I was starting to have my doubts.
The past couple of days, I've been thinking maybe this author thing isn't for me. I just don't seem to be as passionate about it as I should be. Maybe I only have enough enthusiasm for one hobby at a time because running is really taking over and pushing writing out of its way.
But then I had my monthly SCBWI Western Washington meeting tonight. I can't believe I considered not going as I sat in traffic on I-5.
If you want to be a children's (or any genre really) author, I highly recommend joining the Society of Children's Bookwriters and Illustrators. The meetings are full of aspiring writers and authors. You can feel the passion and the energy all around you.
I'm so glad I went. Not only was tonight's speaker, Erik Brooks, entertaining and inspiring, but a new friend was there, and she always makes me feel better. She recently published her first children's book, The Terrible Tenor. She's also a runner and has encouraged me multiple times to turn my Mom vs. Marathon blog into a book, which (I have to be honest) I've thought about before.
But I have no idea what angle to go after on what seems like a very broad, possibly overdone topic. So I'll think about it some more, which is what I always do until the excitement bubble pops and drains all my juicy ideas till my brain dries up.
No!
I'm going to work on this. I'm feeling re-inspired after tonight.
Do you keep a journal with all your ideas? One of the ideas will spark and burn. In the book I'm reading, she said that 95% of what goes into your journal never makes it anywhere but in your journal. That gave me hope because I've fretted some about writing something, for means of putting in a blog, and I haven't done anything with it. Maybe once life settles down I'll look for more writing blogs, classes or groups to join. I don't know what direction I want writing to take but I feel in my bones that I am meant to do something with writing.
ReplyDeleteThrough my creative writing class I have two books (only needed one but that' a different story). Crossroads by Diane Thiel and Creative Writers Handbook by Philip Jason and Allan Lefcowitz. Hands down I like Creative Writers Handbook better.
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