Hey...remember me?

It has been a WHILE. Sorry I’ve been neglectful. Ever since I found these contests and one Fizzygrrl and Write For Apples, I’ve been pretty dern busy. They’ve introduced me to a host of new characters that honestly, I don’t know how I’d live without. Feaky Snucker, another lovely human being, said it best. (at least I am pretty sure she did and if she didn't she was thinking it) Facebook is for friends you have but don’t really know anymore, whereas Twitter is for friends you never knew, but should have known a long time ago. Yep. Sums it up. Shout out to the amazingly wonderful Erica Chapman, Kat Ellis,  Laura Hughes and J.C. Gregorio as well. These ladies are going places, so please visit!

On to other news. A man jumped out of a pod and free fell. Made a record. Pretty cool. I guess writing a book pales in comparison. But on that note, yesterday as I was talking to my husband, I found myself saying, “If I keep at my current pace, I should be finished with my first draft of my manuscript in ten weeks.” Which is not what was funny. What was funny is afterwards, I found myself thinking, you know, why does it take so long to write a book? Then the next thought I had was…WTF? If it only takes a total of 4 months to draft one book, while I work, take care of my family, and have a social life, well…that is pretty fan-freaking-tastic. I can’t believe this writing thing has become my life. But it is.

It has gone from something I thought about doing, to something I AM doing. And it’s true what they say. The more I do it, the more fascinated I get in the craft of writing, and thus the better I become. It’s pretty damn cool.

Writing is so much more than coming up with an idea and stringing words together to make a coherent sentence. It’s finesse and crafting to get the right emotion, the right image conveyed to the reader. It has changed how I see the world.

A few years back, there was a writer strike. All the network TV stopped for a few months while writers picketed for fair wages and compensation during what was then an internet boom with streaming programming at the forefront. Even then, I supported my fellow writers with a “hells ya” and signed petitions online. I knew they worked hard, and since they were the brains behind every character, every joke, every amazing one liner still heard today, they deserved whatever they asked for.

What was cool though, was the solidarity between writers. They banded together and it really seemed like every one of them genuinely liked and cared about another. And you know what? Now that I am writing, and have found myself fraternizing with the writerly crowd, there is something I’ve realized. This IS true of all writers. It’s an incredibly loving and supportive group. I am honored to be one of them.

Which brings me to the point of this blog post. (Took a while huh?) The writers got together and created a website called WHY I WRITE.  See here for the original post. Click on the calendar to see more.

Each day, there was a new post from a writer with an essay about why they chose to write. Reading through all of these, my emotions ranged from pleased, to laughing riotously, and filling me with hope and passion. They were great essays. Maybe my next post will be my Why I Write. But in short form...

I write because I have to. I write because I have these voices inside my head that want to get out and they won’t leave me alone until their story is told. I write because the legacy of the human mind is gifted through words. I write because more than anything, I want my legacy to be that I made people laugh, or touched them with words, or took them away from their problems for just one day.

So…why do YOU write?