I'm a Writer!

You know, although this is my personal blog --- meaning I'm pleased as all get out that I get to write whatever I want, whenever I want without anyone restricting the topic, editing me into banality, blah, blah, blah ---I've been reading a lot of blogs lately, probably too many as its cutting into my writing time, and have been reminded as to why I am a writer.

From the time I was old enough to read (Mom made sure everyone of her children could read before they ever entered kindergarten) books were my haven from the world. I started with the standards, you know . . . See Jane run ---- then on to The Pancake Story, Johnny Tremaine, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys and so it goes. Now I own thousands of books in every genre except erotica and horror, beautifully housed in the library my husband built me.

I began writing original stories, badly, when I was eleven. From there it was just upward and onward. I read and I write romantic suspense, sports biography (one time shot), religious nonfiction and action suspense.

I have to be honest, over the last eighteen months I've let life get in the way and have not produced as much as I should. In fact, I've thrown away more than I've produced. I lost the love of it, and did it because of deadlines and pressure. I'm pretty sure that's why I'm not happy with anything I'm writing.

So, back to the point. In reading the blogs of other writers, readers, publishers, agents, etc. The flame that used to rage in my heart and mind is being fanned into that raging fire again from the ember it had become. I opened the two main manuscripts I'm working on today and quickly saw the flaws and the direction I needed to head. So thank you, one and all, for blogging. Who knew it could make such a difference.?

Today, if I can find a spot in the mountains that isn't on fire, or in danger of being on fire, or . . . you get the point - I'm going to spend my birthday at a beautiful spot on the Provo river and write. I'm going to take RaeAnne Thayne's suggestion and just take pen and paper and let that muse that's been so dormant get back to work. Either that or I'm going to kick her butt for lying down on the job.

Gosh, I LOVE pansies. Maybe it's from the days of old when I was singing "Little purple pansies touched with yellow gold --" in Primary, but whatever it is, they are my favorite flower to plant and look at. Books and flowers, can life really get better than that? Okay, throw in a massage, a facial, a hot fudge brownie sundae from Brick Oven, and my sweetheart and life would be perfect.

So Happy Birthday to me. I'm looking forward to the next year!