I Love to Write...I think?

I am a writing school drop-out! A few years ago, I was involved in an Institute of Children's Literature course. It was a guided study course. You read through assignments, write, turn in your writing assignments. Your assigned instructor reviews them and returns them with remarks on your abilities, errors, and pointers for change, etc. My "instructor" was Minnesota author Janet Graber. I enjoyed writing, and was doing well, while learning new skills. Unfortunately, I only made it about half way through the course before I "dropped out." Somehow, even though my lifelong dream was to be an author, life just took hold, full force, and I got too busy to write. One of the pointers is that to be a good writer, you should write daily. (I read many bloggers at Area Voices that do that well!)

At the time I quit writing, I had been working a full time seasonal job (April to October) and a half-time school year job. Therefore, the months of April to October left little time for anything but the daily grind. I worked on my writing and genealogy work mainly during the less busy time: November to March. Then the seasonal job went full time (and then some) and I couldn't find a moment to myself.

Over that two year period, I really missed my writing. I worked on an occasional personal piece, but nothing more. I started this blog in an attempt to start writing again. In the beginning, it was fairly easy to write, not usually daily, but at least several times a week. Then, around mid-summer, I started facing some severe career challenges. I am still working through some of those processes. I am currently laid off from my once-again seasonal job, and working a part-time job. After Christmas, I will be looking for some more work to supplement my part-time job. I would then be able to walk away (haltingly, though I should probably run) from the seasonal job, which has been a source of distress for some time now, as much as I love the work.
My oldest daughter recently added to my distress when she made some life altering decisions just totally out of character for her. (I'm not ready to blog about that, yet, or maybe never).

So, with the craziness that has been my life, I have not been blogging or writing much. I've been in a ruminating phase as of late. I am getting to the acceptance stage of my woes(partly by reading about those in more dire circumstances; I need to count my blessings). If I am successful with finding a way to supplement my part-time job to meet my budget, then I hope to find time to return to my dreams of writing once again in more earnest. For a small (unknown) fee, I could re-enroll in the course I dropped, since I had fully paid for it.

Meanwhile, I am content to come to Area Voices and mostly just read the blogs by the many talented writers. I still leave comments, too, and some of those end up being blog length. Participating at Area Voices nourishes my mind with the written word I love so well. It sparks a light in me that may soon be fully illuminated again.

Whether I return to the writing course, or try to work things through on my own, a regular "kick in the pants" from some of my regular readers may keep me going...hint, hint!!

I know there are others out there with dreams of publishing, and it is never too late. My former writing instructor (see link above) didn't publish her first book until age 60, then another a few years later. She will be releasing another in spring (which I think may be part of a trilogy). Keep on writing, friends. Even if it is just your friends and family that you write for, you will leave a legacy for the future. As a genealogy buff, I must impress upon you how important those little pieces of your life really are!

(originally published on my Area Voices Blog)