NOW AVAILABLE!

NOW AVAILABLE!
A HERO'S SPARK: the final book in the Wicked Women series!

Monday, March 29, 2010

I'm brilliant...in my head!

Good morning!

You've heard it before. You've probably said it before.

"I have it written...in my head."

I have no less than four books written...in my head. And why oh why don't agents and editors know just how brilliant those books are? Because they aren't mind readers, maybe?

(Now, Elliott, I'm NOT directing this at you...really...I'm not!)

My friend and critique partner Linda reminded me the other day that I should just write humor because I'm funny. (Strange...I don't feel funny.) I used to write a lot of those "slice of life" sort of stories that made people laugh, mostly because my life is always chaos due to my complete lack of organization. In short, funny stuff happens because I'm a dork.

To be honest, I've had a couple of titles rolling around in my head for more than a decade. "Stretchmarks are just the Beginning." "Confessions of a Crazed Candle Lady." "Growing up in the House of Danny and Donna Dull." And my personal favorite, "Stalking Rick Springfield and other habits of the Middle Aged Suburban Woman."

But, aside from a bit here and there, these titles are just that. Titles. Oh I have ideas fully developed ideas that would make me the next Erma Bombeck (One of my all time heroes, RIP.) but those ideas are all in my head. I never think of writing those things as actual writing. I think of that as more an indulgent hobby that will never see the light of day...until they open my brain and find the abnormalities that I know are lurking in there!

So why bring it up? Because I know I'm not alone. Everyone, every writer, every writer wannabe has a book or an idea for a book locked up in their brain. And there are 500 reasons they don't write them down. See if any of these sound familiar.

I work, and by the time I get home I'm too tired to write.

When the kids are grown, I'll have time to do that.

I just need to get through the holiday season.

I have to catch up on my DVR stuff, then I'll have time to sit down and write.

I'm going to the Rick Springfield concert and I have to lose 50 pounds before the concert next month. (Oh...is that just my excuse? LOL!)

Really, if we're all honest with each other, there is one reason and one reason only that we haven't finished that book. We didn't sit down and write it.

So here's my challenge for you all this week. (And Christians, yes, I'm aware it's Holy Week. Suck it up. Jesus got a whole bunch of stuff done this week, and he didn't have the internet.) Sit down, write down all the ideas you've been harboring in the backmost part of your brain. Just write down the ideas. Then you can procrastinate over the weekend, eat some ham, color some eggs, eat too many Peeps. Whatever. (And if you don't celebrate Easter, go get some Peeps anyway. They are super yummy when frozen!)

Next week, open up an idea and start working on it. No excuses. Just write.

Because, hey, we are all brilliant, right? Now let's show the world how brilliant we are!

BTW, have YOU gotten your copy of DREAM IN COLOR yet? Makes a great gift! :)

4 comments:

  1. I won't be making excuses this week, I'm already too busy. Just got some disconcerting news in regards to the new employer versus former employer (neither of which are the current employer), meaning the probability of ambush in the near future is pretty high.

    So thank you for this bright spot in my otherwise anxiety-ridden day.

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  2. Oh Elliott! I'm sorry! Take a breath.It'll all work out fine! Just keep praying!

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  3. Stumbled upon your blog (as a fellow Rick fan), read this sentence, and laughed out loud.

    "So here's my challenge for you all this week. (And Christians, yes, I'm aware it's Holy Week. Suck it up. Jesus got a whole bunch of stuff done this week, and he didn't have the internet."

    Congrats on your book deal. That's pretty amazing. Wish I could get past the excuses phase and write the play that's in my head. You've inspired me!

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  4. Hello Anonymous! Glad I could give you a chuckle, it's what I love doing! Write the play! My friend Elliott will tell you, I'm big on nagging writers to write! LOL!

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