The Prodigal Writer Returns

STAR (Space Coast Authors of Romance) has been a part of my life since 2008.  Being away due to career and personal changes, I've noticed the lack of motivation in my fiction writing.  About a month ago I dusted off my works-in-progress (WIP) and red-inked them until a few bled to death.  Only one or two survived.     

Looking at the lifeless manuscripts I knew it was time to get back to what challenged and motivated me.  I found my muse, but didn't realize it until I started plotting and reinventing characters. Today, I returned to the monthly STAR meetings and just in speaking with a few members about my current WIP I was able to scratch out 2700 words towards another chapter.  

Just like any good relationship, with your family or friends and with God, it takes daily work to keep it strong.  Thanks to my STARs I can build a better relationship with my writing.  The critique groups, Deep Dish reads, guest speakers, online forums, conferences, and contests are a few things that help keep me on track.  

A good romance never hurt any book, so regardless of your writing genre you should attend a STAR meeting as a guest.  Go ahead...I dare you!  

www.authorsofromance.com

 

Next Chapter

Happy Monday! Not really, but I'm in a good mood so I'll tolerate today's Monday. I've reached chapter 18 in my book and I'm still on a roll. I have a ton of editing to do, but I'm really happy that I'll meet my deadline. Short of my day job taking over my spare time (knock on wood!) I should beat my deadline by a week!

I'm off to a great start for 2009 and I'm hoping my good karma will rub off on all of you to GET WRITING! Keep your goals out there for everyone to see. This has kept me motivated when I see people after a couple of weeks who ask, "how's your writing?" and I answer, "Fantastic!" We all have readers who care and want more. It's the first step in reaching the goal and the last step in procrastinating...write something today.

Write!

When I Write

Lately, I have less and less time for "me". When I say "me time", I'm not referring to getting my nails done, or hitting the tanning salon. Hell, I haven't done anything like that in quite a while. The "me time" I'm referring to is my writing. It seems every time I turn around we are running our oldest son here and there, or my husband is working late, or has made plans to hang with friends, or I'm working late, or the little one just wants me! I've typed one-handed many a time, but it's not easy when your thoughts are going faster than your hands. My husband has tried sitting with the boys to give me quiet time, but I get irritated easily when all I hear is the sliding door opening and closing, or my oldest yelling at a video game, and the dogs start rough-housing while the youngest yells for me. When do I have time to write?!

Come to find out I have Chronic Onset Insomnia-meaning I have a very hard time falling asleep, if I sleep at all. This has been ongoing since my childhood according to my mother, but back then we called it another name...the boogie monster. Now that I'm older with children of my own I find that the 'boogie monster' is indeed real. Just not in the form of a scary monster hiding under my bed or in my closet. No, my monsters are in my head. They stem from experiences I've had and from everyday life. They have names: Bills, Health, Kids, Marriage, Work, Inflation, Clowns, etc. These monsters aren't always scary, but they are always on my mind and often the cause of it racing late into the night. The only way to get my mind to slow down is to put my thoughts on paper...or screen I should say.