The Write Stuff

See I'm all about them words
Over numbers, unencumbered numbered words
Hundreds of pages, pages, pages forwards
More words then I had ever heard and I feel so alive

Why do people write blogs? Why do normal (well, almost normal, because after reading some of the blogs out there, I'm not sure what the definition of normal is anymore.) people publicly post what could be considered a journal or diary?

For me-- it's all about the writing. Writing has always been in my blood. Journalling (diary-writing) has been a part of my life since I was a little kid. I used to keep spiral notebooks with all kinds of wishes, hopes and dreams written down, then I progressed to those little hard-back pink diaries that most girls in junior high have at one point, complete with the little lock. I would write down everything from what my "crush du jour" was wearing to lists of my favorite songs at the moment. I even used to keep track of every time I saw Rick Springfield on TV or read about him in a magazine. 

Over the years, I lost "interest" in diary-writing but recently thought about doing it again-- just to have some sort of record of my life "right now." I even bought a nice bound journal at the stationary store and a nice felt tip pen to write with. But, I couldn't do it. I would stare at the blank page waiting for a reason to write. 

Then, a month ago, a co-worker encouraged me to put the stories I was telling her in writing and the rest, as they say, is history. 

I LIKE coming here to write down my thoughts. I also hope that my writing here will encourage me to explore other forms of writing-- the kind of writing I've always wanted to do and get paid for it. Whodathunk that tv.com would be my muse?

I wrote my first "short story" for public consumption when I was 13. I was sitting in French class, staring at this crack in the tiled wall and wondered where it began and ended... and wrote a story called "THE CRACK". It was about a kid who discovered a crack in a school wall (how original, eh?) and decided to follow it... and it led the kid into another world-- like a weird parallel universe of sorts... and then I ended the story with a teacher waking up the kid. It had all been a dream!! I gave it to one friend to read who gave it to another and so on and so on. My little spur of the moment fantasy story was passed all over my junior high group of friends. 

I even wrote a couple more like it and carried around a Mead Trapper Keeper (with it's velcro flap) with my stories inside-- neatly written on narrow-ruled notebook paper with papermate erasable ink. I wish I had kept them, but when I moved out of my parents' house when I left for college, I didn't take any childhood things with me... and now, I doubt they even kept any of that stuff. When I moved out, my brother took over my room and who knows where all of my stuff went.

I went on to write for the school newspaper in high school and even became a news editor, but I didn't do any "recreational" writing until many years later.

I am a vivid daydreamer. I love to just lie in bed before I fall asleep or when I first wake up and "daydream" about romantic scenarios. Then, as I daydream, I think, "hey this would make a great story..." and start to write down things from my daydreams. I practically "act out" the entire story in my head before I start to write, but then I run out of steam. I have disks full of "partially started" stories.

I've only written one complete romance from beginning to end. It was called FOR THE LOVE OF CHARLIE and I wrote it right after I graduated from college. It was about a school teacher who suddenly finds herself raising her 3 year old nephew Charlie. Her next door neighbor was a cute pilot who was gone a lot but had been recently grounded due to some kind of ear infection and although he wasn't contagious, he couldn't fly. He was cranky and when he hears the toddler crying through the thin walls of the duplex they share, he takes it out on his neighbor. Even though they've lived side by side for over a year, they've never met face to face until that moment. Yadda yadda yadda. She's basically at wit's end taking care of this child and he's grumpy about not being able to work, so they decide to join forces to try and care for the child while she tries to track down the whereabouts of her good-for-nothing brother who dumped the kid on her and left. There are a lot of "bonding" moments, including one where all three fall asleep on the sofa together and there is this feeling of "rightness." There are a few heated moments and a genuine respect and love developed on both parts but they can't help but wonder if it's because of the "playing house" scenario. The brother is located and a stern speech about responsibility ensues. The child is returned to the brother who is going to get help with raising the child. The cute neighbor gets his medical release to go back to work... and reality sets in. She resumes her regular life and he's gone a lot, but they both miss each other and love each other. Eventually, they find a way to work things out and live happily ever after.

I wrote the story on an electric typewriter and somehow, I lost it during one of my many moves over the years. The only person who read it was my best friend at the time and she loved it-- and she didn't even read romance novels. I never did anything with it to try and publish it. I based it on what I knew at the time--- teaching, good-for-nothing brothers, nephews and my crush on pilots. This was after my "preppy" phase and before my "cowboy" phase.  I'm currently without a "phase" so maybe that's why I have a hard time finding anything to write about now, other than these blogs.

I read so many books that leave me wanting for more. I'll think to myself, "I paid $ for this? I could write something better." Yet, I never do.

Last week, I started to work on a new story. I've gotten as far as chapter one... and even that isn't finished. I had a "thought" based on something that happened to me in real life and then sat down and started typing. Then, I walked away from the story for a few days... and now I can't get back into the groove. (sigh)

So, here I am at my blog. I can find the time and energy to write here because it's about stuff I know. Maybe I should write a story about a woman writing a blog?