep nailing, I’ll keep applauding!
Sandi — Thank you 🙂
Laurie–congratulations to you!! I think you are amazing. Kudos, my friend.
LoisaJay — Thank you so much 🙂
Laurie, thank you for the mention. It’s an honor to work with a writer and professional such as yourself. You’re diligent, smart about things, and creative and always upbeat. You also kept an amazing weekly writing schedule all year long. Applause!
Christine — I had so much FUN working with you. Thank you for being the headlamps on the path for me. I so appreciate your help 🙂
Congratulations, Laurie! Your question gave me pause. I haven’t spent time at my writing desk, or behind my camera, since our granddaughter arrived to spend spring break with us. We’re in the second week now, and “nailing it” consists of day-to-day time well spent with her. This is my most important work right now.
Linda — It doesn’t get any better than investing time with ones grandchildren. Woohoo, I’m excited for you 🙂
Very cool, and congratulations.
Craig — Thank you 🙂
Pam and my first solo sail on a 23 foot craft. We had taken instructions and this was our test.
Michael — Woohoo! That sounds wonderful 🙂
Plaudits to you, Laurie! It’s important to celebrate each step of your amazing journey. Truly, no grass grows under your feet, my friend. Just today I received Proof 1 (manuscript and layout) from the designers. It’s not a “nailed-it” moment, but it’s definitely progress toward my memoir publication.
Marian — That’s HUGE progress. Woohoo! I’m excited for YOU 🙂
Congratulations Laurie! What a proud moment!
Balroop — Thank you so much 🙂
Congratulations, Laurie! Any “nailed it” moment deserves celebration. My most recent moment was writing a short story that was accepted for an anthology on pioneer women.
Patricia — Congratulations on having your short story accepted for an anthology about pioneer women. That’s terrific!
Congratulations Laurie! I am so excited for you! I bet you are just dancing around the room. What a thrilling (or should I say thriller) experience 😉 I think back to the joking we would do on occasion about putting on our trench coats and glasses with moustaches to spy on something. Now you have done it – nailed it! Hats off to you!
My most recent “nailed it” moment was when I was notified that one of my landscape oil paintings had been jury-selected by a gallery for a spring show in New York City. I have a post about the painting and show at TerrillWelchArtist.com that you may have already read but others likely will have not.
Terrill — I’m so darned EXCITED for you and PROUD of you! Having a painting jury-selected by a gallery for a show in New York City is no small feat. CONGRATULATIONS to YOU! 🙂
I am trying to be all calm and professional about it Laurie but then that great big grin of mine cracks open my face and there you have it! Total ecstatics! 🙂
Hmm, interesting and I’m going to go with a climb my husband and I made on a very warm day in January to one of our formerly favorite short hikes in Shenandoah National Park. With health issues (and surgery he had in Nov.) we went somewhat cautiously, but got there! Not the tallest peak in the world but given our aging bodies, it felt pretty good! A highlight that may be of interest to others was that this was during the government shut down in Jan., and so national parks were officially closed, but people were cleaning up any trash they found and trying to help keep the parks open and usable by the public, even without park services and rangers. Such good folks! Sure, some were just happy to get in free at that time, but as seniors with lifetime passes, we get in free now anyway. 🙂
Very exciting! Congratulations on your first book in your new genre! It will be hard to wait until 2020.
I am in the middle of the toughest chapter in my memoir (a major climax point). I had a small breakthough with a major impact on how to bring it to my readers! So, I will call that a “nailed it” moment.
I so wish I could do both the Writers Conference and the Pathway to Publication series. It’s beyond me at the moment. However, I will reach out to Christine DeSmet to see what my alternatives might be. Perhaps the Writers by the Lake option … will work. I will have (based on my schedule) my first draft finally complete by that time!
Congratulations, Laurie. Always a moment to celebrate after typing “The End.” 🙂 Can’t think of any recent nailed-it moments, but last year I had a few stellar rounds of golf (even par or +1) that cause me to think “Nailed it!” Not nearly as hard as writing a complete novel, but extremely challenging in a combined physical and mental way. That’s why I love golf so much.
Chris
Chris — I think of your most recent publication, STRAIGHT RIVER, as a “nailed it” moment! It’s a terrific read! 🙂
Thanks, Laurie. I appreciate that. Certainly I felt I “nailed it” when I first held the galley copy in my hand and had the satisfaction of completing a published novel, but then the trepidation set in about “will it be ‘good enough,'” which more than offset the “nailed it” feeliing. 🙂 Ain’t writing an emotional roller coaster??
