First Draft to Published

Numerous articles and books are written on the subject of Writer’s Block; how to get over it, get through it and get back to writing. Writer’s block is sometimes only a state of mind and when we figure out where it’s coming from, we can easily make changes. Each semester, professors expect you to write critiques, essays and research papers. Whether you suffer from self-doubt, not being able to set deadlines or those power study sessions you can easily find yourself with writer’s block.

Author John Steinbeck Shuffling through tables of books at the University library during its bi-annual book sale, I came across a great find, the Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck printed in 1947. The back cover states that it was his first full length novel in eight years and will be added to my collection of Steinbeck books. I thought that I had most of his books, (still looking for Cup of Gold), so imagine my surprise when I found this old hardcover book, with its dust cover barely hanging onto the book. The pages looked like they had been printed on brown paper bags and are crinkly and crackly. It even smells like the book has been sitting on a shelf collecting dust for dozens of years. For more information about John Steinbeck, check out online literature classes at online schools that can teach you about John Steinbeck’s work and how he often populated his short stories with struggling characters. It is a book that I will treasure for many years to come. It would have been gre...