Writing Groove

I typically write these the night before I post them, give them a final once over the next day, and then click publish for my adoring fan.  I have only a limited time to devote to writing each day, after my daughter goes to sleep but before I have to at least attempt to sleep so I'm not a worthless zombie at my paying gig.  But I'm making time for it on a daily basis and I know that's important to evolve as a writer.

Tonight I used most of that time working on a short story for a competition. The deadline is August 31st and I got into a groove.  I have a plot outline, character introductions, and even a pretty good idea of how I want to end the story to give the feeling I really want to impart with my potential audience.  I really enjoy writing like that, but I know it's worth more to force yourself through the moments when the words just don't flow.

I wanted to stay up and keep going--one of the things I like most about writing. It doesn't matter what time/day/place you're at, you can write. That bodes well for me when I wake up at 2 am and can't go back to sleep. I think it might be a better outlet for me than watching replays of WRC on Speed Channel.  I'm not one of those people who can just "shut it off" at a designated time, and I've always found the traditional business career limiting in that regard.  I know many people prefer such an arrangement and I understand the appeal of it--I'm just not wired that way.

I'm really looking forward to this submission. Whether I win anything or get published, I'll get some genuine feedback from editors. This will be my first opportunity to take something I've worked hard on and see if it's worth a sh*t.  It makes me a little anxious, but excited at the same time.  While I'm incredibly grateful to the support and encouragement I've received thus far (and the understanding I'm given when I commit just a little bit more time to something other than my little family), having someone read my work who has no emotional attachment to me, and doesn't have to deal with the repercussions of hurting my feelings will teach me far more than anyone I know personally.

Now to get the first draft done, so I can move on to the part that always makes me craziest: editing my own work.

Read Me

What's the point of this blog you may ask?  I haven't quite figured it out yet.  But I feel compelled to build some sort of writing portfolio to see if my lifelong yet frequently ignored hobby of writing could ever turn into something more.

I've gone back over some of my personal writing and realized I've complained about not doing this for years now, so it's time to stop complaining and start doing.  If it ends up being a fruitless endeavor, then at least I can say I tried.  I don't want end life thinking that it's okay to just muddle through without ever really taking a chance on something one loves.

So here it is.  I'm open to criticism (as long as it's genuinely useful--if you want to heckle, I must warn you I can sling it with the best of them).  I'll probably cover a wide variety of topics and it may seem like I'm all over the map, but I have a feeling I'll start converging on a theme or two most important to me as I continue to write.

I need to commit to this before I wake up one morning not recognizing the potential I once had.  I've been joking about writing that NY Times best selling novel for over ten years.  I've jotted down at least 15 story ideas.  I'll be throwing down during Nano Wrimo this year and really making an attempt to finish a complete draft.  I've started a few, but never finished one.

I want to write.  Despite all the articles and blogs telling the masses to never become a writer.  All the articles and blogs that speak of the boundless rejection, the impossible odds to overcome, blah, blah, blah.  I take them in and genuinely consider whether or not I should quit this silly idea and something always pulls me back.  If it's meant to remain a hobby, I can live with that.  If it's meant for more then I can't allow myself to never take the chance.