A few weeks ago I was having writer’s block and decided to dig through the closet to find the journal I kept for my creative writing class in high school.
That was eye-opening.
I think a few meds would have been helpful for that girl back then.
When I brought up the idea of starting a blog to my writers’ group a few years ago it was met with a lukewarm response. The opinion was voiced that blogging was bastardizing your writing. Real writers get published, hacks blog. Since the majority of writers never get published my focus was writing regularly and not just once a month for our meeting. I knew a blog would force me to write more frequently and so I forged ahead.
In the beginning my regular readers were my sister, Ann, my friend, Nancy and Mark. There were times I would work for hours on something, publish it and the total # of hits that day was seven. I knew all seven people who were reading A Speckled Trout (those three and me four times) and the time of day they were reading.
My mom who does not own a computer didn’t even read it.
I have no idea why I kept at it because I am a chronic quitter as evidenced by my prolific recent job history, exercise DVDs and the stacks of unopened scrapbooking crap in the basement.
But I continued to write and during this last month when I check my numbers I squeal in happiness. I have no idea how or why the tide has turned. The other day when we were buying a turkey and ran into the owner of the store whom we know he said, “I really like what you’ve been writing lately.”
I have three responses to this every single time. First is to say, “Really?” Second is to cry. Third is to breathe into a paper bag.
A little while later I said to Mark, “What if I hit it big and people find out I suck?”
Oh my dear………..stop.
And so in the spirit of the season……….
