Really? How do I go …
How do I go from here?
I mean, just what am I doing?
I sit at my Mac. My fingers type. I stop.
How do I go from here and make it in this world I say I want to be a part?
I look around. I type some more. And, then I look down and I find myself hitting the backspace key until the page is blank.
I get up, I walk over to the window. I look out. I walk over to the table next to my chair; pick up the glass of wine. I drink. I walk over to my chair. I sit. I pick up an ink pen. I tap the pen on the paper. I begin to doodle.
Woodie, my husband, walks in, “What ya working on?”
“Stuff.”
“Stuff? I thought you said you were writing today?”
“Yeah. So did I.” I sigh.
Finding Inspiration
I decide to go out on the web and see what inspiration I can garner up. I first go to the tried and true folks I admire (code for ‘I am jealous of…’). I read their latest newsletters or blogs. I sigh.
I sigh not because I don’t like what they read. I sigh because I feel as though I don’t have time. I don’t have time to do all of the things I they seem to do. I can’t make it. How do I go forward?
I give up and I begin to write in my journal. I love my journal. I can talk to it like no one else. I can say things I’d never say to anyone else. I’m not afraid my journal will fall into the wrong hands. If it does, it will be after I’m dead and gone. I read Agatha Christi’s notebooks. Okay, I didn’t actually read THE notebooks, but I read the book about her notebooks. It made me feel good. It made me feel like an author. I liked knowing she had moments like mine. Like the one I’m having right this minute. I liked seeing that some of her journal pages had notes about groceries or notes about a phone call she might have received. Wait. Were phones available then? I need to research that. I’m not sure. Maybe someone came to visit her and she doodled while they talked. May be.
One of my most favorite folks to read and follow along is Austin Kleon — his March 24 blog – Three reasons why you should show your work – spoke volumes to me. It inspired me to try my blog. And, I’m buying his book, Show Your Work!
Staying Inspired
Now that I’m inspired to continue being inspired, I need to share something else I’ve done this past week that is new for me. I haven’t read a book in a while. Probably not in the last four months, at least. Oh, I’ve read tons of material for my technical writing work, but nothing for FUN! I started one book that I never finished. I was sad I didn’t finish it.
The other day while spending some time on FaceBook, I saw a trailer about a series that had recently (meaning in the last six months) been turned into a movie. The book? Oh. It was written by Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, which is Book One of the three book series. The second book, Hollow City is now in print, too. And the third book is due out in the fall. I bought the first two books and pre-ordered book three.
I finished reading book one last night. Fabulous! Purely fabulous. So much so, it has inspired me to get off my duff and continue writing my new series. Which leads me to what Austin said about showing your work…
In his post, he shared some steps, of which, step one stated: “Documenting your process helps your progress.”
I liked that idea.
I’m going to give it a try to help me become more consistent with my blogging. You see. I did a report of progress when Hobbit King (my husband) and I started building our beehives the first year we became honeybee keepers. See my first blog about that here. I’m going to try Austin’s idea for encouraging me while I’m on this writing journey.
Documenting Progress
Beginning a new book series
- I’ve talked with our daughter, Ms. J, who is a graphic artist. She’s done the covers for all of my books. We’ve recently redesigned the cover for Book One, The Fire Within of the Marine Letsco Trilogy. I’ll be updating that book cover in the next several weeks. She also began brainstorming with me on ideas about the three book covers for my new series.
- I haven’t named the series yet. But, I do know I’ll have a strong female protagonist named Kay. There will be other characters to populate the series and of course, a villain or two or three.
- The series will include mysticism, magic, and mathematics. Three topics I’ve loved and read about since I first read C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia when I was in the fourth grade. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a writer some day.
- The throes of world building are playing havoc with my brain. I’m hoping this documenting progress habit will help me work through it. If any of you have good resources I should read or refer to that will give me much-needed support, please don’t hesitate to share! You can leave a comment or you can write me directly at info [at] pambnewberry [dot] com.
- I’ve wondered — how many of you have thought about your life, your existence, your past, your future? Yes. I thought so. Probably most, if not all of you. Kay will be doing the same. At the ripe old age of sixty-three, Kay will take a journey to another place where she will be 15 again. A chance to do it all over and live the kind of life she always wanted.
How do I go from here? By starting. I’ve written more on this blog post than I generally do and it’s all because of you, Austin Kleon! You gave me the push, the drive, the ‘why not?’ to cause me to ask, “Yeah. How do I go?” and to cause me to answer, “I go forward!”
Till next time…please consider leaving a comment, sending me a note, or better yet, join my list of supporters by becoming a Happy V. I. P. Reader! Who knows what great inspiring things I’ll learn, and then I’ll pass on to you!
Write on with Cheers!
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This post, How do I go from here? was first published on Pam’s Blog on April 3, 2016.