My Summer Writing Life

I’ve been avoiding this blank space for too long. But I haven’t avoided all writing–and editing, revision, researching and reading. No, just this site. My personal site. Why? Why do writers sometimes avoid a project they usually enjoy and know they should continue? And when a lot of time passes, it becomes both easier and harder to procrastinate.

Ugh! My writing life has always been complicated, and even at this stage of the game, it annoyingly still is.

But allow me to take a moment and focus on what I have accomplished in the last couple of months. Okay, can I include reading? I will because I’ve read some amazing books. I happily recommend Accept, Connect, Heal: A Vision of Hope for our World by John C. Davis. If you’re looking for inspiration and to strengthen your faith, John’s your guy.

A memoir I couldn’t get enough of is Anna Marie O’Brien’s Adventures of a Metalhead Librarian. I was initially attracted to her story because of the 80’s, early 90’s music scene and overall fun, non-conforming time that I lived through and still yearn for most days. I loved her personal story involving family, friends, boyfriends and what she learned from taking risks and being an independent thinker.

I also read an informative little book by Peg Cheng called Rebel Millionaire. Peg’s advice and personal story is perfect for anyone who would love to retire with real money. She inspires me to start saving today.  And I’m looking forward to the edgy and talented Rebekah Mallory’s memoir called Train Gone. In the meantime, check out her blog.

Okay, so reading is good, but what about my writing life? Well, for one, I’m excited and honored to be included in Jas Hothi’s upcoming book called The Indie Author.

And while struggling with family issues, making sure Brian and I are healthy, working jobs that pay the bills and berating myself for not doing more, I managed to scrape some time for finishing my next novella.

Gia has been a work in progress. Originally a NaNoWriMo project a few years ago, I dusted it off early last year. I slashed it to pieces. I rewrote. I cringed the whole time. It’s a different kind of story for me. It takes me out of my comfort zone, but that’s why I didn’t give up. I worked on it until I couldn’t work on it anymore. If I’m going to send this story out in the world, I have to find the balls to do it. And I do want to release it. At this point, I feel like I need to release it. It’s a companion novella to my first story, Bring Me to Life. If you want to know what really happened to Gia in Bring Me to Life, read her story in my new one.

So what’s left before I push that publish button? Writing description and other details and then…courage. Read this post to know more. Can you relate? If not, I envy you. Maybe one day, this whole writing adventure will be a little less scary.

But scary is good. Scary fuels me. When I set the final Gia file aside, I went back to another NaNoWriMo story. I enjoyed writing this one about a little magical black cat. If you don’t already know, I adore black cats. (Nash was my first and Jack is my current one). I finished the initial rewrite and editing, and I still like it. So, considering I named it Halloween Eve, I hope to release it before Halloween. I make no promises. I know who I am, and I know the realities of life. But I’m going to give it my best effort.

So, I don’t know why I haven’t written here, but I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m here now, and writing this short post about what I’ve been up to has been a good review of my summer writing/reading life. It hasn’t been so bad. Actually it’s been pretty damn good.

How about you? How has your summer writing life been?