This Thing We Do

As I sit down to write this, I have no clear cut idea of what I intend to write. I know only that it's time to write. This isn't an obligation; I want to write. The problem truly lies in what, of the many topics I've thought I'd like to write about this past month, I will focus on.

Much has happened in my little part of the world. Spring has come to Florida, and with the temps lately I'd say we're well on our way to summer. OBS has come and gone with this year beating out the previous year. A terrible crime was recently committed, made all the worse by how young the suspects are and how henious the crime was. And I've had many enlightening conversations with my friends. I could write about all this and more....

....But I won't....

As I was typing the foregoing I was thinking about this whole writing thing. As everyone knows, I'm a writer. I have been asked about it often. The thing that I get asked the most is: What makes you write?

That's actually a good question. What really does make me write? I'd like to say something like my soul just yearns for a way to express itself, but that's a little too easy. Oh, yeah, and cheesy. It's true there is something within me that wants to express itself with the written word, but it's more than that.

I suppose I could say that I enjoy it, but that would be a lie. Writing is enjoyable for about the first thirty seconds. After that it's work. A lot goes into making a story readable. The only time I can say I enjoy writing beyond the first thirty seconds is in November when I do NaNoWriMo. I love NaNo. I don't have to do anything but crank out 50,000 words in a month. That's only 2000 words a day. (If you do 2000 a day you can skip days and not have to cram at the end.) With NaNo, the only thing that matters is getting the words out. You don't have to plot, your characters don't have to make sense, you don't have to develop your characters....

Hey....wiat....I just had an epiphany!

The Twilight series is simply four years of unedited NaNoWriMo's published for mass consumption!

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.....

So, why do I write? Well, I do have a need to write, I do enjoy it (usually....to a degree....sometimes), but I think the real answer is that it's a challenge. Those of you that know me well know I never back down from a challenge.

I see the skeptical arching of brows! Hear me out here.

A lot of work goes into plotting, character creation, character development, setting -- you know, all of those things that make words on a page into a story you want to read. It's not easy to pull that all together. Beyond that, there's the requirement that this all be done using well developed sentences, good vocabulary and engaging style.

And if all of that wasn't enough to challenge you, there's the whole publishing nightmare. Errrr....I meant process. You might have the best story ever, but do you know how many agents and editors turned away Harry Potter before Bloomsbury picked it up? (I don't know about you, but I think those that said no go home and cry in their port every evening.)

All I can say is: I can't wait for November! Until then I'll keep working on my other projects, some of which are showcased on my writing blog.

Hmmm....Maybe Not

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Sports Banquet

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