My writing Update!

There are a lot of you out there who are writers or want to be professional writers. This makes sense that there would be a lot of us using this venue of blogging to get all the words out of our heads and onto "paper". It is a need, not a luxury. The words and ideas must be released or bad things could happen. 

I am not sure what the bad things are, because I have written and journaled since I was in grade school. But I have gone through seasons when it was not easy to find the moment to make the transfer from head to fingers to paper. When my two sons were little I cherished nap time. As they grew too old for a structured nap time, I invented "book time" which kept them quietly reading on their beds for 30 minutes in the afternoons. Yes, Moms can be extremely creative when the need to write is so strong!

As I told you back here, I have recently discovered that there actually is a book in me! My next dilemma was getting myself to sit down and do it. Sit down and begin the process of getting all the amazing words of wisdom that could be floating around inside me into a fun and inspiring book! 

I knew that the first step would be to create a new blog in addition to this one. The new one needed to be more narrowly directed to the target audience of the book in my head & heart. I am pleased to say that I have followed through on that and you may feel free to wander over to my other collection of words by clicking on the link in my side bar. 

Then back here, I mentioned that I had not written anything substantial since beginning my new job in September. My work days are very people oriented and emotional, so I had nothing left when I got home each evening. I debated whether this was an excuse or not. Why writers would put off and procrastinate doing what we love to do is a weird sort of mystery but it is true. Once I sit down and begin to let the words flow, I am in heaven! I love the act of choosing the correct word and arranging the paragraphs just right. But I too, find myself wasting time on Facebook and reading blogs when I should be using the time to create my own collection of words, not just reading others. 

So, I am happy and proud to report that I have managed to take Wednesdays off from work and make it my serious writing day! The last three Wednesdays I have let Hubs go to our shared job on his own and I have basked in the intoxicating luxury of seven or eight hours of alone time to be creative!! Yay me! ( I am aware that for you young Mommies out there this is fantasy land. But the day will come, it will!)

One of the huge pieces of doing this, is that it is making a public declaration of my desire to be a writer. When students or staff ask why I am not at work on Wednesdays, I am telling them that I am pursuing a dream of mine. It is proclaiming that I am worth it. That's scary stuff to put out there!! But it is a beginning step. A tiny step. But it is something! 

I have three articles "out there" waiting for acceptance or rejection. I have only a very skimpy outline of my book in my head. It is hard to know where to begin on that. I am following up on many leads to more website writing jobs to add to the one I have already. Actually the website I write for now, pays more per hour than my new day job. And that is not much! (I really should not have calculated that out yesterday! It is very disheartening!)

I love to write. I am receiving some pretty positive response to my new blog. It is helping me to form the content of the book I want to write. The new blog, called Recovering Church Lady, is aimed at women in Christian leadership. My heart hurts for all the mis-information and pain they endure as they work day in and day out to be what so many people think they should be! Don't get me started! 

This is my update regarding my dream to be a writer. I honestly need, Hubs and I need some other income beyond what we have now. I want to make money with my writing talent. I'm not too proud to say that. I do not expect the book to be an income generator, so I am looking at any other avenues to bring in some bucks through writing. 

Thanks for listening and thank you my dear blog friends for your continual encouraging comments! You inspire me!