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Kidney Collection: I’d rather be the worst of the best than silent.

Guest blog post by a co-author of The Box Under The Bed, T.A. Henry.

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authoress T.A. Henry

I started writing back in elementary school and entered my first contest at eight.

I went down to the local library where all the entries were displayed and mine was the only one without a ribbon of some sort.

I cried.

And quit writing.

Only it’s hard to quit something in your blood. It’s hard to stop your heart beating. It’s hard to stop breathing.
I came back to writing time and again and then walked away when struggling under my disappointment. Yay, I sold the option on my film script. Whaaa, it mouldered in a desk drawer somewhere and never saw the light of day.
Laughing. But life is funny like that.
When my son was 3 and not yet diagnosed with ASD, I was going crazy. I needed something for myself.

I saw a short post from my cousin on Nanowrino and bam, I was writing again. 

I published in 2015 to a total lack of fan fare. Apparently you need to do more than write a quality novel. LOL. Cough, cough, hello marketing.

And I was so close to quitting again. There were so many things I could say to talk myself out of continuing as an author. I bet you’ve said them a time or two yourself. 

  • A) My family needs me to handle other things during this time I spend writing.

  • B) It’s just an expensive hobby, nothing will ever come of it.

  • C) No one reads your words, why write them?

All fabulously self-defeating ideas. I’ve heard it said, no one writes for fun, we write because we have to. There I was in midst of I should, but wait, I have to…..

When along comes Dan and his flipping anthology.

Just a short couple thousand words, in a month, in the horror genre. Say what? 

“No way. So not doing that. What would be the point? You don’t write horror? You can’t write anything that sells anyway.”
I had no answers for the voice.
But, as usually happens with my good ideas, I was in bed, half asleep, right on the edge of almost out, watching my brain run along unchecked, when

I thought, hrm…yes…that might work.

What do you know, practically wrote itself. Some edits, a few betas, some more edits. 

Now I am part of a best selling anthology.



That voice that gives all those reasons I shouldn’t write says “Yours is so the worst story in book.”

But that part of me who gives voice to the need to write says “Fuck you. I’d rather be the worst of the best than silent.”

The process has given me the impetus to finish my sophomore novel editing, order a cover from my designer, and set about getting cover blurbs from anthology members.
Thanks Dan, I probably owe you a kidney or something, let me know if you need to collect.
 -T.A. Henry

I’m kinda speechless. T.A., your writing is too good not to pursue. If I help that keep happening, then good for me. And good for you, for not stopping – even though you say you quit. You didn’t really quit, you just went away for a while. Welcome back.

Gang, it was a blast working with such amazing talents like T.A. Henry on this scary anthology.

Check out her other works HERE,

and check out the Box Under The Bed right now!

31 replies on “Kidney Collection: I’d rather be the worst of the best than silent.”

I love your story, T.A. When I was in 6th grade, I was part of a writer’s club and I guess I was published in my first anthology. I still have it and read it to my 4th graders for kicks. My story and poem are awful!!! But it’s funny because I didn’t start writing again until I was in my 30s. I started because I was inspired by another writer and when I worked on my Master’s degree, even on my worst day, I still got an A. It took me awhile to rediscover the passion I had from when I was young. Keep going if it is in you!

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Okay folks if you haven’t read TA’s novel ‘Scripting The Truth’ you’re missing out … this lady can write and some. I read and reviewed it a while back and I still reckon it should be a film/movie. Go see TA’s blog she doesn’t bog you down with long stuff, she’s kind of interesting, supportive, and has a sense of humour/humor; she’s been putting up with my tongue in cheek comments for quite a while! Oh and she does recipes too, I’m sure they taste good but can look kind of weird some times to an Englishman. Okay I’m going!

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I love what you have said here TA. How many of us have felt the same? All of us I’m sure. And I’d bet a lot of us have also thought that ours is so the worst story in the book. You are in no way the worst of the best. You are an excellent writer. That’s all. Keep saying “Fuck you” to that nastly little voice that says otherwise. Let’s all do that!

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Life goes forth while you’re making other plans, they say, T. A. So don’t make plans to write. Just go with it ! Loved “LabStor” in “The Box Under the Bed”! Brilliant dialogue that moved the participants along in their conflicting paths.

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I love LabStor.

In fact, there’s a funny story about that. I think the title was originally a working title that she abbreviated. Laboratory story or something like that. But the file name said LABSTOR so I thought that was the name of the story – and company where the characters worked.

It was only when I put that as the title that she corrected me, but we both agreed it was a pretty good name!

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