Chris
Chris — “Cheers!” to the ups and downs of writing 🙂
Congratulations. My most recent “Nailed it” moment in the writing arena was finishing my memoir, sending it to my publisher and getting a “yes” to get it published next year. Of course,rewrites are necessary (par for the course) and he gave lots of helpful suggestions. And for the record, I am still writing my Beyond mystery fiction series and am doing research for the next book in the series (as well as nailing the beginning). But all in good time. And Laurie, as another mystery-suspense author, I would like to purchase and read your book when it comes out. But also I am a longtime (since childhood) reader of mystery fiction. You can blame that on Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie and my late mom who got me hooked from watching the old black and white Perry Mason series every Saturday night on TV.
Sharon — Congratulations on getting a YES from your publisher for your memoir. That’s huge.
My mom got me hooked on reading, too. I loved reading Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie. And growing up, we saw Perry Mason on television 🙂
Congratulations, Laurie! Moving ever forward, that’s you. I tend to spend a lot of time in one place before I consider moving – sideways, forward, or backward.
Carol — Trust me when I say that I, too, invest a lot of time BEing before I make a move 🙂
Congratulations, Laurie, and I can’t wait to read your novel!
My most recent “nailed it” moment was when a nonfiction author I’d been working with since 2015 completed his manuscript and book proposal. The book was accepted by his first-choice publisher, and of course he was thrilled. Helping him position his book for them led to that fist-bump moment when he received word that his book would be published.
Candace — Woohoo! That’s such exciting news 🙂
Whew! You are on a ROLL! I’ve been receiving drafts of illustrations for my next children’s book from my illustrator. She is nailing my book’s characters so well, that I feel like I’m nailing it too! 🙂
Pam — Woohoooooo! That’s exciting. What age bracket is your next children’s book for?
Same as for my first children’s book – BIRDS OF PARADISE. 3 to 93! 🙂 ❤
Pam — Woohooooooo! 🙂
❤ And WooHooooo right back atcha! xo
Yay! Congratulations!
Jill — Thank you 🙂
Congratulations! I’ve been editing my new book myself. I’d say I nailed it when I finish editing it at least three times!
Byung — They say “The third time is a charm.” 🙂
I believe so. 😊
Congratulations, Laurie! I can imagine this feeling like a wonderful “nailed it” success! I don’t have a particular area that comes to my mind, but I think that I am happy in my daily pursuits, and sometimes I think that living with intention and being happy is a real “nailed it” success these days. I’m content. That’s a good thing! 🙂
Debra — Contentment is a HUGE “nailed it!” 🙂
My current activity is to get 200 letters to our city council about our homeless/drug situation in downtown corridor. I have 3 lined up so far….I will let you know if it nailed it by April 16th…
Congratulations to you and to Terrill and what a list of success found here in the comments! Hip Hip Hurrah!
Patricia — I admire your passion! That’s a heckofa lot of elbow grease. My hat is off to YOU! 🙂
Congratulations. 😀 … last night I figured out how to describe an O’neill Cylinder in my new novel. 🙂
O’neill Cylinder – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%27Neill_cylinder
Widdershins — How COOL is that?! 🙂
It is very cool! 😀
I’m going through a similar process with a novel I’m working on. My author mentor is fantastic. We haven’t “nailed it” yet, but we’re getting close. When I do, I have no doubt that I will cry.
I look forward to reading your book!
Arlene — And when you do cry, they’ll be happy tears 🙂
Congratulations, Laurie!!
Amy — Thank you 🙂
Félicitation pour votre talent d’écriture.
Maria — Je vous remercie. J’apprécie vos souhaits.
Hats 🎩 off to you Laurie that’s wonderful. I can’t wait to read it .
I’ve got Colin to take April off to get our ‘half house ‘ ( yes you heard right STILL half House ) finished .
YES!
Cherryx
Cherry — Taking the month of April off to finish your house is HUGE. Congratulations! 🙂
I’ll belive it when I see it 😂
Cherryx
Cherry — 😂😂😂
I wish I had one. Life’s not been treating me kindly for the last year and a half… and there’s only worse to come. I suppose I managed to keep going despite of everything, that’s something.
Love the picture that accompanies your post – so appropriate! 🙂
Arwen — I’m sorry that life has not been kind. I’m glad that you keep going, despite everything.
Congrats!
Congratulations Laurie! 🙂
D.G. Kaye — Thank you 🙂
🙂
Congratulations, Laurie!! Now I will check out this writing course, as it’s driving distance and an excuse to visit friends in Madison! 😀 Thank you!
Catherine — The Writers’ Institute at UW-Madison is WONDERFUL! 🙂
🎉Congratulations Laurie 🥳👏👏💕
Carolyn — Thank you🎈
Carolyn – Thank you 🙂
Beyond Herculean what you are doing and have done Laurie! I tip my cap to you many times over and would love to read that novel!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!
Sam — Thank you for your excitement on my behalf. I appreciate it 🙂