Sleep? HA!

Can't sleep.

Toss. Turn.

Sleepytime Tea.

Fret about the future.

Listen to the hamster running on her wheel. Feel a whole lot like her.

Make another cup of tea.

Chat with old friends on facebook

Wonder what went wrong, why I can't sleep, why I cry too much, why I'm not enjoying my job. Where is my career going, where am I going, where are we going to move, how are we going to afford it, will I ever get published, will I ever get this new cd finished... will i have a baby? will the hamster ever stop running? will my brain ever slow down? how many cups of tea will it take?

Writing History

Surfing around the internet, peeking around at blogs and sites of writers, I keep seeing the question - Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? - and I wanted to dive into this for myself.

Did I?

No. Deffffffinitely NOT.

Up until a few years ago, I could not FATHOM the idea of stringing together more than a few paragraphs, let alone several chapters to make a WHOLE STORY?!!? Writing papers was always fun in school, but it was ultimately super effortful.

But when I think about my first childhood fetish, it all begins to make sense! I was ADDICTED to collecting ERASERS! I know it's strange, but I loved these suckers. In every shape, size, color...tiny little high heels made of rubber, smiley faces, glow in the dark, pencil-toppers, huge ice cream cones...the BEST things ever! Some of them smelled AMAZING too!

Next fetish was school supplies. Mechanical pencils. Mechanical fuckin pencils. Drool. What about those pens with the four different colors all in one?!!? Do you remember that?! Ah. mazing. A good ball point? Like butter. Markers, sharpies, little pens, ultra big ones. Obsessed.

Then I got into poetry and music and writing in that vein. It was a slow progression. Starting with my first band in college, then poetry slamming in Orlando, and eventually producing six full length original cds.

It was in Boone, North Carolina where the novel writing magic really unfolded. Scratch that. It was in New Orleans, when I was on the road. I was staying in this nasty hotel and it was late, and I was all alone. My imagination was getting the best of me, so I decided to turn it on itself. I broke out my laptop and started typing. Clementine was born.

Now I can see myself writing many, many novels in the years to come. I get so much joy watching characters unfold in front of me, surprising me at every turn. My favorite new quote is:

"Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."E.L. Doctorow

I LOVE THAT!!!!

If you think you can write, you can. I believe in you! And if I can do it, anyone can!!

Weeew Heeeew!

For all of you who have been following my journey with Clementine, I must give you the greatest of all news so far with this adventure:

A very cool agent asked to read my full manuscript!!! This is just one of many steps in getting published, but it's an important one, and should be celebrated. Even if she ultimately rejects the book.

AND.

I am 40,000 words into book took, roughly halfway through. This book has been so exciting to write. The ritual has been: wake up, walk thirty minutes with NO music...letting the imagination run wild about the story, come home, brew coffee, shower, sit and write for NO LESS than one hour. It's a dream.

I love writing, and I love life. Just got back from GOOD VIBRATIONS in San Diego and that was a complete blast. I love unschoolers!!!!