Writing and all that Jazz!

So there are a few things that are difficult about writing, the first is all of the stories that are vying for position in my head. You know those crazy people you see walking around talking to themselves, yeah, that is me. I will be in the shower having a conversation with someone in my head, talking about plot, conflict resolution, trying to figure out how to make them interesting. Sometimes I wonder if my family thinks I have lost it.

I did an experiment a couple of months ago, I just tried to ignore them all, but you know what, that just makes it worse. Pretty soon you start saying things that you would never say, and doing things you would never do, like stopping at a green light, or forgetting to pick up milk when that was the only thing you went to the store for. Finally it gets so bad that one night you wake up to knocking in your head, the only thing to do is drag yourself out to your computer and let all the craziness out. It is a small price to pay really, because if the voices ever went away all the stories would be gone, and that would be a tragedy.

The next thing that I find difficult is after all the sweat, and heat, and love, and tears and pouring out of your soul, NO ONE WILL READ IT. To date I have sent my first manuscript to over 30 agencies for representation. Countless friends, neighbors, and even people I have never met, tell me how much they love the book and want a copy when it is printed, but I can't get anyone to help me with that. It seems like the Publishing Gods have turned their backs on me, leaving me alone with the voices in my head. Now it would be really easy to give up, put the computer away, take meds for the voices and submerge myself in some pointless hobby like needlepoint, or Crockett (no offence to those who participate) but you know what, I can't. The stories are there, they need a voice, they need the love and attention I have to give them, so Agent or not I will keep doing what I love. So if you ever see me shopping in the soup section with MILK scrawled on a crumpled piece of paper just smile at me, head me in the right direction, and ignore anything I have to say about my latest character!