The Signal

Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: News

Tyler's new book, Ruby Rest

CSU Stan graduate Tyler Oaks

There is a simple black, square card on my desk. My parents gave it to me the day my twins turned one. I can see the white letters of the quote even when I close my eyes, Winston Churchill's words written across my mind: "Never, never, never give up."

I started my first novel not long after I graduated from CSU Stanislaus with a B.A. in Spanish and had enrolled in the Spanish M.A. program at CSU Sacramento. I began writing because I had to. The stories swirled around my head until there was nothing I could do to keep my sanity but put them down on paper. It was beautiful. That was of course only until I realized I wanted to share the worlds I had created with others. I wanted to write books, to be an author.

I was told less than one percent of writers could find an agent to represent them. I was told that it is now easier to make it into television than it is to break into publishing. I was told the idea of me as an author was a nice thought but not very realistic. It wasn't.

The impossibilities surmounted. Doors remained closed. I quickly concluded that if writing was to be my heaven on earth then surely publishing was to be my hell. Still, the man who helped win a world war said not to give up. Would I?

In America we root for the underdog because in him we see ourselves. For all our country's social and political woes there still is this great beauty that prevails: hard work and relentless determination can pay off. Because of the major I chose I was always the non-native speaker and felt like I had to work twice as hard to even understand what was going on. It took a long time with a lot of tears, but I did learn Spanish. In publishing I was the girl from the Central Valley, not knowing anything about the New York industry. Again, it took time and quite a few more tears, but I got a publishing deal.

The journey is hard but worth it. Really the rules are very simple: Don't give up. People who love you will tell you it's not possible. They don't want to see you hurt or disappointed. People who don't love you will say worse. Don't listen. Use your talent, whatever that may be, and never, never, never give up.

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