Poetry

I have been feeling bored with everything I've been reading lately, so I began going through a few of my favorite poems. Then, I went to the university library and checked out a half-dozen poetry books. I have been full of tears lately and really needed the freedom to experience my emotions (I spend so much time on clamping down on them that I eventually have to let them loose, but I have a hard time doing that without some external assistance.)

Anyhow, a line flashed into my head yesterday evening that I REALLY loved. I was at the movies and didn't get home until too late to write, but I got up this morning and wrote three poems. If writing is healing, then poetry is a great way to process emotions. There is no need to tidy everything up in poetry. It is raw and real and exactly what I need right now. I was thinking I may collect my poems into a book about emotional healing.

I keep struggling with my many interests. There are so many things I like to read and want to write. I want to do everything and do it well! I am hungry to experience everything, which means I'll feel free to write poetry instead of blaming myself for not working on my two novels.

Freedom.

Are You a Writer?

I received a call today from someone looking for an editor for her husband's 500-page manuscript. (I do freelance editing and proofreading.) She wanted to know about pricing and what I had to offer beyond spell-checking and grammar correction.

As we were speaking, she began asking questions about my own background. "Are you a writer?", she asked. I was pleased to say yes, that I am working on a novel and have other story ideas in the works as well. We chatted about my writers' group and she wanted some information about submitting the finished work to a publisher; I said I knew of some resources and would be glad to work with her.

When I got off the phone, I felt recharged. Before this woman called, I had been watching a DVD of a television show that has become very important to me, but I had also been hiding from my writing. So much of this writing (or procrastinating about writing) is about fearing my own healing process. I AM A WRITER! I have stories to write and issues to work out by writing.

I am going to begin using the two hours in the evenings between when I get home and my husband gets home to work on my writing. This is a commitment to myself. I am ready.

Writers Group / A Lovely Compliment

Today was the second meeting of my writer's group. We all have very different ideas about what we are writing and why we are writing it; the other leader and I said we wanted to make this group meet the needs of its members, but it's a bit of a challenge since she and I don't always have the same perspective as the group members. That's why we need to work together!

I was incredibly nervous about reading my work out loud for the first time. I chose two of my best scenes (meaning scenes I had revised the most times--I'm not a great first-draft writer, but I revise everything dozens of times until it is solid), and one woman actually said, "That sounds like it's been published already." Talk about encouraging!

FYI, my mom's been in the hospital, so I haven't been writing as much as I wanted.