Write on Wednesday

Write on Wednesday is alive and well! Here is this week's prompt:

Is your writing life healthy these days? How do you keep your writing life alive? What are some of the remedies you use to revive it?

Fortunately, my writing life seems to be in overdrive since the beginning of the year. Not only do I continue to have a weekly book review column in The Harrodsburg Herald, a monthly column in Mercer's Magazine, a blog on Bluegrass Moms, and several personal blogs - I've also picked up a new writing gig as a community blogger (Mercer County) for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

In addition, I remain active in 2 writing groups in my hometown: The Mercer Community of Writers (Nomadic Ink) and Speaking Out II. For Nomadic Ink, I'm working on a personal essay about "March Winds". We will be having a community reading on March 15th, so everyone is writing on the same topic. For Speaking Out, we are analzying a poem and writing our thoughts and feelings.

I continue to plug away at 3 books I'm working on. One will be a personal essay collection with my Mercer's Magazine stories, so I am basically working on the editing process - my least favorite thing about writing. At the moment, I'm stuck half-way through an adult fiction book - The Baby Bones. I'm 65,000 words in, but now I have no idea where the story is leading. The other book I'm working on - The Harrodsport Chronicles - is a young adult fiction and it is moving along much smoother - I have 37,000 words on this one.

As if this weren't enough to keep me busy, I am working on a personal journal for each of my 2 oldest daughters. They are both getting married in 2009 - OMG, panic!! - and I am making keepsake journals from their lives. The first wedding is in June, so I hope to have her journal ready.

In order to maintain this "high demand" schedule I have imposed upon myself, I typically break my day down in several ways. Early morning before work I typically journal or work on personal essays. In early afternoon, after work, I work on one of the books. After supper is usually when I do my blogging, although sometimes I'll blog a post in the morning. Late at night is when I allow myself to creative write and use my imagination. Because I have chronic insomnia, I'm usually up until 2 every morning - sometimes later.

I have so many ideas that float through my head on a daily basis, so I keep a journal just for my ideas and thoughts. Whenever I'm stuck for an idea, then I can open this journal and find some good inspiration. Also, like Becca, I re-read some of my favorite authors if I'm in desparate need of inspiration.

As you can see, at this point in my life I'm having no problem with keeping my writing alive. In fact, sometimes I'm afraid writing is taking over my life. I still have time to read (obviously, since I do book reviews) and knit, plus have quality time with my family.

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