June 7, 2011

I'm too busy writing to write

Hi. Remember me? Something's gotten in the way of my writing lately. I'm too busy writing to write!

Let me back up a bit. Sometime in the last couple of months, Amanda Westmont (whose blog I read at Mandajuice) decided to self-publish her first novel on Kindle & Nook. I wanted to support her, and I was interested, so I bought it. And I read it. In 2 days. I liked it, and I think you should totally check it out. It's a romance, but it's also about getting what we need and want in life. It would be perfect for the beach this summer! Or the pool. When I was finished with Gravy, I knew it was time to write my own book.

I have always been a writer. I've talked about it here a little bit before. When I was 18, I had an idea for a novel that was originally inspired by a crush on a teacher and a quarter studying abroad in London. It's been in my head, and some of it has come out on paper. I haven't worked on it seriously in at least 5 years, but really closer to 10.

There's something in my now telling me that it's time, and I've been writing. Today I wrote for an hour. I have spent time re-writing things that were already down, adding new things, making a ridiculously detailed week by week timeline for the time the story covers. When I'm driving, when I'm putting the baby to bed, when I'm lying there waiting to fall asleep, I am thinking about the book and writing in my head.

This feels so right. I know that I am actually going to do this - I'm writing a book! I don't know if I'll ever get published "for real." But as time goes on it seems like there are always more options for self publishing and sharing. It's going to be a while before anyone gets to read it - I have a lot of work to do. But when I'm writing, I feel alive. It seems weird to say that, but it's true. I feel inspired, I feel creative, I'm on a natural high. It's kind of amazing.

So, for right now while this muse is living in my head, I may be around here a bit less often. I'm still going to try and write here, because there are totally things I want to say and share. It just seems like my creativity is channeling itself somewhere else right now. And I can't wait to see where it goes.