It's been a couple of tough weeks for me, so I haven't been on the blog, as you may have noticed :) I completely forgot I was even doing it for a while. But, I'm back. As far as writing, it's been a little sketchy. I never heard back from Reins magazine, so I think I'll try again and see what happens. I continue to read On Writing and Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul, which always inspire me.

There is a writing exercise my daughter Kayla and I like to do on occasion. We both use our iPods, putting them on shuffle and take turns bringing up a song. The challenge is to write for the duration of the song using some kind of info or inspiration from it as a theme. You have do your writing about a particular story, or in my case book, you are writing. These little pieces of writing are called drabbles. Kayla's writing had to do with a fan fiction story she is writing and my writing was about The Attic - big surprise. By the time the chosen (or I should say shuffled) song is over you are supposed to have finished your drabble. Well...that never happens, so we just continue to write after the song is over. We do this ten times and then we share what we've written. Sometimes it's fun & sometimes it's stressful for me. This time is was really stressful - not sure what was going on with me, but I stopped before the last song. The sharing part is lots of fun and we enjoyed reading our drabbles to each other. So...if you're a writer...give it a try. It actually has helped me to develop some of my characters or find some new quality or insight about them.

Also, one day, Kayla and I were looking through some poetry books and we took turns reading poems to each other that we thought were interesting or funny. That was fun and inspiring also.

Today, I'm actually writing my book, which I am excited about. I am so close to being done with this draft and to getting the actual ending completed. I was hoping to finish today, but I don't think it will happen.

Thought for the day:

"The fear of rejection is worse than rejection itself" (Nora Profit)

The above I know. But this issue is one that I continually face. Finishing my book, The Attic, is a given for me. It was a gift from Spirit and the vision or dream that came to me in the middle of the night with the title and idea for my book was so unexpected, so wondrous that there is no way I will not finish it, but sometimes I have trouble writing for a long period at a time or I become tired when I'm writing or I just can't seem to get to it as often as I'd like. My knowing is that this happens because of the "F" word, a much more powerful word than the one you're thinking (naughty :). The word is FEAR - in caps because it is so powerful and can be so debilitating. These thoughts of not being good enough, about being rejected, about the 'fact' that no one will want to read my book and by the way, who do I think I am?? All those thoughts are roiling beneath my radar making it difficult for me to believe in myself and my book. Also, because I am an avid reader and have been reading a lot of young adult fiction, which is what I am writing, it is easy to fall into the trap of comparing myself to other writers...argh! Don't do it!

Writers and artists of all types are plagued by these kinds of fears. The Fear keeps so many of us from doing what we love or if doesn't keep us from doing it, it probably keeps us from sharing it. You have a gift you can offer the world...one that will benefit others. You don't have to publish, but if you want to and you aren't doing so, then join hands with me and let's work on our stuff and move forward together. Share your creations with the planet -- we can use more beauty out here. XO