There was a time when I was absolutely certain I was going to be a writer.

Fourth grade. That’s where it started. Inspired by Nancy Drew.

I loved it. The stories, the characters, the feeling of creating something out of nothing. It felt like I had found my thing.

And then… my dream was destroyed.

By a teacher. He didn't mean to be hurtful. That didn't stop his reaction to the short story I had so proudly given him from devastating a nine year old me.

Nor did it stop it from making me feel foolish for even considering I could write anything worth having someone else read.

In my twenties, I circled back and took a fiction writing course. I started to reconnect with that version of myself again. And through those classes came to realize that my nine year old self wasn't so wrong. I wasn't so bad at writing.

And then life did what life does.

Marriage. Kids. Responsibilities that didn’t politely step aside so I could chase a creative dream.

Writing slipped to the background again. Not because I stopped loving it… but because it didn’t feel practical to keep choosing it.

So I didn’t.

Fast forward through years of building a business, raising a family, figuring out how to make a living without losing my mind.

I was writing.

Blog posts. Newsletters. Information products. Even a business book… The No Bullshit Guide to Virtual Assistants.

But fiction?

That stayed in the “someday” drawer.

Now I’m 62 and I’m 77,000 words into the first draft of my first novel.

Not an outline. Not an idea. Not a “maybe someday.”

An actual, messy, real, in-progress book. It's even written under a pen name, Tina Marie DeWitt. (Ok, so it's my maiden name, but it works)

Here’s what I’ve learned, and it’s not particularly poetic:

Dreams don’t always die.

Sometimes they just get… buried under responsibility, doubt, and a few well-placed comments that should’ve never had that much power in the first place.

But if they keep tapping you on the shoulder?

If they keep showing up in quiet moments?

If they refuse to fully leave?

They’re not done with you.

I used to think there was a window for this kind of thing. That if I didn’t become a writer then, I had somehow missed my chance.

Turns out, that window was never locked, I just stopped trying to open it.

If there’s something you’ve been putting off… not because you don’t want it, but because you’ve convinced yourself it’s too late, too unrealistic, too impractical…

It might be time to question that story.

Not in a “quit your life and move to a remote cabin” kind of way.

But in a “what would it look like to take one step back toward it?” kind of way.

Because that’s how all this started for me.

One step.

Then another.

And now I’ve got 77,000 words that didn’t exist before I decided to stop arguing with myself.

A quick note (because this part matters too)

A lot of the dreams I hear from readers aren’t just about creativity.

They’re about building something of your own. Charging what you’re actually worth. Stepping out of underpaid, undervalued work and into something that feels right.

And I know how hard that shift can be… because I’ve lived it.

Dreams don’t all look the same.

Some turn into novels.

Some turn into businesses that finally feel sustainable.

Some turn into boundaries you weren’t brave enough to set before.

But they all have one thing in common…they don’t happen without taking that first step.

Is your dream still whispering? Do yourself a favor and listen.

Supporting your chasing of dreams...always,

Not all dreams look like writing a novel. Some look like building a business that actually supports you… instead of draining you.

For the final days of April, I’m offering a subscriber-only price on my Setting Your Rates Based on Value course… $100 off.

Because undercharging your work has a way of quietly killing momentum, confidence, and yes… even the space to go after the things you really want.

This has been updated for 2026, and if you’re tired of second-guessing your pricing, it will help you step into it with a lot more clarity.

Use code NOTTOOLATE at checkout.

👉Use Your Discount Code Here

Do you know someone who’s been sitting on a dream they keep pretending they don’t care about anymore?

Send this their way. Sometimes it’s not about motivation… it’s about seeing proof that it’s not too late to pick something back up.